• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Snapchat
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MsMarmiteLover

  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan
  • Travel
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • UK
  • Wine
  • Gardens
  • Supperclubs/Events
  • About
    • Press
    • Books
  • Shop
    • Cart

Britain’s last copper tinners

May 3, 2017 10 Comments Filed Under: Uncategorized

Last week I drove to an industrial estate outside Wimbourne in Dorset to visit Britain’s only artisan copper tinner, Sherwood Tinning.

I’ve always been fascinated with copper as a material, the ability to conduct heat, the warm beauty of the pink and orange glowing metal, even the verdigris patina of unpolished oxidised copper. Astrologically copper is associated with Venus: it’s the metal of beauty, an antibacterial, it does not rust and is therefore used at sea. Mixed with slaked lime, copper sulfate is a fungicide known as ‘Bordeaux Mixture’, useful for growing wine. It conducts heat and electricity par excellence. Although the Earth contains a great deal of copper, much of it cannot be extracted at present. According to the International Copper Association ‘An estimated 80% of all copper ever mined is still in use today’, a concept I find mind blowing.  It’s worth a great deal as a scrap metal. One of my ex’s used to search skips for copper tanks (when everybody changed to combination boilers) which were worth about £80 each.

I’ve done tests cooking with copper: a risotto cooked in a copper pan is noticeably creamier than one cooked in a good quality stainless steel saucepan.
Copper is expensive. I paid £265 for a Mauviel copper sauteuse in Divertimenti. A fortune, but I use it every day so over a lifetime it’ll probably work out as 1p a use or something. Copper lasts forever.
Copper pans must be lined with tin on the inside, otherwise your food becomes poisonous with an unpleasant metallic tang. You can cook on unlined copper when making jam, that is fruit with sugar. I have a large copper jamming pan, wide with sloping sides to evaporate the juices quickly, which I bought at a French ‘vide-grenier’ for 4 euros. According to this site, never put fruit on its own into copper, it will react and become dangerous.
Christine Ferber, who is arguably the best jam maker in the world (I’m not even a jam fan but seriously you have to taste her preserves) always uses copper kettles to make jam.
But for most purposes you’ll need to buy tin-lined copper. And every few years those pans will need re-tinning. This is not cheap but it’s better value than buying a new copper pan, plus I’m a great believer in repairing things rather than chucking them away. Sherwood Tinning is the only place in Britain that you can get this done. Nick Stevenson runs the small workshop which he has been doing for 32 years. I noticed he has a slight accent: 
‘I’m a Romany gypsy’, he declared before explaining that several generations of his family had worked with copper and metals, skills passed from father to son. 

‘This is a very pre-historic way of crafting metal. We are the last hand-wiped tinners in the UK’.

His clientele is split between private and commercial. The Queen sends her copper pans to Sherwood Tinning, who are a ‘by appointment’ company, a process that necessitates at least five years service before being granted.

‘It’s not seasonal this job’ says Nick, ‘One week we are choc a bloc and can hardly cope and other times you are cleaning your work shop because you have very little to do. You never know.
‘Per year we do thousands. At the moment we have about 100 pieces which all came in the last fortnight.’

‘When I used to go to hotels and restaurants with my dad, the chef was the king. Nowadays accountants run businesses. Even the royal chef has a budget. Some of my old customers are going to stainless steel. But they are not as good as solid copper pans. Even stainless steel lined copper pans, there is a layer of aluminium because copper does not stick to stainless steel, which means that one layer bubbles up. We can’t do anything, the metal has stretched.’ 

‘You pay a fortune for these things, but copper pans will see you out.’

Do you take a deposit? 

‘No’. 

That’s very trusting of you. Do some people not collect their pans? 

‘Not really. Over the years people have maybe left 10 pans, which I’ve put in my kitchen.’ 

It’s not like shoe menders, people not bothering to pick up their shoes. Do you like cooking with copper? 

No I hate it because I don’t cook. 

Your wife? 

No it’s too much trouble. We use a microwave. (We laugh). I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.

In his tiny office next to the workshop, I see shelves of enormous hotel pans (large oven tins), rondos (deep wide pans for stews), escargot moulds and frying pans gleaming amongst the grey office gear. Some of them are very old: 

‘The Queen once sent me a pan dated 1737’ explained Nick ‘which is still in use’. I see photographs of Nick with the Queen on his wall. 

I hand him my grubby collection of five copper pans of differing sizes that I bought at a French flea market for 15 euros. It’ll cost me almost £200 to get them tinned here. Nick charges by the inch: he measures the diameter and the depth. 

‘We’ve had the same prices for two years now. The flux, the tin, virtually everything we need has gone up in price. I use a company in London, G.W Neil and Sons, but they’ve been taken over by an American company. Which is a shame. They’ve put their prices up.

‘In this country we used to have a huge tin mining industry…’ I say. 

‘In Cornwall…’ 

‘Yes. Poldark.’ I guffaw.  

‘Never got into that myself’ says Nick. 

‘Maybe it’s a ladies programme?’ 

‘I’ve heard rumours they might open up a tin mine in Cornwall. At the moment tin is brought in from China.’

We look around the workshop. The process runs as such:

  1. De-greasing: the copper is placed in a tank of caustic soda for up to 48 hours.
  2. Cleaning: washed in hot soapy water.
  3. Reshaping: it’s taken to the work bench where the bottom will be straightened and flattened; rivets tightened, handles strengthened, bumps knocked out.
  4. Grinding: the pans are stripped of old tin lining on a grinding wheel with wire wool.
  5. Pickling acid: the pans are left in a diluted solution of hydrochloric acid. After this the copper shines.
  6. Final wash.
  7. Fluxing: the insides of the pan are covered with flux to make the tin adhere to the copper.
  8. Tinning: using rods of tin and a blow torch, tin is melted into the insides of the pan.
  9. Polishing: the inside is hand-wiped, coming up bright and shiny.
I can’t wait to see my flea market copper pans. Nick will even brand my initials on them. 
Nick recommends Mauviel copper pans as the best. Blogger David Lebowitz recently visited the Mauviel factory, read about it here. He’s also visited La Mère Poulard the famous Normandy restaurant where omelettes are cooked on a copper pan over a wood fire. Must do that.
The Kitchn has a useful piece on how to clean copper.

Recent posts

Air Fryer recipe: aubergine sticks with yoghurt, tahini sauce

June 20, 2022

A dingle in Donegal: seven-day family trip discovering my Irish roots

June 12, 2022

silver barfi pic: Kerstin Rodgers

Platinum Jubilee recipes

June 3, 2022

Previous Post: « Judging at the Great Taste Awards and visiting Hovis Hill
Next Post: Cinco de Mayo supper club in pictures »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. William

    May 24, 2017 at 8:00 pm

    It's help to choose a great copper cookware. My favorite one is Mauviel copper pans.

    Reply
  2. James Price

    April 30, 2020 at 7:35 am

    Great article & thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Thank you.

    Although, not quite “Britain’s last copper tinner”, as I use a company called Newlyn Tinning, down in the ancient tin mining county of Cornwall.

    Here’s their site should you like to take a look.
    https://newlyntinning.com/

    Reply
    • Newlyn Tinning

      July 29, 2021 at 2:42 pm

      Just seen this & thanks for the mention 🙂

      Great article by the way.

      Reply
  3. cynthia powell

    June 24, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    2 circular pans 21×9 to retin costapprx please

    Reply
    • msmarmitelover

      June 26, 2020 at 12:20 pm

      Contact them Cynthia… I don’t actually do it myself.

      Reply
  4. Nicholas

    November 12, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    Hi

    I have acquired a full set of pans and lids I would like them looking new again. What sort of price are we looking at

    Reply
    • msmarmitelover

      November 12, 2020 at 10:56 pm

      If you go on their site, you can find out the prices. To get 3 pans re-tinned, it cost around £200. That’s still cheaper than buying new and I’m a big believer in repairing and recycling.

      Reply
  5. Onur

    March 30, 2022 at 12:28 pm

    Hammer&fire studio?

    Reply
  6. Newly Tinning

    April 10, 2022 at 7:59 am

    Britain’s other “last tinner” here.
    For competitive prices on a 1st class service look no further than https://newlyntinning.com/

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Britain’s Last Copper Tinner’s – Sherwood Tinning Ltd says:
    February 1, 2020 at 12:00 am

    […] Britain’s last copper tinners PrevPreviousCopper-bottomed craftsman […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

Subscribe to my mailing list

msmarmitelover

Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Looking at vegetables in Italy. Photo by @loredana Looking at vegetables in Italy. Photo by @loredanaparisi72
My piece in the @hamandhigh about the 3 day @heat My piece in the @hamandhigh about the  3 day @heathostile training course. Incredibly interesting & challenging. Link: https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/things-to-do/hostile-environment-training-9037980 to read more #hostileenvironmenttraining
Supper club dishes from Saturday: pickled beetroot Supper club dishes from Saturday: pickled beetroot eggs, cheeseboard, stracciatella & cucumber, tomato/strawberry/peashoot salad with real balsamic & spruce oil, home cured dill gravlax, smoked salmon, homemade sourdough crisp bread, potato salad with wild fennel & lots more! #supperclub #midsummer #eattherainbow (miss you @linnsoederstroem)
Last nights supper club. My first supper club in 2 Last nights supper club. My first supper club in 2 years was great fun. I’m pleased with my food, the guests were lovely, it looked magical in the garden. But the weather! I even had to bring my duvets from the bedroom out. They looked like refugees. But this brought even more laughter! Next event September
My first supperclub in two years will take place t My first supperclub in two years will take place this Saturday 18th June starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are £50 byo you can book here: https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsommar-supper-club there are still a few places left. Pescetarian menu. Scandi and botanical influences. #gettingbackonmyfeet #postpandemic #smallbusinesses #supperclub #london
I recently completed the 3 day @heathostile train I recently completed the 3 day  @heathostile training course. On the last day I was kidnapped by ex-special forces for a few hours & learnt how to deal with compliance training & a hostile environment. It was one of the most interesting experiences of my life. 3 intense days of combat first aid, navigation & how to survive in a war zone. I handled short, long guns, mortars, grenades, bullets, and tourniquet & bandaged an amputee. I learnt where to sit in a car, where to hide from a bullet, where to protect myself if in a car. It was brilliant. Highly recommended for any journalists, photographers, cameramen, charity workers, paramedics going into any difficult environment say a disaster or war. The stories from the tutors & the other participants were so interesting. My piece on it out soon. Book a course: https://hostile-environment.co.uk/  They also do jungle & desert training. I’d love to join the Antarctic expedition. Anyway that’s me hooded in the front. #adventures #het #hostileenvironmenttraining #experiences #travel
Bundoran beach, Donegal. I spent a week knocking o Bundoran beach, Donegal. I spent a week knocking on doors, going to libraries, searching through graveyards for my Irish forebears. It’s really hard to find information prior to 1850. I found this in last years trip to Arbroath in Scotland. Headstones wear out, records are lost or burnt in a fire, everybody has the same name and are known by nicknames, successive children have the same first name, that usually means they died and the next one is called by the same thing. Women did have children out of wedlock, and people remarried more often than you’d think, plus families fall out & never see each other again. I learnt that my Irish great grandfather michael went to Glasgow & met a woman who came from a similar place: somewhere wild & beautiful by the sea. Then they and their children came to london. Chasing the work & the money always. Politics and economics matter for they push people around from rural to city. And now we rodgers are Londoners. #ireland #scotland #family #travel #roots
How some of us celebrate the Queen’s jubilee! My How some of us celebrate the Queen’s jubilee! My sister & a random Irishman come for the Rory Gallagher festival in ballyshannon. Sis has pulled already!  #getyourcoat #sexpistols #ballyshannon #rorygallagherfestival #ireland
Tullaghan, county Leitrim, Donegal, where my grea Tullaghan, county Leitrim, Donegal,  where my great great grandfather john Rodgers was a postman, then a tailor, then a pawnbroker. #irishheritage #donegal #myancestry #irish #rodgers #travel
I’ve taken down the previous post as it’s poor I’ve taken down the previous post as it’s poor timing considering what’s happened over the last 24 hours. Being British I’ve not grown up around guns. It’s interesting to be on this course and find out more about the reality of them, although my focus is learning the ‘golden triangle’ of first aid, communications and navigation. But at the same time It’s depressing how in America nothing will ever change regarding gun law. RIP.
Me as a punk. #pinkhair @caplanmelissa Me as a punk. #pinkhair @caplanmelissa
Sniffin’ glue: Me n @Jaybladesmbe at the Loctite Sniffin’ glue: Me n @Jaybladesmbe at the Loctite pop up yesterday. I’m all about repairing and upcycling my brocante finds: this time a beautiful pale wood lamp shade stand which had broken off at the bottom. I’m going to rewire it with 2 core sky blue twisted fabric wire, pop on my hand sewn pleated lampshade I learnt to do @workshopminerva and it shall be beautiful. Don’t chuck out your chintz: repair it! #therepairshop #selfie #interiors #popup
in June I’m having my first supper club in two y in June I’m having my first supper club in two years: here is the link to book: https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsommar-supper-club £50 18th June  Saturday night. Byo.
#chelseaflower coming up. Last year I bought these succulents and planted them in a vintage zinc garden sieve. Now they are flowering. My balcony is like a little greenhouse: I can grow aubergines & other plants that usually need to be under glass. #londongarden #may #plants #succulents in the garden
Lemon drizzle cake. The trick is not to stint on t Lemon drizzle cake. The trick is not to stint on the citrus. I used 7: 2 Italian lemons (from Lidl):some ordinary lemons and some limes (18p) at Lidl. Don’t be afraid to mix and match your citrus. I also used buttermilk from @fenfarmdairy in Suffolk from their honesty shop. Last night we ate it still warm from the oven. #cake #lemondrizzle #homebaking #citrus #buttermilk
A Simple tomato, goats cheese and basil salad, spa A Simple tomato, goats cheese and basil salad, spanking fresh asparagus / fried in olive oil, season, then add a little boiling water, not too much, put on the lid, dressed with lemon zest & Parmesan, @fenfarmdairy baron bigod cheese, good bread. This is how I like to eat. Claire’s plates found at the beccles brocante. #suffolk #suffolkfood #supper #dinnerwithfriends  #vintageplates
Can’t wait to see what they will be like when th Can’t wait to see what they will be like when they are fired. All my favourite themes: gingham and scallops. Thanks to @clairebelljar for a wonderful weekend and pottery workshop. Such fun! #workingwithyourhands #playtime #creativity #ceramics #pottery #suffolk
Making plates with talented potter & old South Ham Making plates with talented potter & old South Hampstead girl @clairebelljar in Suffolk. She has the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. Such a joy to be reunited with her. #friendsreunited #makers #potters #scalloped #wildflowers #cowparsley #pottery
Another budget gourmet recipe, the Sicilian capona Another budget gourmet recipe, the Sicilian caponata, which is like a more interesting ratatouille, in which you add capers, olives & vinegar. £2.50p. I was asked to develop a series of recipes which were delicious enough to serve at a dinner party but also cheap. I shopped at Lidl. #costoflivingcrisis #budgetgourmet #recipe #vegetarian #vegan #lidluk
Mackerel pâté, a recipe that cost under £2.50. Mackerel pâté, a recipe that cost under £2.50. Lemon & herb smoked mackerel fillets from @lidl (take off skin)3 big scoops creme fraiche from Lidl and juice of half a lemon. Blend. Plenty of black pepper. Serve with bread. #budgetgourmet #costoflivingcrisis #eatorheat
Just wrote a very personal piece for @hamandhigh o Just wrote a very personal piece for @hamandhigh on my decade as a single parent on benefits, how I learned to cook & how things are so much harder now because not only are ingredients pricier but the cost of cooking them is too. 3 budget gourmet meals serving 4, for £2.50 each. #costoflivingcrisis #budgetgourmet #povertyshame #singleparents #foodblogger
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Archives

Copyright © 2022 msmarmitelover