It was a double celebration for East Lothian at this year’s New Furniture Makers Awards in London, when two graduates from Chippendale International School of Furniture took national honours. Among them was East Lothian local, James Gascoigne.
The alumni from the Gifford-based school took home top honours at the prestigious event, which celebrates emerging designers and craftspeople from across the UK. In total, six Chippendale students were shortlisted at the awards, held on 29th October.
East Lothian based James Gascoigne received the Empty Chair Award for his sculptural and thought-provoking piece You Might Like to Sit Down. The brief challenged designers to create a chair symbolising those excluded or marginalised whether by gender, race, class, age or disability. A former Royal Navy officer who spent nearly two decades in transport finance, James returned to his creative roots through Chippendale’s Professional Course. His practice, The Cabinet Office, now produces one-off and limited-edition pieces that showcase bold and playful design.
Ellen Baines, from Herefordshire and founder of Verb Furniture, took first place in the Bespoke Award category for her striking Flow Display Case. Ellen originally trained as a theatrical carpenter at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and has built sets for productions across the UK and Europe, including for The Muppets. Inspired by the natural world and her love of climbing, her award-winning piece reflects a desire to create lasting, meaningful work with a contemporary edge.
James Gascoigne’s You Might Like to Sit DownEllen Baines’ Flow Display Case
Tom Fraser, Principal of the Chippendale International School of Furniture, said:
“We’re incredibly proud of Ellen and James and the creativity they’ve shown throughout their time at the school. Both have demonstrated real vision and originality in their work, qualities we strive to nurture in all our students. It’s wonderful to see their pieces recognised on such a prestigious stage.”
Located in Gifford, East Lothian, the Chippendale International School of Furniture attracts students from around the world to its nine-month Professional Course, designed for those looking to launch a career in fine furniture making and design.
ravjitwanderer/Shutterstock There’s something almost comic about the modern British summer ritual: as soon as the mercury climbs, we head to the nearest park, sit cross-legged…
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-pizza-in-a-box-right-a-man-adding-sauce-to-a-slice-of-pizza.jpg?id=61106431&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0%2C39%2C0%2C39"/><br/><br/><p><a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/best-pizza-in-montreal" target="_blank">Montreal’s pizza scene</a> is always evolving. And one of its most exciting new contenders is operating out of a space smaller than most living rooms.</p><p>Tucked into a 400-square-foot space above a paint shop in Montreal's Lachine borough, Forno Pizza Frankie's doesn't look like much at first glance. There are no tables, no dining room, and no neon signs. But inside, two brothers are quietly crafting some of the best pies in the city. Donny and Daniele Mellozzi opened the takeout-only spot in August 2023. It's not a traditional restaurant, though. And that's by design.</p><p>"We're not a restaurant. We're a forno," Frankie's co-owner Donny Mellozzi told MTL Blog. "A forno in Italy is a bakery. It's where you go for a slice of pizza, a sandwich, maybe some bread. That's who we are."</p><p>The brothers grew up around the food business. Their father is a longtime butcher and co-owner at Marchigiani in LaSalle, where Donny first started baking Roman-style pizza on Sundays. </p><p>"I was using the bread I made and topping it with my dad's meats," Mellozzi said. "People started coming in every weekend just to try it." </p><p>Eventually, the hobby outgrew the basement. And when a friend offered them a small kitchen space, they jumped on it. "We didn't take out a loan or build a fancy spot. We just wanted to do things our way."</p><p>Their pizza is far from typical. Frankie's serves a mix of Roman and Neo–New York-style pies, including one they call a "New Haven Tribute." The dough is made using a three-day pre-ferment process that Donny developed over years of research and experimentation. </p><p>"We knew exactly what kind of pizza we wanted to make. Crispy, crunchy, light, and digestible. Something you can reheat and still enjoy," he added.</p><p>The space may be small, but the pizza shop's following is big.</p><p>Word of mouth has helped them build a loyal customer base, with countless fan-made videos popping up on social media and an impressive five-star average on Google.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4nQ2pqOR4b/" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4nQ2pqOR4b/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a>
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</blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> <p><br/></p><p>"We were taking orders by hand at first, just through Instagram DMs. I couldn't keep up. Same faces coming back every week," he said. "That's when I knew this might really work."</p><p>Frankie's may no longer be under the radar, but Lachine locals were the first to embrace it like a neighbourhood secret. "They're proud of it. I never thought I'd open a business in Lachine," Donny said. "But now, it feels like exactly where we're supposed to be."</p><p>Today, orders can be placed online, via the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pizzafrankies/" target="_blank">business's Instagram page</a>, through <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/uber-eats" target="_blank">Uber Eats</a>, <a href="https://order.ueat.io/integration/b8164529-e10a-4389-ba57-56c27ff02c27/fr#/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadTK45izSW-FU60ROrTrUs7hmnzKxZYKgEBmfZyTpplFZlhOrZfryj8wMb4Vg_aem_9UZQTc_RbK6U-FzNmuaVmA" target="_blank">Ueat.io</a>, or in person. Slices and Roman sandwiches are also available daily, and the menu rotates depending on what's fresh or seasonal. </p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="A row of sandwiches on a platter at Frankie's Pizza in Montreal." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7277f74579016d3e603189f3b68d5a3e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="5faed" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-row-of-sandwiches-on-a-platter-at-frankie-s-pizza-in-montreal.jpg?id=61106434&width=980"/> <small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Frankie's famous scacciata sandwiches. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Donny Mellozzi</small></p><p>The Mellozzi brothers' menu is flexible, limited, and deliberate. "We're not a two-for-one pizza place. We're not open until midnight. We want people to enjoy this at home, open a bottle of wine, have a good meal."</p><p>As for what's next, Donny admits that they may soon need to expand the operation. But in the meantime, the small team at Frankie's will keep letting the food do the talking.</p><h3>Forno Pizza Frankie's</h3><br/><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DH1FPkDJQf3/?img_index=1" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DH1FPkDJQf3/?img_index=1" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a>
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</blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p>Price:💸💸</p><p>Cuisine: Roman-style, Neo–New York pizza, Italian sandwiches</p><p>Address: 695 11e Avenue, Montreal, QC</p><p>Why You Need To Go: Some of Montreal's most legit, small-batch pizza is being made in a space smaller than your living room, and it's got the loyal following to prove it.</p><p><a href="https://order.ueat.io/integration/b8164529-e10a-4389-ba57-56c27ff02c27/fr#/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadTK45izSW-FU60ROrTrUs7hmnzKxZYKgEBmfZyTpplFZlhOrZfryj8wMb4Vg_aem_9UZQTc_RbK6U-FzNmuaVmA" target="_blank">Forno Pizza Frankie's website</a></p>
