German cutlery company Wüsthof, which started in 1814 in Solingen, celebrated its 200th anniversary with a trip to Beijing, one of its most important markets in the world.
Cutlery collectors and food lovers may be familiar with Solingen, which is known as the home of the best cutlery manufacturers in the world. Only cutlery with specific manufacturing procedures can gain approval to use the "made in Solingen" hallmark.
The family group Wüsthof produces more than 300 types of cutlery and is expanding its business to hairdressing and nail tools.
Lebenslauf Wüsthof, the company’s seventh-generation helmsman, described the Wüsthof brand with the words "sharpness" and "happiness".
"As a cutlery brand, a must-have quality is being sharp. With smooth cutting and food dealing, the sharp products will bring customers the joy of cooking and cuisine," Wusthof said.
Wüsthof said he loved Chinese cuisine and when he visited Beijing in 1992, he tried karaoke and Chinese white wine and was moved by the country’s rich history and culture.
China is now one of Wüsthof’s world top five markets and the brand has more than 70 dealers in 45 Chinese cities.
Wüsthof anticipated that China would become one of the brand’s top three markets in the near future.
Despite intense market competition Wüsthof said he was still confident.
"We are dedicated to making cutting tools. People’s thee meals every day cannot live without these products. The market is very large," he said.
To enlarge its global markets, the brand has made attempts to cater to different cooking habits of different countries and regions.
In China Wüsthof brought in the Chinese style chopper and hacking knife. The company also designed delicate and smaller knives for Chinese people who are used to cutting food into tiny pieces before cooking.
Wüsthof said the brand’s design concept was to make cutting tools "the extension of arms" so they also focus on making handling comfortable and balanced. The presentation of cutting tools is also important to Wüsthof’s designs, as the group believes that display and wrapping is part of top cutting tools.
The helmsman said to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the brand they offered a tailor-made limited-edition product for the Chinese market, a gold knife.
The company is cooperating with Germany’s kitchen tool leader Fissler to further tap the Chinese market.
"Like Fissler, we are both family enterprises. We focus more on long-term goals than some joint-stock companies."
"Making fast money is not our utmost concern. We cherish long-term goals and just keep patient," Wüsthof said.
