Fortnum & Mason – Grocers to British Royalty

Fortnum & Mason is Recognized the World Over for its Quality Foods:

Fortnum & Mason by A.Meredith/Wiki

Like Harrods and Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason is an iconic British department store that is recognized the world over for its quality foods. Fortnum is situated at 181 Piccadilly and this is where the store has been located since 1707 when William Fortnum and Hugh Mason founded their grocery store.

Fortnum’s Royal Warrants

Fortnum is one of the few remaining bastions of the great British stiff upper lip, and they have every reason to be snooty. Fortnum has held a number of royal warrants over the ages, which means that they have been appointed as purveyors of goods or services to the British sovereign or to a member of the royal family. There have been many occasions where Fortnum has supplied a whole banquet to the palace.

Glorious Food at Fortnum

Although Fortnum have been around for over 300 years, there is just the one store at 181 Piccadilly.  Their product range has been expanded to include gifts, toiletries, fashion accessories, books, etc. which can be found on the second and third floors of the building. It is however, the food that most people are interested in and these are on the ground and lower ground floors.

Fortnum’s Famous Products

Fortnum’s may only have one London store, but its goods are stocked around the world. Fortnum’s tea, biscuits and preserves are a common sight in department stores as far away as Australia, Japan, Singapore, the U.S., Russia and Poland. Inside every premium hamper are Fortum & Mason tea, preserves,

The Famous Fortnum & Mason Hamper

chocolates, etc.  And with the advent of the internet, Fortnum went global in 1999 by opening its online store. The wonderful luxury Fortnum and Mason hampers that the store is famous for can be bought online and sent to almost anywhere around the world.

If you enjoy seeing the best of British and other world produce, a visit to Fortnum is a treat for the senses. Not only are the foods enticing, the store is always tastefully presented and their windows are perfectly dressed.

Fortnum’s is also famous for a couple of other things.  If you like Scotch eggs, this is the place to get some as Fortnum invented this quintessential ready-to-eat British food in 1738.  Fortnum’s tea shop is also one of the most famous in the world and if you’re looking forward to enjoying tea in London, an afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason should not be missed.  There are five restaurants in the department store and afternoon tea can be enjoyed in any of them. This is high-end store, so expect to pay for that experience.

Fortnum & Mason is open Monday – Saturday from 10:00 – 20:00 and on Sunday from 12:00 noon to 18:00.

Address:
Fortnum & Mason
181 Piccadilly
London W1A 1ER
Tel: +44 0)20 7734 8040
Website:  www.fortnumandmason.com/

Map of London:

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