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      March 27, 2024 2 min read

      Two creatives renowned for their contributions to cuisine and dining, Julian Hills, Owner & Chef at Restaurant Navi, and Bobby Gordon, Director of the Robert Gordon Pottery, have come together to craft the Navi Home X Robert Gordon Ceramics Collection – a bespoke collaboration that seamlessly marries culinary arts with the craftsmanship of ceramics, elevating the at-home dining experience to that of a fine dining establishment.

      While most know Hills for his coveted 32-seat fine diner, Navi, and his title of Good Food Chef of the Year 2023, the Fine Arts graduate is an accomplished potter, the delicate plates and tableware you are served on at Navi are handmade by Julian. The chef's ceramics are organic in shape and texture, while the palette is earthy and rustic - much like the Australian landscape from which he forages his ingredients.

      Navi Home was born as a concept during the restaurant closures in 2020-2021, when take-home Navi dishes were being plated up in people's homes. Julian’s vision to create a ‘piece of Navi’ that embodies the essence of his fine diner – finesse, provenance and artistry - enables diners to emulate immersive dining experience at home.

      As crafting a single piece can take weeks, from throwing to firing, glazing and further firing with bespoke finishes, Hills acknowledged that to offer a Navi at Home Collection, a collaboration would be imperative. The opportunity to partner with one of Australia’s longest standing potteries, Robert Gordon presented the perfect collaboration. Bobby Gordon, a fellow RMIT Fine Arts alumni and Director of Robert Gordon, was keen to work together with Julian on this unique dinnerware range. Hills and Gordon have closely collaborated, sharing ideas, innovations, and techniques - choosing moulds and shapes, glazes, textures and finishes.

      Unique, functional, and locally crafted, the Navi Home X Robert Gordon ceramic collection features a range of highly considered pieces, including artisanal dinner plates, side plates, bowls, serveware and cups. Each piece from the collection is crafted in the Robert Gordon Pakenham pottery and passes through no less than twelve sets of hands – it’s a methodical approach that gives each piece its own unique and organic markings.

      Exploring the local environment and influences on Navi's design and ethos, coupled with Robert Gordons 75-year history, Hills and Gordon have developed three distinct reactive glazes that encapsulate the Navi spirit – MARSH, DOCKLANDS and LOW TIDE. The glazes highlight the handmade nature of each piece and as a collection have been designed to be used as a set or mixed and matched.

      The Navi at Home Collection is the first retail offering from Hills, and will no doubt be a staple on the tables of fine-food enthusiasts who not only dine at Navi but are looking for quality, considered and functional pieces for home dining and entertaining.

      Shop the Navi Home x Robert Gordon Collection HERE


      Venue: Restaurant Navi
      Chef: Julian Hills
      Photography: Ed Sloane Photography + Diana Risteski

      Explore our Hospitality Collection HERE or contact us to explore a custom solution for your venue by emailing hospitality@robertgordonaustralia.com . Visit one of our distributors HERE

      Navi home x Robert Gordon

      Culinary Arts is more than just the food. It encompasses the entire experience one has when they sit down to a meal at a restaurant – from the ingredients that were sourced from a local farmer, the
      unique methods in which the chef prepares those ingredients, the vessel on which they plate up, the ambience, music, and lighting.

      It is where the focus, passion and creativity of one person can influence the way in which another person’s senses are engaged – particularly when it comes to taste and smell, but similarly sight and
      touch.

      Glazes

      DOCKSIDE // Inspired by the rugged charm of the bustling industrial area surrounding Navi and the nearby Port of
      Melbourne.

      MARSH // A celebration of the delicate ecosystems found in nature's hidden gems — marshlands. Reflective of
      the abundant biodiversity of marshes, Eucalypt greens and earthy tones echo the serene hues discovered in nature.

      LOW TIDE // A coastal-inspired collection that brings the ambience of tranquil shorelines to your dining experience. The soothing colour palette mirroring the muted tones of the tidal sands.

      Order the collection
      Custom Order.

      “Navi Home is something that I've always wanted to offer, but I hadn’t been able to find a way to handcraft a large volume of ceramics because of the time it takes to run the restaurant and bring up a young family. Partnering with Robert Gordon not only makes this dream a reality, but does so in a way that is authentic to our vision for the collection – Australian-made, handmade and premium quality with my full creative control. It’s been a pleasure to work with Bobby and the Gordon family on this project.” said Julian Hills.

      custom enquiries >

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