8knots Chef Set (waist apron + side towel) $110

The consummate culinary pairing - our signature Chef Set pairs a pocketed, bistro style waist apron with a utility kitchen towel, known in the culinary trade as a ‘side towel’. Worn looped through the ties of the apron, a chef’s side towel is typically used for handling hot pots & pans, and kept dry (damp cloth conducts heat quickly, resulting in accidental burns). Separate towels should be dedicated to wet work. The 8knots Chef Set is made in Armentières France, and woven of 100% Belgian linen. Robust, very absorbent, quick drying and naturally antibacterial, linen is the ultimate and essential fabric for use in the kitchen. Pre-washed, both apron and towel measure 29 x 18 inches. Offered in two color combos: Blanc/Noir or Lin/Noir. Comes banded with artist Scott Bluedorn’s illustration ‘Chef de Langoustine’ and is pinned with a collectable 8knots Oyster Token.

Utility Kitchen Towels (set of two) $68

A chef’s kitchen essential - our signature utility kitchen towels serve purpose at the sink, stove or table. Use for drying dishes, hands, or as impromptu placemats. Use for polishing glasses, drying fresh herbs, or for rescuing a hot loaf of bread from the oven. In restaurant kitchens, each cook works with at least two ‘side towels’ - one for dry work (handling hot pots & pans), others for wet work (wiping up splatters & spills). Damp cloth conducts heat quickly, so you don’t want to cross over and use a wet towel as a pot holder. This indispensable set of 8knots towels is made in Armentières France, and woven of 100% Belgian linen. Durable, very absorbent, quick drying and naturally antibacterial, linen is the ultimate and essential fabric for use in the kitchen. Also highly suitable for bartending, linen cloth serves as an ideal bar-towel. Pre-washed, and generously sized, each towel measures 29 x 18 inches. Offered in two color combos: Blanc/Noir or Lin/Noir. Comes banded with artist Scott Bluedorn’s illustration ‘Chef de Langoustine’ and is pinned with a collectable 8knots Oyster Token.

Chef Anthony Bourdain paid tribute to the side towel in Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly “side towels are hoarded like gold by good line cooks. When the linen order arrives, the smart cookies fall onto it voraciously, stashing stacks of the valuable objects anywhere they can hide them. One cook I knew would load them above the acoustic tile in the ceiling, along with his favorite tongs. I’m sure that years later, though the restaurant has changed hands many times, future generations of cooks are still finding stashes of fluffy, clean side towels”