Your Partner in Excellence
Avantgarde is a large collection of full co-ordinated chinaware, cutlery, glassware, buffetware, banquetware and contract furniture.
Avantgarde offers the discerning yet budget-conscious operator a stylish, well-designed, low cost solution for high volume catering and foodservice outlets such as hotel banqueting, convention and function centres, air, cruise and rail, industrial and institutional catering, as well as restaurants, cafes, clubs, pubs and coffee shops.
The Avantgarde range is manufactured exclusively for FEI by our partner factories in China.
All the design development is handled in-house so we can very quickly respond to changing market conditions, as well as special projects and custom designs for our clients.
History of the Brand
They say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”.
And that’s exactly what we did at FEI. In the late 1990’s our traditional 5 star market began to change.
Toughening market conditions meant that operators were taking a very hard look at operational costs and as a result the market for European brands began to shrink in favour of cheaper alternatives from Asia.
The extent of these changing trends became very real for FEI in 1999 during the lead-up to the Sydney Olympics when a new 5 star property with the largest hotel banquets venue in Sydney (at the time) equipped its banqueting venue with Asian manufactured chinaware.
Instead of “crying over spilt milk” FEI rose to the challenge of surviving in tough new market conditions, and this potentially devastating experience became the catalyst for the development of what was to become the Avantgarde range.
The company recognised the need to meet the market so we decided to design and develop and completely new range of very stylish, low cost chinaware, buffetware and banquetware that would appeal to high volume foodservice operations like hotel banquets, convention centres, industrial and institutional caterers.
We sought expert advice from experienced foodservice industry professionals, and we took inspiration in the latest trends from European tableware designers to craft our new range.
What’s in a Name:
What will we call our new range? We wanted a name that stood for innovation, leadership and cutting edge design, and most importantly, a name our customers would find easy to pronounce!
The French word “avantgarde” literally means, “advance guard” or “ahead of the guard” and was originally a military term used to describe a small troop of soldiers who would forge ahead of the advancing army to explore the terrain and plot a course for the army to follow.
More recently “avantgarde” has become the word used to describe cutting edge innovation, the pushing of boundaries, leading the way forward into the future and challenging all to follow.
And this is why we decided that Avantgarde would be the perfect name for our brand.
To Market at Last:
In 2003 Avantgarde was launched to the market and is now widely recognised as a very attractive alternative to higher cost European brands.
Strong sales in the Australian market made it possible for us look beyond our borders and in 2006 we appointed Southern Hospitality Ltd, New Zealand’s largest hospitality supply company, as our exclusive distributor for New Zealand and the Pacific region.
Sales of Avantgarde continue to grow and it is now sold all around the world with exclusive distribution arrangements in New Zealand, the Pacific, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Africa, China and the Middle East.
Custom Design:
Sometimes there is a need for something extra special, whether it’s a special plate shape to highlight a signature dish, or a special decoration.
Our design studios are able to create customised chinaware, glassware and table linens to suit individual requirements for any special project. We do not require enormous production runs so it is possible for us to offer custom designs and special shapes for smaller, boutique-style projects.
Corporate and Incentive Custom Designs:
We are very experienced at producing special promotional items in chinaware and glassware. Call us to discuss your special project in detail.
Avantgarde Flies High:
Changes were occurring in the air too and once again a move away from higher cost inflight tableware meant that we were able to utilise our designers and factories to produce special tableware and service items for inflight foodservice operations.
Avantgarde Inflight was born and brand now produces custom designed tableware for many international airlines including Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Air Pacific, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Etihad, Gulf Air
and others.
Visit our Avantgarde Trade Centres and Showrooms:
The company is based in Sydney with a large showroom and trade centre located at Brookvale. In 2006 FEI opened an office, showroom and trade centre at Southport in South East Queensland dedicated to the servicing the Queensland market.
OUR INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS
Please contact us for information regarding our distributors in New Zealand, the Pacific, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Africa, China and the Middle East.
OUR SERVICE GUARANTEE
The Avantgarde passion for excellence covers all aspects of our business: customer service, dedicated account management, excellent product knowledge, expert selection advice, efficient ordering systems, on-time deliveries and guaranteed replacements.
Our experienced team will work with you recommending and selecting products that will compliment your dining or banqueting space, reflecting the style and standard of your operation.
Avantgarde is always AT YOUR SERVICE !
WANT TO BE A DISTRIBUTOR?
If you are interested in becoming a distributor for the Avantgarde range, please go to the Trade Enquiries page and email us a request for a Distributor Information Pack.