Fortnum & Mason - Platter - Earthenware - Cheese dome

Rare Fortnum & Mason Covered Cheese Dome – A Touch of English Heritage

A charming and rare covered cheese dome bearing the distinguished name of Fortnum & Mason of Piccadilly, London — a house long celebrated for the finest traditions of English food and craftsmanship.

This piece came into my possession in 1970, when it was kindly left to me in the testament of a close lady friend in the United Kingdom, meaning it must have been purchased before that time. Since then it has stood on display in my kitchen, quietly admired but never used.

The decoration is wonderfully evocative of rural England: milk being gathered from cows in open fields, cheese brought to market by horse-drawn carriage, and traders selling their produce beneath a simple canopy. The scenes beautifully capture the timeless craft of traditional English cheesemaking.

Inside the dome the provenance of Fortnum & Mason is clearly marked. The pottery itself is of excellent quality and may possibly have been produced by Royal Doulton, though this cannot be confirmed.

A delightful and nostalgic piece — a small but elegant reminder of England’s rich culinary and rural past.