Take a seat for Staff Meal: Wedge’s ode to the joy of collaboration and good grub

It’s not often that an opportunity arises for a whole team to get involved in a creative side project, but Montreal-based design studio Wedge makes a bit of a thing of it every year. Keen to carve out the time to work on something together that comes from the heart, this time round its taken the form of 12 thoughtful dishes from the studio’s designers and directors.

“At Wedge we are a group of bon vivants,” co-founder Sarah Di Domenico tells us, “we’re obsessed with good food and drink and coming together around it.” Which is why the outcome of their end of 2024 team project had to be Staff Meal: A collection of recipes from the team, each with their own personal anecdote and illustration, its name a nod to restaurant team culture.

The project reveals the ingredients list for some pretty important dishes: from Justin’s Tartare de Boeuf to Alon’s Korean Stew to Cap’s Cookies — sweet and savory treats from the team, for everyone. A stand out for Sarah is Wedge designer Sara’s dads soup recipe: “her story says he remembers it differently each time which is so funny and so ‘dad’”, she shares. “The project was a way to share stories and get to know some of the personalities that make Wedge, Wedge.”

Coming together over foodie chats, the team then translated each one of their home cooked comforts into a collection of carefully curated retro recipe cards that took inspiration from “a set of large vintage flashcards published by MoMa in the 60’s”, says Sarah. This oversized format was a playground for expressive typography backed by a vibrant colour palette — compositions channelling “the experience of lighthearted energy, mingling and connection that happens over a great meal”, says Sara Wong, designer at Wedge. “To balance out all this playful energy, we introduced a more structured recipe layout on the reverse, offering a sense of grounding.”

The team’s characterful illustrations also have personal ties, paying homage to a studio favourite: Seymour Chwast. The Esquire Party Book: For Entertaining Around the Clock published in 1965 and designed and illustrated by Seymour Chwast is a “favourite in the Wedge library”, shares Sarah. “Seymour’s illustrations are charming, playful and imperfectly naive with a sense of humour.”

To finish it all off, the studio decided to document their delightful prints in a shoot “inspired by an older edition of food and cultural journal: The Gourmand.” The cherry on top one might say, with draping velvet backdrops, shiny silver tableware and even a massive block of golden butter, all brought to life by prop stylist Jess Anderson and photographer Michael Kazimierczuk.

The set of cards stand as a “reflection of our values at the studio: connection and seeing moments of delight”, says designer Sara, each piece of the publication serving as a testament to one part of a wonderful team. She concludes: “Through the collection we hope to communicate the joy we share in collaboration, much like preparing and sharing a meal.”