Mepra - Table service for 6 (6) - Steel - Bread plates

Bel set composed of 6 bread plates, produced in Italy in the 1980s and branded Mepra.

The dishes are in good condition. They fit, with their classic and refined design, to any table, adding a touch of great class.

Made of high-quality stainless steel.
Measurements 0.5x14 cm

Mepra was founded in 1947, but the entrepreneurial history of the Prandelli family began many years earlier. In 1901, the brothers Bortolo, Francesco and Giovanbattista founded the first family enterprise (the Prandelli) located by the banks of the Gobbia river, in order to harness the kinetic energy of water to power the machinery. The company carried out metalworking on behalf of third parties and, before and during World War II, produced ammunition for the Italian army. With the end of the war, the need to reconvert the plant arose, and Giovanbattista’s three sons, Pietro, Felice and Giacomo, founded Mepra, an acronym for Metallurgica Prandelli.

In the new modern plant located at San Apollonio, the three brothers clearly divided the roles: Giacomo directed production, Felice focused on sales, and Pietro, a former primary schoolteacher, took care of administration. With the first brand, featuring a wolf, production of cutlery began through the fusion of aluminum or brass. The first furnaces were outdoors, and the reason is easily understood. The brass fusion in those years was very dangerous, as the material was derived from war remnants and it was therefore common in the scrap to find impurities, consisting of water and gunpowder. Such substances in the melting furnaces cause violent explosions.

In 1950 the Prandelli brothers decided, among the first in Italy, to convert part of the plant to the production of stainless steel tableware. The success of the new product was enormous, to the point that in 1953 it was decided to stop brass production and to change the company symbol, switching from the wolf to the elephant, a symbol of the durability and endurance guaranteed by steel. In the following years the product range was expanded to include tableware and, in the 1960s, also cookware, coffee makers and the first products in nickel-plated steel.

In 1972 Gianni, Pietro’s son, enters the company. Initially assisting his uncle Giacomo in directing production, he becomes an important liaison between production and sales, eventually serving as Chief Executive Officer in 1977 and President in 1999. In 1985, Felice’s son, Luigi, also begins working at the company, handling finance, administration and marketing, becoming CEO. Luigi Prandelli is also credited with creating many of the new products and collections. From 2004, a new generation follows the founders’ path: Gianni Prandelli’s son, Luca Prandelli, joins the management as well, serving as Administrator and directly handling the Italian and North American markets.

The 1980s represent a period of strong growth for the company. At first the traditional steel production was enhanced with gold decorations or colored enamels; later the approach included combining steel with other materials such as plastic, glass, wood, and ceramic. The immense success of the cutlery with nylon handle “Fantasia ’900” saw more than 7 million pieces sold worldwide in the 1990s.

Each Mepra collection is born from a unifying concept applied to a complete product range, consisting of cutlery, tableware, cookware and home accessories. To satisfy its clientele, the company pays great attention to intrinsic quality (thickness and polishing), functionality (ease of use) and aesthetics (design) of all its production. The highest quality is also guaranteed by process, product and project certification.

Product innovation is fundamental to the company’s success, to the extent that every year at least one completely new collection is proposed and incremental innovations are made on existing products. The ongoing launch of new products has led Mepra’s catalog to comprise over 8,000 references, meeting different tastes and lifestyles. In a competitive, ever-evolving environment, Mepra presents itself as a proactive leader capable of anticipating and guiding fashion trends.

To meet the needs of the most demanding consumers, Mepra has also developed a network of collaborations with some of the most famous Italian designers (one name among all: Angelo Mangiarotti), as well as with talented young designers who work for the company full-time or on a project basis.

Creativity and design are supported daily by a commitment to the highest quality, which involves using the finest 18/10 stainless steel and meticulous care of the polishing process. 100% of production undergoes meticulous checks before being stored in the warehouse. With more than 100 agents and distributors, the company is today present in the major countries on 5 continents, where it offers its products to the best hotels and restaurants and to the most prestigious tableware boutiques.

Mepra is a protagonist of the “Made in Italy.” The kitchen, table and furniture objects, while responding to changing living habits, adhere to the rules of education, tradition and the culture of our people, who, every day and across all latitudes, teach through fashion, design and cuisine the true essence and meaning of the Italian Life Style.

More information about the company and its products can be found on the company site: https://www.theluxuryartmepra.com/eu/en/