Edwardian Silverplate New Gallery Restaurant Teapot

Resplendent with all the mystique and romance of England’s elegant Edwardian age, we are thrilled to present this Silverplate Teapot, a rare artifact from one of London’s most glamorous pre-war dining establishments - The New Gallery Restaurant.

Opening May 28, 1910, mere weeks after the death of Edward VII, The New Gallery Restaurant had a surprising and personal link to the monarch himself in its Austro-Hungarian chef - Gregor von Görög. A talented junior contemporary of Auguste Escoffier and César Ritz, the celebrity team who transformed the public hospitality industry into a luxurious experience worthy of society’s most elite, Chef Gregor von Görög was also a founding member with Escoffier of the legendary La Ligue des Gourmands. Rising to become one of the city’s most celebrated chefs, a dozen eventful years separated his arrival in London from the opening of his signature restaurant.

Born in Budapest in 1878, young von Görög was one of 200 original staff hired for the city’s Grand (Royal Budapest) Hotel in 1896. With 350 rooms, the Grand Hotel Royal was one of Europe’s largest and most luxurious, hosting a veritable Who’s Who of international clientele. With a talent for cooking the solid Austro-Hungarian fare of his childhood and a healthy pinch of ambition, von Görög set his sights on even grander locales, making a brief stop in the hotel kitchens of Paris before a London arrival in 1899. He worked for a brief time under Escoffier at the newly opened Ritz-run Carlton in London, before securing the break of a lifetime - appointment to the Buckingham Palace kitchens of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria.

Developing a lively friendship with the queen’s eldest son who was often found paying a casual visit to the kitchen, the two bonded through their mutual interest in the emerging discipline of culinary arts, as simplified nouvelle cuisine influenced by Escoffier replaced traditional English menus among the fashionable set. Promoted to the position of personal cook to His Majesty upon the death of his mother Queen Victoria, von Görög and Edward VII maintained close confidantes for the remainder of the king’s life.

Keen for fresh adventures with a wide circle of royal and society connections, 32 year-old von Görög next embarked on an establishment of his own. A converted art gallery, The New Gallery Restaurant opened with much fanfare, boasting a Reading Room of ‘All the Latest Newspapers of the World’ as well as ‘Famous Austrian and Hungarian Dishes’, a special grill room, afternoon tea, ‘American Drinks’, and Viennese coffee among other attractions. Headlining each magical night was Herr Gottlieb and his acclaimed Viennese orchestra, also known to play at Blenheim Palace among other palatial residences of the rich and famous.

By the following year, The New Gallery Restaurant was London’s largest and von Görög had further triumphed with a Grand Prix at the Culinary Exhibition in Paris. The restaurant remained open through 1912 before being converted to the premier ‘The New Gallery Kinema,’ which continued the building’s distinction as a destination for high-end clientele. Still standing in much of its glory at 121 Regent Street, the building has served as a flagship store for Burberry since 2012.


Produced by Britain's great Walker & Hall silversmiths exclusively for this influential and significant restaurant with ties to England’s royal family and the birth of modern cuisine, the teapot is further stamped with a date mark for 1910. The grand and gleaming exterior is expertly adorned with The New Gallery Restaurant name within a cascading ribbon banner sweetly gathered into a petite bouquet topped by a romantic bow. A convenient hinged lid topped by an enthusiastic knob finial opens wide for easy filling with your favorite brew and closes securely for serving. At once delicate and sturdy, the pot's gently sweeping silhouette is handsomely balanced by its dramatic spout and shapely handle, while a classic ribbon and reed trim adds sophistication at the upper and lower edges.

A majestic treasure from a century gone-by, this sumptuous bespoke pot with its storied provenance promises to infuse each steaming cup with decorous grace and cordial conviviality.