READER PICKS » Breaking the Mold

When Julia Child used BIA (Belgian Import Association) Cordon Bleu cookware in a demonstration at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium in the mid-sixties, the brand suddenly became a household name.

Since then, BIA Cordon Bleu has switched owners twice and expanded its line to encompass coffee/ teaware, dinnerware, glassware, and decorative accessories. The new owner and president, Paul Baughman, has put a fresh face on the company, and says customers are interested in more hip, modern, and colorful designs and shapes. There is still a huge demand for white dinnerware, which Baughman believes doesn't have to be boring.

He names their new Asian program of design, which is increasing in popularity, simple, clean, elegant, and white. Although the company has been based mostly in retail until now, Baughman says he is focusing on the F&B industry as well.

Hotels and restaurants are looking to differentiate not just the food they serve, but what they serve it on . . . BIA Cordon Bleu has the flexibility to work with properties to custom-design a line of dinnerware, twisting and tweaking the materials, and offering custom colors and over 20 different glazes to achieve the look they're after.

As it stands, BIA Cordon Bleu is a small company, but as Baughman says, their size is empowering because it represents the flexibility to offer superior customer service and custom design.

Our company motto pretty much says it all. We're The Little Company That Can!--ABA