COOKING like Jamie Oliver is one thing – but now budding super-chefs can serve up their culinary masterpieces on his tableware, too.

And that's thanks to the expertise of Sandyford pottery firm Churchill China and its new Keeping it Simple range, marketed under the TV chef's name.

Launched at this year's Houseware Show at London's Design Centre, it is going into the likes of Tesco well in time for Christmas, and includes two sizes of plate, a salad bowl and mug plus five different-sized serving bowls.

Created by Churchill's in-house design team in collaboration with Oliver, it is designed to be particularly easy and practical to use.

The mass market product sells at around £45 for a 12-piece starter set and comes from the company's 14-strong factory studio design team.

And it has also made the company a nominee in the Staffordshire University-sponsored Design Excellence category of The Sentinel Business Awards, presented in association with the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce.

Group design director Erich Rommelrath said: "Jamie Oliver has a certain style in his cooking, and the Keeping it Simple range has been designed to reflect that.

"During discussions with him it became clear that he wanted something stylish and different but which was – most importantly – strong on functionality.

"One aspect of this is that the base of the plates has been designed to fit within the rim of the salad bowl to make it simple to carry the two items together."

Chief executive Andrew Roper said: "Retailers world-wide appreciate the powerful combination of quality ceramic table-ware made in England with Jamie Oliver branding and our renowned service. Keeping it Simple has already been exported to countries as close as Ireland and as far afield as New Zealand."

Oliver is soon to make another American tour, following on from the success of his initial TV series there, which bodes well for the important US market for which a special sales executive has been appointed.

Churchill's design team aims to come up with as many as 2,000 new mug designs covering an enormous range of shapes, styles and decorations – big business for the company – and 300 to 400 new tableware designs each year.

The company can trace its Potteries roots back to 1795 and, although still family controlled, floated on the London stock market 15 years ago.

Employing 500 people it turned over £43 million last year, with pre-tax profits in excess of £3 million, and has invested more than £12 million on buildings and plant over the past five years.

The business spans both retail and the hospitality sectors, with products selling in stores from Harrods to small china shops and used in hotels and restaurants worldwide.