There's nothing cheesy about this Victorian dish...

Our antiques expert Allan Blackburn takes a look at the world of kitchenalia as Pancake Day approaches.
This Victorian cheese dish is 16 poundsThis Victorian cheese dish is 16 pounds
This Victorian cheese dish is 16 pounds

As Pancake Day approaches, this week we’re asking “who likes butter?” And cheese, eggs, milk, and the items historically used to prepare, store, cook and serve them, which come under the collecting area titled ‘kitchenalia’.

Kitchenalia covers a huge range of kitchen-related antique items. General categories include: utensils (whisks, egg beaters, cutlery), treen (carved wooden items, bread boards, nutmeg graters), dairy items (milk pails, jugs, dairy slabs), cooking pots and pans, serving plates and dishes, storage jars, even vintage advertising tins and signs. Ever popular are jelly and blancmange moulds made of porcelain, glass or metal.

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The items pictured would have been in daily use in a traditional farmhouse kitchen.

The pretty Victorian cheese dish still has its original cover.

We also have a treen masher and butter pats that are in excellent condition for their age, if you fancy a new hobby! They are priced at £12.

Kitchenalia is popular with novice collectors as you can easily find items to complement both traditional and modern kitchens. Made to survive a lifetime’s heavy use, items should be very durable, and wonderfully tactile to use.

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Obviously, cooking tools have existed for millennia, but most available and sought items today date from the 1800s to the 1940s.

With increasing demand for ‘vintage’ 50s and 60s pieces, beware of modern reproductions that are deliberately weathered, aged and sold as vintage, an increasing practice.

You can pay anything from a few pounds for small utensils, to hundreds for large items like cheese presses and butchers blocks.

Look for decorative carvings which often indicate handmade pieces. Sheaves of corn and floral designs were favourite motifs on wooden items.

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Distinctive blue and white ‘Cornish ware’ storage jars are very popular. The most famous and collectable were made by T G Green Pottery, in Staffordshire. Look for ones with rarer labels such as cinnamon and apricots, these are more interesting (and worth more) than common items like flour and tea.

So enjoy Pancake Day, and good luck with any admirable abstinence you have planned. It’s not recommended to give up antique collecting for Lent, however- you should always be on the lookout for treasure!