The spoon warmer

With their draughty windows, high ceilings and huge rooms, the houses of even the Victorian elite were cold. It wasn’t only difficult to heat the dining room, food also needed to be kept warm while being transported from the kitchen. Heated plates were essential.

The considerate host also ensured their serving spoons were a suitable temperature – partly to prevent fatty sauces from congealing, partly because adhering to even the fussiest rules of etiquette was a sign of social polish. The vessels were filled with hot water and the serving utensils were placed inside, bowl-end down, to keep them warm.

A little Victorian joke was that they were often in the form of watery creatures – frogs, toads, snails or shells – and as they were frequently made from bright faience ceramic, they added a cheerful splash of colour to the table. We don’t come across them very often at auction so they can make several hundred pounds – they can appeal, for example, to collectors of Burmantofts Pottery. In 2026, I imagine they’re more likely to be holding flowers than cutlery.