Ladles, Skimmers & Strainers

Soup ladles allow you to transfer large quantities of liquid from one place to another, skimmers let you lift solid things out of hot liquids, and a tea strainer means you don’t get a mouthful of bits in your tea. In other words, they’re all things you can’t do without, unless splatty soup or burnt fingers are your bag.

Ladles have a history that dates back thousands of years. The exact origin of the ladle is difficult to pinpoint, but they have been a fundamental tool in the preparation and serving of food for centuries.

Archaeological evidence suggests that ancient civilisations, such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, used ladles made from various materials to scoop and serve food.

Historically, skimmers were crafted from a variety of materials such as wood, reeds, or woven fibres, making it difficult to trace their earliest origins.

Skimmers feature a wide, flat, mesh head and a long handle, perfect for skimming impurities off the surface of soups, stocks, or frying oil, ensuring a cleaner and clearer end product.

In ancient China, skimmers made from bamboo or other plant materials were used for skimming soups and broths. The tea-drinkers of China would also rely on tea strainers – either placed over a cup or built into the teapot itself – to keep their tea free of leaves.