It started at my kitchen bench: The story behind The Assorted Bunch

Words by Hannah Nelson 

I can tell you exactly when this idea started.

I was standing in my kitchen one night, cooking dinner, when I looked across my bench and saw my utensils sitting in a random vase. All black. All plastic. All ugly. All old. All scratched.

The thing is, everything else on my bench looked beautiful. My matching salt and pepper shakers, a stunning Maison Balzac olive oil pourer I had been gifted, a Mud fruit bowl I adore. Even my tea towels. And then there were the sad, plastic utensils ruining the whole vibe.

In my cupboards, it was the same story. Stacks of dinner sets, glassware, placemats, linen napkins, tablecloths, all perfectly curated. And yet, the utensils I use every day hadn’t been given any thought since I bought them when we moved into our house. 

Once I’d noticed it, I couldn’t unsee it. Every kitchen I went into had the same thing: a jumble of mismatched, half-melted spoons and broken handles, mostly in a messy drawer. I realised there was such a gap for beautiful kitchen utensils that people would actually want to keep out on their bench.

So that’s where The Assorted Bunch began. Not from a big business plan (that came later), but from this simple idea: the tools we use most should be just as considered — and just as joyful — as the rest of the things we surround ourselves with.

Where the love of food began

My love of cooking started with my mum, Adelle. She’s the kind of person who can make a meal feel special without even trying — the one who’d work a long day and still come home to cook a lasagna or chicken pie from scratch, or have a chocolate slice or Anzac biscuits waiting when we got home from school. Always going above and beyond for birthdays, a cake of any flavour you wanted, your favourite dinner. And always inviting friends to join us for a meal.

Cooking was (and still is) the way we connect as a family. It’s how I connect with my friends too. If you know me, you know I’m the “host” of the group — there’s always a dinner party being planned, a market haul being unpacked, a recipe being tested.

So when the idea for The Assorted Bunch started bubbling away, it wasn’t just about utensils. It was about bringing that same feeling of warmth, creativity, and design into the things we cook with — something that felt personal, stylish, and full of life.

Not revolutionary, just refined

I didn’t set out to reinvent the wheel, a spatula and whisk already do their job. I just wanted to make better ones. Tools that are functional, beautiful, and match each other. 

Every piece in The Assorted Bunch collection is made from BPA-free, food-grade silicone. We chose it because it’s durable, safe, non-scratch and heat-resistant; the kind of material that actually stands up to everyday cooking. It was important to me that our utensils weren’t just beautiful, but genuinely made to last.

They’re the kind of utensils you can keep on display; that are colourful, cohesive, and considered. In other words, aesthetic kitchenware that’s actually made to be used.

For the love of food (and nice things)

The Assorted Bunch started by noticing that the everyday tools we use in the kitchen are often overlooked. But for me, it’s also become an opportunity to do something I genuinely love. I love being surrounded by food and by people who love to eat and drink as much as I do.

And beyond just sitting down for a meal, I love the process of cooking — the chatting, the chopping, the music, the glass of wine in hand, the conversations that happen over the bench. The experience starts well before you sit down at the table. It’s those shared, ordinary moments that make cooking feel special. 

And I can’t wait to share those moments with you. From my bench to yours, welcome to The Assorted Bunch.