The Topple Tray might look like a modern invention, but the idea behind it is far older. The single-handed serving tray has been quietly evolving for generations, from bustling Turkish tea houses to a draughty Yorkshire home, and finally to the folding stainless steel tray we ship around the world today. This is the story of how it got here, and it's a personal one.
Where it all began: the Turkish tepsi
Long before anyone talked about mobility aids or no-spill trays, tea sellers in Turkey had already solved the problem. The traditional hanging tea tray, often called an askılı tepsi, is a small round tray suspended from a curved metal handle. These trays are a much-loved part of Turkish culture, used mainly for serving tea and coffee, and often for food too.
Watch a tea seller in Istanbul and you'll see them swing a tray of tulip-shaped glasses through crowded streets and up stairs without spilling a drop. The secret is simple physics. Because the tray hangs below the hand, it moves with the drinks instead of against them, so the tea stays settled in the glass. That same gravity balance principle is at the heart of every single-handed tray we've made since.
My grandfather's homemade design
The first single-handed tray in our family wasn't bought. It was built.
My grandfather, Andrew Townson, designed and built his own prototype in Yorkshire in the early 1980s. He lived in an old and draughty house near Halifax and wanted a tray he could hold comfortably in one hand while closing doors and windows to keep the cold out.
It was primitive by today's standards, as you can see: an ordinary tray with a bent metal rod for a handle and a loop wrapped in tape for his fingers. But it worked. He used his balance tray for years, and seeing how much it helped him made a real impression on me. It meant he could carry a cup of tea through the house, shut a door behind him and still have a hand free to steady himself. Small independence, every single day.
The Tipsi Tray: bringing the idea to more people
After my grandfather passed away, I kept coming back to that tray. If it had made such a difference to him, how many other people could it help? Older people living independently, people with tremors or Parkinson's, stroke survivors, anyone using a walking stick or holding a bannister on the stairs.
So I set out to develop and improve his design, and that became the Tipsi Tray, the first single-handed serving tray from Single Handed Products. We launched it on Kickstarter, where the campaign reached its funding goal within seven hours. In 2021 I took the Tipsi Tray into BBC's Dragons' Den to pitch for investment, which introduced the design to a whole new audience.
It also surprised us by proving popular in the hospitality and catering industry, with waiting staff using it to serve drinks quickly and safely.
The Tipsi Tray proved the idea worked. But I knew it could be better: lighter, easier to store, and easier to get into people's homes wherever they live.
The Topple Tray: a contemporary single-handed serving tray
The Topple Tray is the next step in that evolution. It keeps everything that made the Turkish tepsi and my grandfather's tray work, and rebuilds it for modern homes.
Put the two side by side and you can see the family resemblance straight away: the tray below, the handle rising above it, the hook for your hand. What's changed is everything around that idea.
Folding design that ships worldwide. The biggest change is the folding and locking handle. The stainless steel handle folds down flat on top of the tray and locks upright when you slide the tube into place. Folded, the Topple Tray is slim and compact, which makes it easy to store in a kitchen drawer and, just as importantly, practical to post. Where a fixed-handle tray is bulky and costly to ship, the folding Topple Tray can be sent to customers all over the world, so this simple idea from a Yorkshire kitchen can now help people in the UK, Europe, the USA and beyond.
Much lighter. At around 750 grams, the Topple Tray is 55% lighter than the original Tipsi Tray, making it easier to lift and carry, especially for anyone with reduced strength or grip.
Stainless steel, contemporary design. The tray, handle and frame are made from strong stainless steel, giving it a clean, modern look that sits comfortably in any kitchen, café or care home, while being built to last.
Carries up to 4 glasses. The full circular tray carries up to four glasses at once, or a teapot with a cup and milk jug, so you can serve the whole family in one trip.
Removable neoprene grippy mat. A non-slip neoprene cover keeps cups from sliding. Lift it off for a sleek metal tray beneath. Both surfaces wipe clean and the cover is machine washable.
No practice needed. Just like my grandfather's original, the gravity balance design is intuitive. Pick it up and go, keeping your other hand free for the bannister, a door handle or a walking cane.
From one family kitchen to homes around the world
It's strange to think that a problem my grandfather solved in his own house, with his own hands, now helps people in countries he never visited. The design has come a long way, from the Turkish tepsi to his homemade prototype, from the Tipsi Tray to the folding stainless steel Topple Tray, but the purpose hasn't changed at all: making everyday life a little easier, safer and more independent.
I think he'd be proud of how far his tray has travelled.
Discover the latest chapter in the story. Shop the Topple Tray single-handed serving tray here.