Spotlight on Flint and Flame

Over recent years, Flint and Flame have become a major player in the UK kitchenware scene with their outstanding range of knives.

Their luxurious knife range combines exceptional quality, performance and value.

Made from the highest quality German carbon steel, and celebrated by top chefs and passionate home cooks alike, their knives make a fantastic addition to any domestic or professional kitchen.

We caught up with Sales Manager and Executive Chef Simon Marshall to find out more about this luxury kitchenware brand.

Hi Simon, tell us a little about Flint & Flame

“As a company we’ve been running about seven years here in the UK, our head office is based in rural Billingshurst in the West Sussex countryside. Our core product line is luxury kitchen knives along with a great range of accessories.”

What makes your knives so different to what you can buy on the high street?

“Design! Design! Design! Our handles are designed so they have no pressure points, it is the most tactile knife you’ll ever use. We have a centre and a counter balance on the handle so you have a perfectly balanced blade so it’s light and lively in the hand, you won’t feel like you’re swinging an axe!

“They are made with a high carbon German steel giving you an unbelievably sharp knife with a fantastic edge retention that is easily sharpened. It is also the most stylish knife you will ever see. On the high street you are likely to find softer stainless steel knives, which are not as sharp and they won’t hold their edge as long, you’ll likely replace them in a year where as ours come with a 35 year warranty.”

What should you look for when buying a knife?

“The most important factor is the steel, it will ultimately determine how your knife will behave. It’s important the steel is hard enough so that you can achieve a fine edge and edge retention but not so hard that it is brittle or difficult to sharpen.

“The knife should have a full tang (metal runs from blade through the handle) so it doesn’t snap or break. The handle is important too, it should have a comfortable grip. Good knives aren’t cheap and cheap knives aren’t good.”

 Some people shy away from really sharp knives for fear of cutting themselves, what are your thoughts on this?

“Ludicrous! You’re more likely to cut yourself with a semi-sharp knife, simply because of the amount of pressure you are having to apply on the item you are trying to cut. With a sharp knife, point it in the right direction and it does the hard work for you.”

What is your favourite knife to use in the kitchen?

“Simple, the 8″ Chef knife. For me it’s the most versatile knife from dicing onions to 8 piecing a chicken. However I’m a firm believer in using the right tool for the right job, you could fillet a fish without a fillet knife, but it won’t look as attractive or be as easy.”

I understand, as a company, you exhibit at 300+ shows and events each year with your range of knives? That’s a lot of shows!

“It certainly is. For us, it’s a great opportunity to meet our customers, we also see so many returning customers, and so although we don’t have a physical shop, it feels like we have shops all over the country where we get to know all our customers.

“It also gives new customers the opportunity to physically try our knives, one slice of a tomato is usually all it takes for them to see the difference in the quality of our knives to the ones they have in their drawer at home.”

We understand you have quite a few well known ambassadors?

“Yes, we have some fantastic chefs who love our knives, we produced a signature collection of knives with Monica Galetti, we also collaborated with the UK’s most prominent game Chef Mike Robinson producing the Robinson Hunting Knife.

“Other well-known names such as Mark Hix, Nathan Outlaw, Eric Lanlard are all fans. Locally, we’ve also branded knives for Sussex Chef Steven Edwards for his restaurant ‘Etch’. We feel truly honoured that such great chefs love and use our knives.”

Learn more at Flint and Flame.

Put your business in the spotlight. Book a feature in the Sussex Business Times. Call 01323 819007 or 07894762304. Alternatively, email sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk