In its early days at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the English factory Spode experimented with new techniques in the production of ceramics. The development of bone china was one of Spode's best-known achievements, but it was not the only remarkable one.
In the mid-20th century, Spode brought a revolutionary new product to the market: the reliable, heat-resistant Alenite ceramic, whose message was characterized by the phrase "From the oven to the table".
Alenite combines the old with the new: the products are made of an innovative material and echo the design of moulded pie dishes from the 1800s. The most popular range was named after Henry IV.
The first game pie dishes were imitations of real pies. The unglazed material resembled the appearance of dough. Some items had a glazed inside and some had a removable, glazed inside dish that held the filling.
Experiments with a new ceramic mixture to create heat-resistant cookware began around 1957. The name reflects the alumina taken as the basis of the formula and commemorates Cyril Allen, chief chemist at Spode, who developed it.
Originally produced in the characteristic Fine Stone grey colour, a white version was also produced later, which was discontinued earlier than the grey, even before 1970.
Pictured in the carousel is one of the first unglazed dishes, which very clearly resembles a pie, and a 1963 advertisement for the Henry IV range, which was included in Spode's catalogues until around 1966.