The best salad prepping and serving homeware to buy now

Crisp, crunchy lettuce. Plump, juicy tomatoes. Cool, sweet cucumber. Whether homegrown or imported, the UK offers a larder fit to bursting with salad ingredients, whether you want to rustle up a bright niçoise, a Greek or a rich caesar.
There are plenty of people inspiring cool new combinations, too, from the chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s innovative creations which make salad as the star, to more recent newcomers such as the registered nutritionist and Sunday Times-bestselling cookbook author Emily English, who dishes up creative takes on “health” food to no fewer than two million hungry followers.
“When it comes to crafting beautiful, delicious salads, having the right tools is essential,” says English. “As someone who’s passionate about a good salad, I find joy in creating combinations that make salads exciting and satisfying. In my cookbook, So Good, you’ll find plenty of recipes showcasing how salads can be far from boring, but there are a few tools that are crucial for making your best salads yet.”
She adds: “A julienne peeler is fantastic for making gorgeous ribbons of vegetables and adding a lovely texture to any dish, while my mandoline is indispensable for slicing onions into perfect slithers that add punch without overwhelming the salad. For making pestos and dressings, a mini chopper is a lifesaver. Tossing everything together in big, stainless-steel mixing bowls ensures everything is well-coated and ready to serve. And of course, a salad spinner is a must for fresh, crunchy leaves. These tools help me bring together all the key components, proving that salads can be the star of any meal.”
Inspired? Here’s everything you need to serve up salads that will make the neighbours positively green with envy.
Fresh for the season from Wilko is this serving bowl made from natural bamboo and featuring a stylish black exterior. The wipe-clean design means clearing up after digging in couldn’t be easier. Bamboo serving bowl, £4.99, wilko.com
Whizzing up a salad dressing is super-simple with this clever gizmo. The transparent bottle features easy-to-read markings for failsafe measurements and a unique pourer for mess-free serving. Time to play dress up. Handy kitchen salad dressing bottle, £7, dunelm.com
Pips and pulp dropping into your salad when you’re squeezing lemon or lime juice to add a little zing? Worry no more with the trademarked Catcher: the flexible cup is a catch-all while allowing the good stuff to drain through. It sits comfortably in the hand, too. Catcher yellow citrus reamer, £12, josephjoseph.com
We’re big fans of Sur La Table, the American kitchen store — and of their salad spoons. Made from natural bamboo with a bold orange accent, they’re a rustic-chic way to serve your creations, and pair well with the bamboo and teal salad bowl. Bamboo salad spoons, £12, puretabletop.com
What is a salad spinner, we hear you ask? It’s a kitchen tool you didn’t know you needed until now. This one in fetching sage from ProCook washes and removes excess water from leaves to separate one from the other and features a removable inner basket and quick-stop spin button. All of which means dressings will stick to greens. 3.7-litre salad spinner, £15, procook.co.uk
Combining form and function to spectacular effect, these polished stainless-steel salad tongs from Zwilling are just the thing for picking up delicate leaves and vegetables without damaging them, while being rust-proof and dishwasher safe. Polished salad tongs, £19.95, zwilling.com
Something from Sophie Conran for just over £20? Yes, indeed: this designer set of salad servers offers plenty of bang for your buck. They’re made from the finest stainless steel and are inspired by the flowing rivers of Sheffield (home of the British cutlery industry) with handles designed to feel like smooth pebbles. A tale to tell when you’re dishing up the leaves. Salad servers, Sophie Conran Rivelin by Arthur Price, £20.75, amazon.co.uk
Sure to bring the sunshine, this oil bottle is glazed in textured lemon yellow and has a cork stopper and metal pourer. Perfect for filling with posh oil or vinegar to add extra pizzazz to fresh greens. Best-dressed, guaranteed. Mori yellow ceramic oil bottle, £29.50, oliverbonas.com
The clue’s in the name: a set of four chopping boards that stay put while slicing and dicing thanks to anti-slip panels. A knife-friendly surface, soft-grip handles and crumb-catching grooves mean there’s more to these than meets the eye. The colours are a bit garish, but they make them child-friendly, so why not recruit a little helper? Stay-put chopping boards, £29.99 for four, lakeland.co.uk
While technically a dinner plate, salad can be dinner, so why not dish up something special on this? Made from ceramic with a hand-painted textured finish, it’s as beautiful mounted on the wall as it is on the table. Radicchio ceramic 30cm dinner plate, Les Ottomans, £65, selfridges.com
This summer, it’s all about matching your food to your serveware, such as these vintage-inspired bone-china vegetable plates decorated with vegetable designs. Side plates that are way too pretty to sit on the side lines. Vegetable plates, £68 for four, roseandgrey.co.uk
Queen of country house style Emma Bridgewater always has the hosting essentials covered. Her recently launched serving bowl with a carrots and beetroot motif will ensure there’s plenty to go around. Carrots & Beets large serving bowl, £80, emmabridgwater.co.uk
With a serrated British stainless-steel blade, this handy tool easily cuts through tomatoes without mangling fresh produce. The fun tomato-red handle with green liner adds a playful touch that nods to its, er, roots. Limited edition TK12 tomato knife, £149, savernakeknives.co.uk
This pair of salad servers are made from acacia, with textured handles that are wonderfully tactile. They say to guests, “I’m well-travelled”, even if you did just pick them up from your local JL. Fusion acacia wood salad servers in natural, £18, johnlewis.com
Sure, this serving bowl is punchy at £250, but the design, handmade in Italy, is a riff on a classic, so consider it an investment piece. Channel White Lotus vibes and fill it with a fruit salad scattered with jewel-like pomegranate seeds, and cue the “oohs” and “aahs”. Puglian perfection. Pomegranate serving bowl, £250, souschef.co.uk