Tina Frey x Pinch Food Design: When Sculpture Meets Service

For nearly two decades, Tina Frey's handcrafted resin objects have quietly shaped the way we presents food. Her sculptural trays, bowls, and vessels have appeared across countless events, elevating buffets, transforming tabletops, and turning moments of service into something memorable.

This new collection is a natural evolution of that longstanding relationship, a collaboration between two studios that share a deep appreciation for handmade objects, thoughtful functionality, and the beauty of gathering around food.

Together we have created a collection of serving pieces that blur the line between sculpture and utility. From butlering trays designed to move effortlessly through a crowd to playful forms created specifically for serving pigs in a blanket, each piece begins with a question: how can an object make a food experience more engaging?

True to the Pinch approach, every curve, surface, and opening is designed with a specific interaction in mind. Some pieces respond to a particular type of food. Others are shaped around a gesture of service. All of them invite new possibilities for presentation while remaining beautiful enough to stand on their own.

Subtle references to classic bistro culture appear throughout the collection. The role of the garçon, the waiter moving gracefully through a bustling dining room, inspired several forms, including a resin tray molded from the soft folds of a white napkin. The result is an object that feels simultaneously familiar and unexpected, transforming an everyday detail into something sculptural.

The collection made its debut during NYCxDESIGN and now continue its journey to Copenhagen, where Tina Frey and Pinch will host a special event during 3daysofdesign.

The collection is available for purchase online here.

Inspired by the soft drape of a linen napkin resting on a bistro tray, the Garçon Tray explores the possibilities of resin sculpting to create the illusion of fabric suspended in motion.

Designed for passing or bussing drinks, the tray brings a sense of lightness and movement to service. Whether circulating through a crowded event or a lively living room gathering, it nods to the elegance and choreography of traditional café culture.

The Spoonful Tray is a study in form, suggestion, and interaction.

Each serving cavity incorporates the silhouette of a chef's tasting spoon directly into the surface. The spoon-like impressions create natural spaces for hors d'oeuvres, while the handle-shaped channels provide an opportunity for sauces, condiments, and finishing touches.

The result is a playful reimagining of how a bite is presented and experienced. Guests are invited to "scoop" each bite directly from the tray, eliminating the need for utensils while creating a moment of discovery.

Featured menu:

• Charcoal Kebab

• Everything-Seeded Salmon

• Smoked Crème Fraîche

Designed specifically for rounded and unconventional food forms, the Groove Tray challenges the limitations of traditional flat serving surfaces.

Its elongated channels cradle each bite while creating a sculptural composition that feels almost anatomical in form. The tray echoes the shape of a hand in motion, transforming the simple act of passing food into something theatrical.

At rest, it reads as an object. In use, it becomes performance.

Featured menu:

• Steak Frites with Charred New York Strip, Béarnaise, and Crispy Potato Tube

• Mini Éclairs with Key Lime and Peanut Butter & Jelly

The Pedesbowl is a modular serving vessel designed around adaptability.

Stacked, inverted, nested, or separated, the piece encourages endless configurations. Its versatility reflects a shared philosophy between Tina Frey and Pinch: objects should evolve alongside the people using them.

Available in two sizes, the Pedesbowl transitions seamlessly between entertaining, display, and everyday dining.

Featured menu:

• Pick & Dip: Pulled Focaccia Toast with Whipped Sheep's Milk Ricotta and Truffle Honey

• Spicy Crudités with Herbed Fromage Blanc

The Holesome Tray reimagines one of Tina Frey's signature serving forms through the lens of Pinch's playful approach to hospitality.

Intentional openings punctuate the surface, creating spaces for cones, stems, skewers, and vertical presentations. These apertures transform the tray into a platform for unexpected forms while maintaining the clean, sculptural language that defines Tina's work.

The result is a serving piece that feels both minimal and imaginative, a balance shared by both studios.

Featured menu:

• Soft Serve Bufala Ricotta in Crispy Brik Cone Swirls with Strawberry Balsamic

• Soft Serve Parfait Cones

More than a collection of serving pieces, Tina Frey x Pinch represents a shared belief that the objects surrounding food matter. They shape how guests interact, how stories are told, and how memories are made.

Each piece was created to encourage conversation, movement, and discovery. Together, they offer a new perspective on hospitality, one where service becomes performance, functionality becomes sculpture, and every gathering becomes a little more memorable.

Go browse the full collection.

Photos by: Photos and video by: ​@okcrowe​ + ​@_byericag