Vintage 1930s McVitie & Price “Cabinette” Novelty Biscuit Tin – French Commode

This is a cracking novelty biscuit tin — and we can identify the design quite confidently. It is McVitie & Price’s “Cabinette” biscuit tin, made in the form of an 18th-century French-style commode or serpentine chest of drawers, dating to circa 1933. An example of the same design is catalogued by Sworders as c.1933, and Christie’s specifically records the McVitie & Price “Cabinette” commode.

Displayed with other items illustration only not included ( would make a fabulous jewellery box see pictures)

21 cm wide

13 cm depth

15 cm tall

Vintage 1930s McVitie & Price “Cabinette” Novelty Biscuit Tin – French Commode Chest of Drawers

A wonderfully decorative and increasingly collectable McVitie & Price biscuit tin dating to circa 1933, cleverly designed to resemble a miniature French commode or chest of drawers.

Made from pressed and lithographed tinplate, the tin has a dark faux-mahogany finish with gilt-effect scrolling decoration, three simulated drawer fronts complete with ornate keyhole escutcheons, shaped apron and elegant cabriole-style legs. The sides are further decorated with raised architectural detailing, giving the whole piece the appearance of a tiny piece of period furniture.

The apparent drawers are purely decorative; the biscuit container is accessed by lifting the large hinged top.

Inside the lid is the wonderfully preserved original branding:

“McVitie & Price – Edinburgh”

The gold-coloured interior of the lid provides a lovely contrast with the darker exterior and makes the original maker’s mark particularly attractive when displayed open.

This design is known amongst biscuit-tin collectors as the “Cabinette” and dates to around 1933. A comparable example was catalogued by McTear’s as the “Cabinette Chest of Drawers Biscuit Tin, McVitie & Price, circa 1933”.

Maker History

The story of McVitie’s began in Edinburgh during the 19th century. Charles Price joined the established McVitie baking business in 1875, and the successful partnership developed into McVitie & Price, with the company opening its substantial St Andrew’s Biscuit Works in Edinburgh in 1888.

The firm became one of Britain’s best-known biscuit manufacturers. In 1892 Alexander Grant developed the famous McVitie’s Digestive, while the company’s growing reputation also led to prestigious royal commissions, including the wedding cake for Princess Mary of Teck and the Duke of York, later King George V and Queen Mary.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries biscuit manufacturers increasingly produced elaborate reusable tins. Rather than simply throwing the container away, customers could keep these novelty designs for storage or decoration — effectively turning the packaging into a household object in its own right. The V&A notes the extraordinary variety and ingenuity of biscuit-tin designs produced during this period.

This “Cabinette” is a particularly charming example of that tradition, intended to resemble a fashionable piece of French furniture and subsequently suitable for use as a small storage or trinket box.

Condition

A genuine vintage example with plenty of character and honest age-related wear.

There is considerable rubbing, scratching, fading and loss to the lithographed finish, particularly to the sides and reverse, together with areas of surface oxidation and general wear. The front remains particularly attractive, with the simulated drawers, gilt decoration and raised fittings all clearly visible.

The interior also shows oxidation and wear associated with age and use. The original McVitie & Price Edinburgh branding to the inside of the lid remains very clear.

We have deliberately left the tin in its naturally aged condition rather than attempting to restore or repaint it.

Please study the photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description.

Date: Circa 1933

Maker: McVitie & Price Ltd

Origin: Edinburgh, Scotland

Material: Lithographed / pressed tinplate

Model: “Cabinette”

Form: French-style commode / chest of drawers

Dimensions: Please add your measurements

Price

£65.00.

There is quite a spread in the market. while current dealer asking prices for the same design are substantially higher, including an example advertised at £95.

Given the strong front, clear internal branding and definite identification, but allowing for aged wear

1933 McVitie & Price Cabinette Biscuit Tin Novelty Chest of Drawers

And I definitely wouldn’t clean this too enthusiastically — that wonderfully battered faux-furniture finish is half the appeal.