In short: Villeroy & Boch is a family ceramics company born in 1748 and based in Mettlach in the Saarland, known for its tableware and bathrooms. At Raclette Club, we feature just one of its objects, the all-stainless-steel cheese plane from the Kensington line.
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Villeroy & Boch in a few lines
The story begins in 1748, when François Boch, a Lorraine foundry man, started making ceramic tableware with his three sons, according to the group. Nicolas Villeroy, for his part, founded a faience factory in the late 18th century, and the two companies merged in 1836 to become Villeroy & Boch. The headquarters is still in Mettlach, Germany, in the former abbey where the Boch family lived and worked for a long time.
For its 275th anniversary in 2023, the group described itself as a family company present in 125 countries, with 6,400 employees, organized into two main businesses: bathroom and wellness on one side, tableware and home decor on the other. It’s the second world that interests us: plates, glasses, cutlery and serving accessories, including a few cheese tools such as the Kensington line’s cheese plane.
Video
Video: Villeroy & Boch on YouTube. Official Villeroy & Boch video (in German) with Wendelin von Boch, about the history of the family and the Mettlach abbey.
Video: DW News on YouTube. Report by the German public broadcaster DW about the family company.
Video: Brothers With Arms on YouTube. Cheese plane guide, the same type of object as the Kensington (not a Villeroy & Boch product).
Its products at Raclette Club
| Model | Type | Who it’s for | Review | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington cheese plane (ASIN B007CK0ACY) | All-stainless-steel cheese plane | Those who want an elegant plane for semi-hard cheeses | Read the review | Check the price on Amazon.fr |
What we think
What we take away from Villeroy & Boch is elegance: a fine-dining brand with more than 275 years of history, whose objects belong on a white tablecloth as much as on a chalet table. The all-stainless Kensington plane follows that logic: on paper, it’s the tool you bring out when you have guests, for thin, even slices of Comté or Emmental, and it makes raclette look like it put on a tie.
The limit is the lack of technical details: we found no dimensions, no warranty and no place of manufacture for this plane. One buyer finds it elegant but a little less sharp on very aged cheeses, and more comfortable with classic semi-hard cheeses. Villeroy & Boch remains a tableware brand, not a cheese specialist: for raclette itself, the knife or plane is just one more accessory.
Which model should you pick?
- For an elegant plane to bring out when you have guests: the Kensington from Villeroy & Boch, all stainless steel.
- To compare with other planes and knives: our selection of raclette accessories.
- For presenting your cheeses: our selection of boards and platters.
Frequently asked questions
What is the warranty on the Villeroy & Boch Kensington cheese plane?
We didn’t find a specific warranty for this plane in the sources we checked. Ask the seller and keep your proof of purchase.
Is the Kensington cheese plane dishwasher safe?
One buyer review says so, but we found no confirmation from the manufacturer. If in doubt, hand washing preserves the sharpness of the blade.
Where can I buy a Villeroy & Boch product?
On Amazon.fr, on the brand’s online store, in its shops and at tableware retailers. Check the name of the line (Kensington) before ordering.
