A pair of English ceramic pie vents, including a rare late-Victorian Challis Patent “Gourmet Crust Holder & Vent”—an important and early example in the history of British baking design. Registered under Patent No. 23207 of 1894, William Henry Challis’s innovative funnel combined two vital functions: supporting the pastry crust from beneath and venting steam from the centre of the pie to prevent boil-over.
The patented form, produced c.1895–1910, features the distinctive mushroom-like top, a split central chimney, and the fully impressed legend “GOURMET • CRUST HOLDER & VENT • CHALLIS PATENT” circling the base. Its warm cream glaze, fine Victorian crazing and hand-finished modelling are entirely consistent with late 19th-century Staffordshire kitchenware.
Alongside it sits a later mid–late 20th century white-glazed pie vent, reflecting the evolution of the same idea into a sleeker post-war form. More streamlined in shape and produced in bright white ceramic, it demonstrates how Challis’s late-Victorian innovation continued to shape British baking practices well into the modern era.
Together, these pieces offer a fascinating contrast between the earliest patented pie-funnel technology and its 20th-century descendants, making them ideal for collectors of kitchenalia, Victorian tableware, or the history of domestic design.
🌿 Rare late-Victorian Challis Patent pie vent (c.1895–1910) 🌿 Fully impressed: “Gourmet • Crust Holder & Vent • Challis Patent” 🌿 Registered under Patent No. 23207, 1894 🌿 Classic mushroom-form crust support and steam chimney 🌿 Warm cream glaze with authentic Victorian crazing 🌿 Later 20th-century white-glazed pie vent (1950s–1980s) 🌿 Tallest approx. 8 cm 🌿 A superb miniature study in the evolution of British baking tools
Condition 🌿 Challis example with fine age-related crazing, minor edge wear and stable firing lines. 🌿 White vent with very small glaze line; clean, stable and displays well. 🌿 Both structurally sound and historically characterful.
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