Item of The Week - Victorian Barrel Butter Churn

Butter has long been a popular accompaniment to a wide variety of foods, and its use dates back as far as Biblical times. Ok, so Jesus may not have offered butter with his bread and wine(!) but nowadays, what is bread without butter? And in the days before large production factories and technical machinery you may wonder how butter was made? Well wonder no more; This week’s ‘Item of The Week’ is a Victorian Butter Churn.

Yes, this is what was used to make butter for centuries gone by. Butter churns were an innovative way of turning milk and cream in to butter. Some earlier processes involved simply containing the liquid, then shaking it vigorously until it started to form in to clumps; a somewhat lengthy (and tiring!) process. The butter churn as we see it here became an imperative piece of equipment in farms and dairies and helped to simplify the process.

Dating from the late Victorian era, this box/barrel churn is constructed from wood and is bound in metal. The internal paddles of this churn still revolve so it is considered to still be in working order, but if you aren’t the domesticated sort, it would look fantastic simply as a decorative piece situated in a Country Kitchen or perhaps even in a rustic restaurant, bar or café, as it has wonderful character and charm.   

This Butter Churn is being sold by Swans of Oakham for just £95

 

See Full Item Listing Here

To see more stock from Swans of Oakham click here