It was following an irreversible shoulder injury that Anne-Sophie Calloc'h Sturm - a Savoyard dentist of Breton origin (you will no doubt have noticed it with the apostrophe "h") - launched into the design of Rodol'f, a multifunctional kitchen roll, designed for outdoor use (camper vans, boats, camping...) and cramped kitchens and containing 15 indispensable utensils.
"After my operation, in the rehabilitation centre, I started to draw my multi-function roller. I then gave up the project a little, thinking that I would resume my activity, but other successive operations prevented me from re-examining it. It was while following my husband on a professional mission that I started working on Rodol'f again. Living for 5 months in a mobile home, I was sorely lacking space in the kitchen, not necessarily for great cooking, but for the preparation of basic dishes."
Anne-Sophie therefore decided to design a multifunctional "roller" that holds all the utensils that are needed in the kitchen on a daily basis. They have a standard size (Rodol'f is 30 cm high), can be easily stored in a container (which acts as a measuring glass) and are designed in France.
- Measuring glass
- Tea strainer
- Bursar
- Paring knife
- Pair of scissors
- Wooden spoon
- Maryse
- Can opener
- Bottle opener
- Corkscrew
- Manique
- Plate coaster
- Tea towel
- Pastry roll
- Whip
"I thought of incorporating other utensils, such as the grater for example, which could have been integrated into the colander, but there were strong technical constraints, not to mention the production cost, which would have inflated the selling price of the roll. I also almost removed the can-opener since nowadays almost all cans are equipped with a tab... But one day, this one remained in my hand and I found myself going to borrow a can-opener from the neighbours... Something you can't do on a boat for example... In the same way, who has never found themselves without a bottle opener or corkscrew with a bottle in their hand? I put the products in their context and established a list of imponderables according to the geographical situation of use"
Easily transportable, it is also easy to fix thanks to its fixing base which can be placed both horizontally and vertically against a wall (it can be sucked or magnetized, but the most suitable fixing remains the screwing so as not to move in case of vibrations, strong movements, etc.). Anne-Sophie has also worked on the design of her product so that it is pleasant to look at, since it is always in front of your eyes in a cramped space.
"The mobile home is nice for a fortnight, but 5 months is getting to be a long time. So I worked on the project in my corner - at the beginning rather because it was fun - doing research, wondering how it hadn't already been thought of. I thought it was really interesting to be able to come up with a tool that would fit into the space that was available."
What's his name? Rodol'f, "to make a nod to my original Breton name - from the Isle of Groix exactly - where I like to go otherwise." His target? People who need to have a variety of utensils on hand in a small space such as a camper, boat, tent or even a student's room.
To validate the interest of her project and measure the reactions of the public, Anne-Sophie took part in the Lépine 2017 competition, where she won the gold medal. She returned in 2018 to gauge the interest of the people, who are still convinced of the project. All that was missing was the funding - 94,000 euros excluding VAT for the production moulds - that she is seeking to obtain via a fundraising campaign on the Ulule platform, a campaign that will end on 8 June 2018.
Anne-Sophie hopes to release her first "Rodol'f" in the first quarter of 2019, with a unit selling price of 79 euros. "I've done studies to determine the selling price of my roll and if you average the price of all the utensils in it, you get this price." The roll will be sold via the Internet, but also in specialist outdoor or nautical shops. "I hope one day to make a luxury line in which I make my own utensils."
