Kreativno staklo Srbije

Creative Glass Serbia

Kreativno staklo Srbije

Creative Glass Serbia

Mirri Glass trays: Elevating experiences in Slovak and Czech restaurants

Tacna od apcikliranog stakla na drvenoj dasci; dizajn i izrada: Mirri Glass || fotografija: ljubaznošću Mirri Glass
Tray made of upcycled glass bottle and a wooden board; design and manufacturing: Mirri Glass || photography: courtesy of Mirri Glass

Mirri Glass trays: Elevating experiences in Slovak and Czech restaurants

Tray made of upcycled glass bottle and a wooden board; design and manufacturing: Mirri Glass || photography: courtesy of Mirri Glass
Mirri Glass, a small, family-run company in Slovakia, produces over 70 models of distinctive glass trays. Each piece is handcrafted and one of a kind, designed to serve as a tray, candle holder, or decorative accent. All are created through the upcycling of used glass bottles. Using a specialised glass kiln, entire bottles are heated until the glass becomes soft enough to flatten. This transformation is precisely what captivates customers and users of these trays – most of them have never seen a flattened glass bottle before, nor did they know it was possible.

Tableware for socially responsible hospitality

The primary market for Mirri Glass includes pubs, pastry shops, and restaurants, particularly those seeking to adopt sustainable business practices. The trays can even be crafted from bottles emptied on-site, in a particular restaurant, and tailored to serve all kinds of dishes. Slumping bottles in a glass kiln can result in shapes ideal for serving stuffed eggs, tarts, sushi, roasts, stews, and more. The bottles used can come from specific wines, beers, or champagnes, allowing the trays to harmonise seamlessly with the venue’s atmosphere. In this way, restaurateurs can proudly highlight both their contribution to environmental protection and their creativity in transforming waste into extraordinary tableware.

Tacna od apcikliranog stakla; dizajn i izrada: Mirri Glass || fotografija: ljubaznošću Mirri Glass
Tray made of upcycled glass bottle; design and manufacturing: Mirri Glass II photography: courtesy of Mirri Glass

The primary market for Mirri Glass includes pubs, pastry shops, and restaurants, particularly those seeking to adopt sustainable business practices. The trays can even be crafted from bottles emptied on-site, in a particular restaurant, and tailored to serve all kinds of dishes. Slumping bottles in a glass kiln can result in shapes ideal for serving stuffed eggs, tarts, sushi, roasts, stews, and more. The bottles used can come from specific wines, beers, or champagnes, allowing the trays to harmonise seamlessly with the venue’s atmosphere. In this way, restaurateurs can proudly highlight both their contribution to environmental protection and their creativity in transforming waste into extraordinary tableware.

All trays are certified and therefore safe for food service. Since they are made from bottles ranging in volume from 200 millilitres to six litres, they come in a variety of sizes and colours. With added details – corks and twine that emphasise the original character of the bottle, or brass accents that give it a more contemporary feel – they can create a genuine sense of delight at the table. By perfecting the art of upcycling bottles into trays, Mirri Glass has also developed its best-selling product: a large tray mounted on a wooden board with protective pads. Formed from a reshaped five-litre bottle, this practical yet visually striking piece can be an unusual centrepiece, sparking conversations about sustainability, recycling, and new ways of living.

High demand driving production expansion

Mirri Glass was founded in 2019 in Trenčín, a city of about 55,000 residents in western Slovakia. Just 12 kilometres from the Czech border, the company quickly found Czech restaurateurs to be among its main customers. The business began almost by chance, when the company’s founder received a gift from America – a slumped bottle as a tray. So impressed by it, he purchased a glass kiln for himself and started producing such platters. Over time, the company established itself primarily in the Central European market, with Slovakia and the Czech Republic at the forefront.

Tacna od apcikliranog stakla; dizajn i izrada: Mirri Glass || fotografija: ljubaznošću Mirri Glass
Trays made of upcycled glass bottles; design and manufacturing: Mirri Glass || photography: courtesy of Mirri Glass
Driven by growing demand, Mirri Glass expanded its production by introducing new tray shapes and launching a website. Today, the company can cater to the specific needs of both small and large clients, creating pieces with embossed motifs such as a restaurant’s logo, seasonal fruits and vegetables, a Christmas tree, and more.
Tacna od apcikliranog stakla; dizajn i izrada: Mirri Glass II fotografija: ljubaznošću Mirri Glas
Tray made of upcycled glass bottle; design and manufacturing: Mirri Glass || photography: courtesy of Mirri Glass
In addition to its range of glass trays, Mirri Glass also transforms used bottles into candles. The bottom part of a cut bottle becomes a vessel for 100% recycled soy wax. Through colouring, sandblasting, and engraving, these vessels are turned into decorative containers, while the candles are handmade with natural essential oils and cotton wicks. Customers can even bring in their preferred fragrance to get a one-of-a-kind candle, available in vessels of various diameters ranging from 4 to 14 centimetres.

Specialisation as a response to the niche market challenges

In today’s world, where sustainability standards permeate nearly every aspect of life, upcycled glassware is in demand because its production consumes less energy and reduces waste. However, for most producers, the range of items they can create remains quite limited – drinking glasses, carafes, vases, trays, and similar objects – as well as their pricing power. While socially responsible customers still embrace these products, knowing that nothing more can be made from a bottle or jar, producers seek to add value with handles made of woven rattan, carved wooden lids, stands crafted from recycled cork, or distinctive glass finishes.
Detalj najprodavanijeg proizvoda Mirri Glass || fotografija: ljubaznošću Mirri Glass
A detail of the Mirri Glass’ bestseller II photography: courtesy of Mirri Glass
In today’s world, where sustainability standards permeate nearly every aspect of life, upcycled glassware is in demand because its production consumes less energy and reduces waste. However, for most producers, the range of items they can create remains quite limited – drinking glasses, carafes, vases, trays, and similar objects – as well as their pricing power. While socially responsible customers still embrace these products, knowing that nothing more can be made from a bottle or jar, producers seek to add value with handles made of woven rattan, carved wooden lids, stands crafted from recycled cork, or distinctive glass finishes.
The novelty that Mirri Glass brings lies in showing that added value can also be achieved through specialisation in a single product. Following the logic of expertise and quality, if you focus solely on making a drinking glass, a jug, or a tray, you will probably craft it better than anyone else in the world. Along with a more efficient organisation of production and business operations, specialisation brings a lot more – while accelerating product development and innovation, the company gains a clearer marketing and brand identity. Over time, this builds a strong reputation and fosters customer loyalty – an outcome Mirri Glass is steadily moving toward.

References