Spilling the beans in Poland

News that Mike Jankowski was leaving Marlin Lighting after nine years to go it alone as a lighting and product design consultant was intriguing.

What design projects was Mike going to work on? News that he was going to Poland to pursue a project just heightened the curiosity.

The project includes the creation of a laboratory, office and pilot plant for, well, something or other. He was in Poland so no more could be discovered.

Mike’s back now. So what is this Polish venture? It turns out to be a project to develop and patent a new method of dehydrating organic matter. That’s dried fruit and veg. And wood, for some reason.

Is Mike doing the lighting for the pilot plant, laboratory, and so on? Nope. He’s drying vegetables. Now that’s what you call diversification.

Jankowski intends to spend two weeks at a time in Poland, while continuing to advise on the lighting of Sir Terence Conran’s new Mezzo’s restaurant in Wardour Street, London. Look out for dried beetroot at the salad bar.