During a weekend trip to Montreal this fall, I packed in as many food-related activities as I could. I visited the Atwater and Jean-Talon markets, ate at Olive et Gourmando, Au Pied de Cochon and Toqué, and had a ball. One of the most memorable treats was visiting Les Touilleurs, a wonderfully well-curated kitchenware boutique in Mile End. The store is a veritable kitchenware gallery, and the staff are so knowledgeable and friendly, I could have chatted with them all day.

I was looking for a good wooden spatula when an entire wall of Littledeer Mapleware scoops and paddles stopped me in my tracks (photo above). They were so beautiful I just stared. Each one, in both left- and right-handed versions, is a different size. Made from beautiful hard maple with fluid, streamlined curves that enhance utility, they are sheer perfection.

It turns out that Tom Littledeer started out designing scoop-shaped paddles for canoeing. When the paddles went into production, he made a series of miniature promotional paddles for the launch. But his mother and wife found other uses for the little paddles… in the kitchen. Since then, Littledeer has developed an entire line of cooking, serving and eating utensils and cutting boards made of heat-enduring, hard maple that gourmet stores can’t wait to get their hands on.

I picked up a Pan Paddle and a Better Spreader, and now I’m looking forward to completing (and decorating!) my kitchen with the entire set of tools.

Here in the U.S., Williams-Sonoma carries a five-piece set of Littledeer tools exclusively online. And if you would like to check out or buy more products, you can contact Littledeer directly.