A new website profiles quality products coming out of China. This week interviewing furniture maker Lisa Minder-Wu who runs The Orchard in Beijing’s Chaoyang district.

NMiC: Lisa, when and how did the Orchard get its start?

Lisa: In 1996 my husband Wu Er Tao and I started a furniture workshop, since designing and making furniture was and still is a passion. But we quickly realized that it would be nice to serve coffee and cakes as well and so we did. One thing led to another and soon we were serving grilled lamb  and produce from our garden and before I knew it I was cooking every day. Over the years it has become what it is today: a restaurant, a shop selling sustainable products and a furniture workshop. Today 5 people work in the wood workshop and 3 in the iron workshop. I’d also like to mention that we’ve started a collaboration with Chicagoan iron artist Tom Wilson.

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