It's was a few years ago when we first sat down with Stuart Brioza, of State Bird Provisions, to discuss the development of the first J+V knife roll. It was a custom-order piece we were prototyping back then, and Stuart's insights were invaluable to the design process. We discussed options that were currently out there, what was really needed, and of course, what wasn't. In terms of function and material, it was an ideal brief for Joshu+Vela to pursue... We decided to revisit the design this year, tweaked a few details from Stuart's original piece, and then bothered to call on a few other culinary friends once more. The result of inquiry became a series of conversations that shared more personal nuances and ideas about cutlery, and how we value our tools as true tradesmen...

Chris Kiyuna of The Perennial

Chris Kiyuna is a native Oregonian but a culinary Californian. He was previously chef de cuisine at Mission Chinese Food, not to mention some notches under his belt from noma, the renowned restaurant in Copenhagen, and of course Coi. Now as Head Chef at The Perennial in San Francisco, Chris works closely with his Pastry Chef Nicola Carey, proffering some of the most delightful dishes in town — even for the most discerning of consumers. Collectively, their work at The Perennial is progressively defining full-circle, holistic, farm-to-table cuisine in San Francisco.

Thomas McNaughton of Flour + Water

Thomas McNaughton is the founding chef and owner of Flour + Water, Central Kitchen and Salumeria. His involvement with local farmers’ markets for the last 10 years has enabled him to develop close relationships with various producers in the rich Northern California region. These relationships are very important to him and allow him to be involved in the production of the meat and produce that he uses in all of his restaurants. He has been especially dedicated to CUESA and Outstanding in the Field. Thomas has been nominated three years in a row by the James Beard Foundation for the "Rising Star Chef of the Year" Award (2010, 2011 & 2013).

Brett Cooper of Aster