The history of Picquot Ware is a British design story that blends industrial vacuum cleaner manufacturing, wartime aviation engineering, and mid-century Scandinavian modernism.
1. The Vacuum Cleaner Roots (1932–1938) The story began in 1932 when engineers Harold Burrage and Leslie Boyd founded the company Burrage & Boyde in Northampton, England. Their primary business was manufacturing non-electric vacuum cleaners under the brand name "Newmaid” * To make the sleek, metal housings for their vacuum cleaners, they built a high-tech on-site aluminium foundry. * Looking for ways to fully utilize their foundry during manufacturing downtime, they hired an innovative engineer and designer named John D. Souter in 1938 to develop high-end kitchenware.
2. The Invention of "Magnalium" & The K3 Kettle (1938) Souter wanted to design high-quality tableware that looked like silver but was infinitely more durable and affordable. He developed a specific, custom alloy composed of 95% aluminium and 5% magnesium, which they trademarked as Magnalium. Magnalium could be cast as a single, thick, solid piece (eliminating seams that leak) and, when hand-polished, it took on an incredibly lustrous, silver-like sheen that did not tarnish like silver. Souter’s first major creation was the futuristic, dome-shaped K3 Kettle in 1938.
3. The Spitfire Disruption (1939–1946) Before the K3 Kettle could be fully marketed to the public, World War II broke out in 1939. The British government requisitioned the Northampton foundry for the war effort. Because of their expertise in casting lightweight magnesium-aluminium alloys, the Burrage & Boyde foundry spent the war years manufacturing precision ammunition and specialized structural parts for Supermarine Spitfire fighter planes.
4. The Post-War Revival & "Newmaid" Tableware (1947–1951) When peace arrived, the factory spent late 1946 shifting back to commercial production. In 1947, they finally launched the K3 Kettle and introduced their new accompanying tea sets. At this time, they released the pieces under their established "Newmaid" brand name. Because they were rapidly shifting from wartime casting molds to peacetime retail stock, many of these pieces left the foundry line with completely blank bases, carrying only a single craftsman quality stamp or mold template letter (R in this case)
5. Rebranding to "Picquot Ware" (1951) For the 1951 trade exhibition in Britain, the company decided their luxury tableware needed a more elegant, European-sounding title than "Newmaid". They invented the name Picquot Ware and even conjured up a fictional designer namesake, "Jean Picquot," purely as a clever marketing tactic. From 1951 onward, all pieces were strictly stamped with the famous decorative central script. The sets became highly fashionable wedding and anniversary gifts across the UK and the Commonwealth during the 1950s and 60s, renowned for their iconic hand-carved Sycamore wood handles and exceptional heat retention.