IO Shen has collaborated with Channel 4 TV’s Escape to The Chateau’s Dick Strawbridge to create a special collection of knives. Each of the ten knives – selected by Dick and dubbed Dick’s Favourites – bears The Chateau’s logo and some pieces can be further personalised for the recipient, for example with a chef’s signature.
Dick Strawbridge, his wife Angel Adoree and family are the stars of the Channel 4 documentary, which has charted their renovation of a crumbling French chateau into a wedding and events venue since 2016.
A long-term fan of IO Shen, Dick has been using the brand’s knives for about 10 years. “His love started with the Oriental Slicer and he has been adding to his collection ever since,” says IO Shen’s director Natalie Clifton. “For Dick’s 60th Birthday in September last year Angel asked the kids to pick out which knives they wanted to buy for him. Of course, Arthur went for the biggest in the range!”
However Natalie stresses that she has had “no direct contact with the Strawbridge’s – only to say thank you for all the air time Dick had given the knives over the years.”
In the meantime, Natalie and her fiancé Josh met chef and author James Strawbridge (Dick’s son) at an industry event about three years ago. Natalie reflects that the trio “hit if off, adding: “We are all into BBQ and have mutual close friends in the wonderful family who run Pro Q Smokers.”
Last September, Natalie and Josh volunteered to help James in the kitchen of The Chateau for a weekend when he was catering for a private event for a 2 Michelin starred chef and friends. She reports: “During this time we obviously met Dick and Angel who are the most genuinely brilliant couple you’ll ever meet – and they were absolutely gushing about the knives. So much so that they, then and there, decided that they wanted to add Chateau branded IO Shen knives to their portfolio.”
Top: Dick Strawbridge with IO Shen’s Josh and Natalie Clifton.
