Fortnum & Mason

The finest purveyours of food from around the world, Fortnum & Mason department store, with entrances on Piccadilly and Jermyn Street, is a London landmark. Famed for their beautiful hampers, no picnic in the capital is complete without one. In fact, in 1851, Charles Dickins wrote an account of the Epson Derby, declaring, “Look where I will… I see Fortnum & Mason. All the hampers fly wide open and the green downs burst into a blossom of lobster salad!”

When it was established in 1707 by Hugh Mason and William Fortnum, on nearby Duke Street, they found themselves in the perfect position to serve the many travellers leaving and arriving in London. This ethos has underpinned many things throughout their history, from their beloved hampers, to inventing the scotch egg (the perfect portable snack), to supplying the British Everest expedition in 1922, and opening a second store at St Pancras in 2013, the route of many of London’s travellers today. Their food hall has ensured that the best of the world’s food is always available in the city, and their hampers mean you can always have the best of Britain with you, wherever you go.

The store also houses five restaurants, cafes, and bars. Afternoon Tea in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon offers a quaintly British experience for tourists and the perfect spot for locals to entertain out of town guests or celebrate a special occasion. Private dinning for weddings, celebrations, events, and corporate entertaining are also available.

Fortnum & Mason’s founders may no longer be here but they still look over the emporium of delights they created from the famous clock on the front of the building where figurines of them appear to mark the hour.