The metal collector
Marjan Lesnik rummages through the dusty boxes with the glee of an excited schoolboy. "Look at this," he exclaims, as he pulls out a pile of intricate metal pieces and deftly starts assembling them. "Do you know what it is?"
As the machine is expertly put together, it is soon clear the item in question is an early mincer and pastry maker, still in perfect working order.
It is not often these antiquarian kitchen utensils see the light of day. They are part of Lesnik's collection of fascinating old and antique pieces of catering equipment, which are stored in boxes in the garage and loft of his St Albans home. Along with his equally impressive hoard of corkscrews from around the world, the collection has been his hobby for more than 12 years.
Lesnik would love to have all his treasured items on display. Lack of space coupled with his wife Sandra's view that they are "dust collectors" does not, however, allow it. "I shall just have to wait until we have a large house in the country where I can set a room aside for my collection or display them in the kitchen," he says.
His collection of corkscrews, though, does have a more accessible home. Some 200 of them are displayed in the cupboard under the stairs - with several more in the dining room.
It is surprising to discover just how many different types and sizes of corkscrews have been manufactured since the first ones appeared about 300 years ago. Their use became more widespread as wine was bottled, rather than being kept in casks with wax tops.
It is believed the first corkscrew originated from an extractor that was used to remove bullets from a gun muzzle. Similar instruments were also used by women to remove corks from perfume bottles and by pharmacists when dispensing medicines.
Lesnik's corkscrew collection began during the 12 years he spent as maître chef des cuisines at Claridges, London.
"Francois Touzin, who is now the hotel's general manager, was moving on at the time, having been food and beverage manager. As he was a collector, we bought him an antique brass corkscrew as a departing gift. I thought it was beautiful. After he had told me a bit about the subject, I decided to collect them."
Lesnik was further encouraged by his father, still living in his native Slovenia in the former Yugoslavia, who was in the wine business and owned several corkscrews.
Since then, he has scoured junk shops, antique shops, auctions, even car boot sales, for corkscrews and catering equipment. Some have been bought through friends, others while working abroad.
"It is the search for the items that gives me the most pleasure - especially when I discover something special in the most unusual place, such as a tatty little shop. I appreciate how inventive people have been to create such instruments. To me, the corkscrews and items of copper are like jewellery."
Corkscrews consist of three parts - the handle, shank and worm or screw - and their design varies enormously. They even occasionally have an add-on item, such as a brush to clean the cork and remove the dust from labels, or a hammer to chip away the wax or crack the porcelain of old bottles. Some use the spring method, others are for picnics. A few are even erotic.
Lesnik's most expensive corkscrew - one with a horn handle and engraved silver ends, dating from the late 1800s - cost him $750 (about £400). He bought it from an antique dealer in New Orleans while he was doing a food promotion in the USA.
Lesnik cannot begin to guess how many pieces of culinary equipment he has. But a lot of the utensils have a fascinating history. "Many of the pieces are ingenious - the people who made them were pioneers," he says. There is a Victorian knife-cleaner and sharpener; a butter churn; an apple-peeler from Jersey; a deseeder for raisins and sultanas; a 100-year-old wooden pestle and mortar; and numerous French pewter pots from 1900.
Jelly moulds
The jelly moulds, in a vast array of shapes and sizes, can form a collection in their own right. Some are nearly 200 years old and one was once insured for £1,000 when it was loaned to the BBC. There are also many mousse moulds. One in particular holds fond memories for Lesnik. It was given to him when he won his first cooking competition - the 1981 Pierre Tattinger.
Many of the copper pans were collected during Lesnik's years at Claridges, where he used to arrange an annual sale of pots.
"Once copper is tired and worn out, you will get only peanuts for it from the copper merchants. The sales created a lot of enthusiasm and on one occasion we raised £3,000 from the purchases of 40 chefs. The money was used to buy new copper and equipment for the kitchen.
"These pieces are precious to me - many people have handled them and a lot of good meals have been cooked in them."
Many pieces came from Harry Cracknell, the translator of Escoffier's Guide Culinaire, and Felix Subrand, executive chef at Claridges for 43 years before Lesnik's arrival.
Lesnik left Claridges last year to take on the role of executive chef at Harrods, where he worked for six months. Now, he is busy doing consultancy work around the world. He has designed a kitchen for the King of Jordan and organised banquets for wealthy clients. He is also considering the possibility of a restaurant project in London. Above all, he is enjoying spending more time at home with his wife and two sons.
Should he ever be looking for a new career, Lesnik could always open a museum. He certainly wouldn't run short of items to fill it.
