About Us

The Butler

Megan began collecting china in 2005.  In 2015, to help fund her hobby, she started selling china on TradeMe while working full-time in the secretarial field.

By 2018 her house resembled more of a warehouse than a home, and she started considering opening a store.  At the end of 2018, Megan found the Athenaeum (a lovely historic library building) available for lease in Palmerston, Otago.  So, she quit her day job and moved up to Palmerston from Dunedin.

My Butler's Pantry opened in January 2019.  Initially the shop was only in one room of the library, but by the end of 2019 Megan had opened up the whole library to display her wares.

Megan sources her items from around New Zealand - mainly the South Island - and she enjoys researching the provenance of all new items acquired.

Megan loves the memories her items bring to her customers as they walk around her store. 

Megan's favourite personal memory is evoked from trios - she grew up in the same street as her grandparents and she knew that if she visited at 10.00 am or 3.00 pm the table would be set for morning or afternoon tea, with cup, saucer and side plate.  This was often followed by a game of canasta, which she still loves to play with her own family.

Megan's daughter, Lily, will be joining the business in January 2021.

The Butler's Assistant

Lily will be assisting with all aspects of the business.  She also enjoys researching about the history of all our items.  

Shop Icon

And last, but definitely not least, there is Lady Tuppence.

Lady Tuppence, or Tups with her Cups, is our shop's icon, and she has definitely helped attract customers to stop and come into the shop.  We believe she is now the most photographed person in Palmerston.

In case you were wondering, it took Megan a few hours to colour her cups to make them stand out.  In doing so, she discovered that Lady Tuppence is wearing a pair of Blue Willow cups!

Oh, and in answer to one of the most commonly asked questions, she is a T cup!