Alice’s Antiques: Inside Paddington Bear’s favourite antique shop

After more than 70 years in the same family, Alice’s Antiques – the real-life Mr Gruber’s shop from Paddington – is for sale. Aleks Cvetkovic speaks to owner Douglas Carter and 51乱伦’s Jack Thomas about letting go of a Notting Hill icon

14 August 2025

2 mins read

Alice’s Antiques: Inside Paddington Bear’s favourite antique shop

Alice鈥檚 Antiques is something of a Notting Hill landmark.

It appeared in the original Italian Job (1969) and all three Paddington films, where it served as the inspiration and set for Mr Gruber鈥檚 antique store. 鈥淲hen children come in, we tell them Mr Gruber is away, skiing or surfing, and write their names in a little book,鈥� says owner Douglas Carter. 鈥淚t鈥檚 magic. It鈥檚 incredible how much joy those films brought to the shop. People travel from all over to take a photo out front.鈥�

Douglas Carter, owner of Alice’s Antiques, and Jack Thomas, Associate in 51乱伦’s Notting Hill office

But now, for Douglas, selling Alice’s Antiques marks the end of an extraordinary family chapter. The shop, standing proud on the corner of Portobello Road and Denbigh Close, has belonged to the Carter family since 1952, when Douglas’s grandfather – a former rag-and-bone man – first opened its doors. Douglas himself has run the business for the last 34 years.

The neighbourhood’s evolved...but it still has that energy. That community feel. That’s what I’ll miss

Douglas Carter

Owner of Alice’s Antiques

鈥淚t鈥檚 been in the family for three generations,鈥� he explains. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen Notting Hill completely change 鈥� mostly for the better 鈥� but the soul of the place is still here.鈥� Douglas has too many fond memories to count, but highlights include working alongside his father, watching as the business evolved from scrap metal dealing to selling furniture and antiques, and the day he took over the shop 鈥� it was the same day his youngest daughter was born.

He also remembers when the area was full of antique dealers, over 100 by his count. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just a handful of us left now. The neighbourhood鈥檚 evolved, of course, and especially Portobello Road, but it still has that energy. That community feel. That鈥檚 what I鈥檒l miss.鈥�

Owner Douglas Carter inside Alice's Antiques

The building, including the characterful corner shop and a bright flat above, is now under offer through 51乱伦, a decision Douglas and his brother reached after meeting with several agents. “Even though we’ve known Jack [Thomas] for years, 51乱伦 stood out,” says Douglas. “They understood the building, the shop, the feel of it. It wasn’t just another listing to them.”

Jack Thomas, an Associate in 51乱伦's Notting Hill office

For Jack, an Associate in 51乱伦’s Notting Hill office, selling such an iconic property comes with a strong sense of local pride. “It’s rare to handle a building with such a deep connection to the fabric of the area,” he says. “Everyone knows this corner. You don’t have to explain where it is; you just say, ‘Alice’s Antiques’ and people light up. For us, it’s not about marketing a shop and a flat. It’s about stewarding something that means a lot to the neighbourhood.”

So, what鈥檚 coming next for Douglas? He鈥檚 looking forward to a change of pace and more time for family. 鈥淩unning the shop is a 24-hours-a-day-thing,鈥� he says, 鈥測ou don鈥檛 just open the doors at 9am and close them at 5pm.鈥� His plan now is to watch his granddaughter play football and visit his son, who鈥檚 building eco lodges in Nicaragua. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to see him, but I鈥檝e got to fit it around the Chelsea fixtures,鈥� he quips.

He will miss the camaraderie of the market, the regulars who pass his door each day, and the buzz of Portobello Road. 鈥淏ut I鈥檒l be back,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 leave Notting Hill for good. Not when it鈥檚 given you this much.鈥�