Dinner Set with serving bowls and gravy boat

[Fangisnotacoward]

Why is this apparently so hard to find?

I want a new dinner set for Christmas dinner. I had one, but over time the plates and bowls have got chipped and broken. Its not made anymore, and I can't source replacements either.

As its only going to be used once a year for Christmas dinner, I dont want to spend £500 on a set. So I'm not looking for royal doulton or anything like that

I want something that includes, or can be bought separately in the same style, serving platters and bowls and a gravy jug. Don't ask me why, its something that I grew up with as a kid, it made xmas dinner feel a bit more special when we had it on our Christmas dinner plates.

I can't find anything suitable! Plenty of dinner sets, but nothing that has serving bowls etc as part of the set.

The closeness I've found is the set below in terms of the crockery that included, but the pattern is absolutely not what I'm looking for. Ideally something a bit christmassy in gold or silver, but maybe not an actual Christmas print if that makes sense? Its the right price and contains the right type of crockery I'm after, but the pattern is not.

https://www.wayfair.co.uk/kitchenware-tableware/pdp/house-additions-bloomsbury-floral-35-piece-dinnerware-set-hsu10796.html

I wouldn't have thought this was a bit ask, but apparently it is!

Ive seen some odd vintage sets on Ebay, but the pattern have all been a bit 70s for what I'm looking for!

Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated.

This might be a bit boring - but Dunelm, white dinner set (there's one with a gold rim) and then add on serving dishes/gravy boat etc in white - these can be from a different white range. And I can restock quite easily if something gets broken, and if it's not quite the same it doesn't matter terribly.

Jazz up with chargers, table mats, napkins /cutlery/glasses. This is what I do for Christmas lunch table settings.

Spode Christmas Tree from JL looks likely. 12 piece dining set plus separate gravy boat and serving bowls, currently some are out of stock but worth checking out

Sorry, I misread the “not a Christmas pattern” bit! I’d probably still buy the serving dishes & gravy boat from Spode and coordinate with a plain dinner set as suggested above, maybe with gold/silver/green rims

There’s a plain white one on Wayfair https://www.wayfair.co.uk/kitchenware-tableware/pdp/latitude-run-antenette-60-piece-porcelain-china-dinnerware-set-service-for-6-u110474593.htmlLatitude Run Antenette 60 Piece Porcelain China Dinnerware Set - Service for 6 | Wayfair.co.uk
or you could buy a set that you like and buy the gravy boat/ serving bowls separately in a complementary/ contrasting colour?

I think dinner services that include the vegetable dishes, sauce boats etc sold as a set are a thing of the past. Hang on until we get into about late September, and I'm sure you will be able to find some to buy individually. Ikea, John Lewis, M&S, Matalan, Dunelm all worth a look. I like a mix and match table, and often pick up nice dishes from TK Maxx. I have a couple of the red and white Spode Italianate designs from there, and they are perfect for Xmas.

are you near Bicester village outlet or similar? Villeroy & Bosch on deep discount could be what you’re after. They have spangly serving plates etc (as well as gorgeous Christmas patterns but I see you’re not looking for specifically Christmas)

(Why use it just once a year though? We have a plain white royal doulton dinner set with gravy boat etc yes it was v expensive - prob £500 in today’s money but we’ve used it every day for nearly 20 years - gravy boat just once a week though! Bone China is what makes it so expensive but proper bone china doesn’t chip or break or scratch unless you practically throw it on a kitchen tile floor. It’s a big outlay but it’s an investment and I think I would have been through several cheaper dinner sets by now and spent more than the initial outlay. )

To be honest, the best everyday stuff we have found is the Ikea +365 range which is decent, plain white but not too “thick”. We then mix and match seasonal serving dishes, placemats and napery to make the table look festive. Bonus is that you can change the colour theme without too much expenses.

I got most of our serving dishes and gravy boat from M&S. Plain white so I can use them all year. Good quality and very reasonably priced. Even before the hack they went in and out of stock so check the site every so often to see when they come back.

I've also got a few plain white dishes from Sainsbury's and Matalan, and my custard jug came from Asda.

Also, top tip.. if you are anywhere near the Midlands visit Stoke and scour the antique shops.

I think the OP wants it to be a Xmas only thing to make Christmas dinner feel more special “getting out the special Xmas only plates”, in a nostalgic way as she had that growing up. But I agree that the full set with matching gravy boats and serving platters is not generally sold now, the full matching dinner set with all matching side accessories is more of a thing of the past, and while you can find options, they are likely to get more expensive buying all the bits separately.

I’d be inclined to do as others have suggested and head to tk Maxx in the lead up to Christmas when they have loads of stuff in, and see what you can do then. Go for a gold and white scheme that’s easy to add to from multiple places. Or something like that.

I've got an almost complete Royal Albert Brigadoon dinner set for Christmas/Burns Night/family get together which I've picked up on eBay and at charity shops for pennies. The pattern is perfect - purple and pink thistles with a fancy gold edge - it goes in the dishwasher, and because it's old school there's meat plates, cake plates, salad plates, covered vegetable dishes, gravy boats with saucers, proper soup cups with wee handles, two sizes of cup, etc, etc.

The charity shops near us almost always have complete sets that have been given away by families clearing out their parents' houses, usually lovely quality tableware that's been 'saved for best' and barely used. Have you had a look there, or in your local auction? again, lots of 'house clearance' sales have complete sets of beautiful and still usable 60s/70s/80s crockery and it sells for literally a few quid.

Malvern set from Next is nice, I have it and lots of extras like gravy boats, serving plates are available.

Buy White 12 Piece Malvern Embossed Dinner Set from the Next UK online shop

What's wrong with mix and match? I think that looks better anyway.
Failing that, try the charity shops, they often have massive whole sets, very cheap. Plus, better for the environment.

eBay is probably your best bet - find something you love and keep adding to it. We've inherited a beautiful set (Crown Derby Old Imari) and we add to it here and there from eBay or antique shops.

Agreed with this.

Vintage pyrex dinner sets can be gorgeous too, you can get whole sets in etsy/ebay or buy in individual bits and pieces as suits.

Lots for sale by auction eg.
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/search-results?searchterm=dinner%20service

I prefer to eat off white plates so I’m with PPs who have said all white. You honestly cannot tell that they aren’t from ‘the same aet’

You can browse a lot of good stuff on https://www.very.co.uk/search/dinner-plate-set The Sophie Conran Mistletoe looks nice, or Highland stag on offer or ecookshop.co.uk but you’d need to piece your collection together.
I used to have a motley selection of red stoneware for Christmas but now it’s in daily use. Too much fun to keep just for 1 day a year.
IMO plain white serving dishes are fine all year round- they’re going to be covered in food anyway.

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/325369679/

Tesco seem to have a selection of different dinnerware sets Inc serving bowls and gravy boat

Agree Dunelm usually have sets you can add different elements to, or maybe IKEA?

Yes, thats it. I have fond memories of growing up using the "special Christmas plates" for xmas dinner though they weren't a Christmas pattern and probably no way special as its likely they came from the local market! 😆 but we only got to use them once a year.

My current plates, I put into everyday use because I had a thought I might as well use them, but they've become everyday plates now, and no longer a full set as a couple have smashed over the years, and I can't find a replacement. So I regret doing that now as I can't even pit them away as they are no longer complete for a Xmas dinner.

I know serving dishes are not in fashion anymore, and all the bumpf that comes with them. So it might be difficult to find a set, but I really appreciate all the suggestions so far, thank you! 😀