The Dairy & The Pastry / Petworth House
The beautifully tiled Winter Dairy at Petworth House was completed in 1891. North facing and partially underground, the airy light room was ideal for the storage of butter, cream and cheese – and also perfect for the preparation of cold desserts such as jellies and blancmanges.
Handsome deep slate shelves provided a cool work surface for ironstone and terracotta pouring bowls that held milk, and its wipe-down tiled walls were easy to keep clean. Tiles were a new thing, introduced only in the late Victorian era.
Get The Look / tap here to view our below-stairs collection of antique ironstone pouring bowls, jugs and dairy slabs, and much more.
Situated away from the heat of the kitchen is The Pastry. A beautiful room that we’d all love to own, devoted to the making of pies, biscuits, tarts and cakes. Fitted with a chunky marble slab work surface, and lit by an extra-large window, it’s where head chef Mr Grant flourished throughout the 1930s, for he was renowned for his theatrical cake decorating skills. His 1937 Coronation cake was a true wonder, for it was complete with metal toy soldiers on horseback and big bunches of iced roses which could be lit up at the flick of a switch!
Cake tins and preserve pots line the shelves, and on the lefthand wall the plain Victorian cupboard with its arresting drab painted finish has drawers for sugar, spices and dried fruit; along with shelves for all manner of moulds and tins.
Below the counter there are drawers for rolling pins and cutters, with flour bins stored underneath. A cupboard by the door houses a jewel-like collection of copper darioles and quenelle moulds – for savoury jellies of meat or fish set in aspic – along with tinplate baking tins.
Get The Look / tap here to view our below-stairs collection of antique ironstone jugs, dairy bowls and much more.
