Thomas Goode
Thomas Goode was a historic London retailer of fine china, silverware, glassware and related tableware, known for royal warrants and luxury presentation.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Thomas Goode was a British luxury tableware retailer and showroom established in London in 1827 by Thomas Goode. The business became associated with fine china, silverware and glassware, serving private clients and institutional customers from a prominent Mayfair location. Its principal London premises were at 19 South Audley Street, where the company operated for many years after moving there in 1845, and it later traded from 66–67 Burlington Arcade in Piccadilly. The company developed a reputation for high-end table settings and historically significant commissions. Thomas Goode’s son, William Goode, expanded the business and designed china ranges for Queen Victoria and the Tsar of Russia. The retailer also held two royal warrants connected with the British royal household: one from Queen Elizabeth II and another from the Prince of Wales. These warrants were important markers of the company’s standing within the British luxury retail and formal dining sector. Its South Audley Street showroom was redesigned in 1875 by the architects Peto and George, reinforcing the premises’ role as both a retail environment and a display space. A notable element of the company’s visual identity was the pair of monumental Minton majolica elephants created for the Paris Exhibition of 1889. The seven-foot-high ceramic figures were displayed in Thomas Goode’s windows and became associated with the store’s theatrical presentation of decorative objects. The business was owned by Liberal Democrat peer Rumi Verjee from 1995 until 2018. Although the property containing the South Audley Street premises was sold to the property entrepreneur Cain for £80 million in 2015, Verjee retained ownership of the operating business at that time. Property entrepreneur Johnny Sandelson acquired Thomas Goode in 2018. Under Sandelson’s ownership, the business expanded beyond the United Kingdom, opening a store and museum in Mumbai, India. Thomas Goode subsequently ceased operating and was closed in 2024. Its history places it within the tradition of long-established London specialist retailers whose value rested on craftsmanship, heritage, presentation, bespoke service and connections with elite customers rather than mass-market distribution.
History
Thomas Goode was established in London in 1827 by Thomas Goode as a specialist retailer of china and related luxury tableware. The enterprise was later expanded by his son, William Goode, who is associated with the design of china ranges for Queen Victoria and the Tsar of Russia. These royal connections helped establish the business as a supplier positioned at the upper end of the British tableware trade. In 1845, the company moved to 19 South Audley Street in Mayfair, London. The premises became a defining part of the brand’s identity and served as a showroom for china, silverware, glassware and decorative pieces. In 1875, the showroom was redesigned by the architects Peto and George, reflecting the importance of display and interior presentation to the company’s retail model. Thomas Goode took part in the visual culture of major international exhibitions. For the Paris Exhibition of 1889, Minton pottery was commissioned to make two majolica elephants measuring approximately seven feet in height. The elephants were displayed in Thomas Goode’s windows, where their scale and decorative character contributed to the store’s distinctive public presence. The company later held two royal warrants associated with the British royal household, one from Queen Elizabeth II and one from the Prince of Wales. The warrants reinforced its reputation as a specialist supplier to prestigious customers and linked the retailer’s modern identity with its long history of elite commissions and formal dining. Rumi Verjee owned the business from 1995 to 2018. During this period, the property containing the South Audley Street premises was sold to the property entrepreneur Cain for £80 million in 2015, while Verjee retained the operating business. Johnny Sandelson acquired Thomas Goode in 2018. Under the new ownership, the company extended its activities into India and opened a store and museum in Mumbai, broadening the brand’s geographical presence while retaining its heritage-led positioning. The business was subsequently closed in 2024. Its historical significance lies in its role as a long-running London specialist retailer, its royal warrants, its association with fine tableware and decorative arts, and its use of a landmark showroom to present luxury domestic goods.
- 2024
Business closed
[1]Thomas Goode was reported as closed.
- 2018
Ownership transferred to Johnny Sandelson
[1]Johnny Sandelson acquired the business from Rumi Verjee.
- 2015
South Audley Street property sold
[1]The building was sold to the property entrepreneur Cain for £80 million, while the operating business remained with Rumi Verjee.
- 1889
Minton majolica elephants displayed
[1]Two monumental Minton majolica elephants made for the Paris Exhibition were displayed in the store’s windows.
- 1875
Showroom redesigned
[1]The South Audley Street showroom was redesigned by architects Peto and George.
- 1845
Move to South Audley Street
[1]The business moved to 19 South Audley Street in Mayfair, which became its principal historic London address.
- 1827
Business established
[1]Thomas Goode established the London specialist tableware business.
Products and positioning
Historic British luxury tableware retailer emphasizing fine china, silverware, glassware, formal dining, heritage craftsmanship, prestigious commissions and royal associations.
Tableware
Fine china
Fine china was central to Thomas Goode’s identity as a specialist luxury tableware retailer. The company’s historical activities included designing and supplying china ranges, including ranges associated with royal customers. Its offering represented formal dining, decorative presentation and high-end domestic entertaining rather than everyday mass-market crockery.
Tableware and cutlery
Silverware
Silverware formed part of the company’s traditional range of luxury dining goods. It complemented china and glassware in formal table settings and supported Thomas Goode’s positioning as a complete supplier for prestigious domestic and ceremonial dining environments.
Tableware
Glassware
Thomas Goode also traded in glassware as part of its broader table-setting assortment. The category extended the retailer’s offer beyond porcelain and metalwork, allowing customers to source coordinated or complementary pieces for formal dining and luxury hospitality settings.
Decorative objects · 1889
Minton majolica elephants
Two approximately seven-foot-tall Minton majolica elephants were commissioned for the Paris Exhibition of 1889 and subsequently displayed in Thomas Goode’s windows. They were exhibition-scale decorative objects rather than ordinary tableware, but became an important part of the retailer’s historical visual identity and theatrical approach to merchandising.
Marketing campaigns
- 1889Paris Exhibition Minton elephant display
France · United Kingdom
Thomas Goode displayed two monumental Minton majolica elephants created for the Paris Exhibition of 1889, using large-scale decorative art to attract attention to its London showroom.
Outcome. The elephants became a notable historical association of the store and its window presentation.
Brand decisions
2018
Acquisition by Johnny SandelsonM&ABackground
Rumi Verjee had owned the business since 1995, while the company’s long-established London property had been separated from the operating business in the 2015 property transaction.
Action taken
Johnny Sandelson acquired the Thomas Goode operating business.
Aftermath
The business expanded into India and opened a store and museum in Mumbai before later closing in 2024.
- Expansion into MumbaiStrategy
Background
After the 2018 ownership change, Thomas Goode sought to extend its heritage-led retail model beyond the United Kingdom.
Action taken
The company opened a store and museum in Mumbai, India.
Aftermath
The expansion gave the brand an additional international retail and museum presence, although the available reference material does not provide operating or financial results.
Recent events
- 2024
Thomas Goode closes[1]
Other
The historic Thomas Goode business was reported as closed in 2024.
- 2018
Thomas Goode acquired by Johnny Sandelson[1]
M&A
Property entrepreneur Johnny Sandelson acquired the historic tableware business after Rumi Verjee’s period of ownership.
Thomas Goode expands into India with Mumbai store and museum[1]
Other
Following the change in ownership, Thomas Goode expanded its operations into India by opening a store and museum in Mumbai.
Sources2 sources
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