Melamine plates might not be top of your summer wishlist but, when your ceramic dinner plates are as nice as Anthropologie's bistro range, you simply can't risk smashing them on your patio floors. Fret not, because outdoor dining doesn't have to mean flimsy plastic plates from IKEA (you know, the primary-coloured ones…). Indeed, these days you can actually buy quite the chic smash-proof garden accessories, not to mention the bamboo-melamine mixes that are more eco-friendly.
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But what exactly is melamine, you ask? Despite the tongue twister of a name, it's actually pretty simple. Melamine is a heat-resistant, organic-based hard plastic that is, to quote Q Home, “virtually unbreakable.” Unlike those clear colourful cups we all drank out of at children's parties circa 1990, melamine is more solid and won't bend. Some varieties are dishwasher proof, while others are microwave safe, so consider how you're going to use yours before you head to the checkout. And remember, not all melamine plates - even the patterned ones - are scratch proof, so you'll definitely want to check that out, too.
See The White Company's hammered-style plates; they're neutral enough to suit any exterior decor, a generous 25cm in diameter (for all the BBQ nibbles) dishwasher safe and can be upgraded with a whole host of other melamine picnicware. Elsewhere, if you're more concerned about aesthetics and the dream dinner party crockery, Wolf & Badger's Amalfi Coast collection will most likely be the pick for you. Still dishwasher safe and with a host of five-star reviews, the plates will bring the heat of warmer shores to your Blighty back garden, and they'll do it at a fairly mid-range price. Not bad, if you ask us.
After more outdoor content? We've found the best picnic blankets for gatherings in the park, the best picnic bags for transporting your boxed wine and the best umbrellas to keep you dry if the rain makes an appearance. Head this way for the best pizza ovens for al fresco dining, over here for the best BBQs and over here for the best patio heaters so you can kick back and never get cold. We've even got fire pits for a Love Island-style garden makeover, the best hanging egg chairs for your patio and the best garden furniture sets. You are most welcome.
For more from GLAMOUR UK Commerce Writer Lucy Smith, follow her on Instagram @luceeeeesmith.
