Lost in Fortnum & Masons

Fortnum & Mason ‘s Stem Ginger Picaddilly Biscuits… tried them for the first time courtesy my big cousin…Got hooked and got my sisters hooked on it even more. So last week my sister asked me to get some for her and I decided to go to their actual store at 181 Piccadilly. Prior to that day I had only bought them at the airport. The store is one of the prettiest shops I have been to in my life! I went in there on purpose…get the biscuits -> look for a gift set for someone and get out!…Boy oh boy did my feet wander away!

Fortnum & Masons do not just sell biscuits no no…haha! It is an ‘up-market’ department store and the different sections they have are up in the pictures above . The luxury in the store is in the air…You pick up on it when you walk in…Felt my shoulders square up a little and felt myself adjusting my clothes a lot of times in there…hahaha! So I filled my baskets and went on to explore each floor at the store! Currently they have their windows and the entire store dressed in an Alice in Wonderland theme…beautiful!

On the fifth floor was a private room…Not sure if it’s offices there or for members only…. The stair way was laid in red carpet  littered, with art pieces and candle light bulbs. Loved the way they preserved it’s victorian style. On the lower ground floor was the fresh food hall and wine gallery, where you can find every type of fresh food you need including duck and ostrich eggs… Haha!

It was a full shopping experience at Fortnum & Mason and I think this is how the businesses that will make it into the future have to do it. Welcome their customers into an interesting store. Transform our shopping experience…So if I was upper class (whatever range) I will much rather go shopping in a store with a spa, drawing room for afternoon tea, clothing store, fresh food store all in one place! After walking around I paid for my shopping…Left and came back the next day for a bite during lunch on the Ground floor restaurant…I just had to try it out… I ate a Smoked Salmon Blinis..yum! I have looked up the recipe on google and will try it out at home!
Inspiring to think it was founded by an enterprising candle seller, grocer and footman to the royals William Fortnum. He replaced old candles with new ones in the palace and then took the used candles to resell it to the ladies of the royal household. He convinced his landlord Hugh Mason to go into the grocery business with him and they opened the present store in Piccadilly (they have kept the store looking the mostly the same). He used his royal connections well and it didn’t take long for the business to soar…

Fun Fact; The clock hanging outside the building, bells on every hour and has since done that since 1964. Miniature statues of the founders; William Fortnum and Hugh Mason come out to take bow at each other to the sound of authentic 18th century music…. You know I stood there backing the building when I came out, wondering where the sounds were coming from…Totally missed it, hahaha! Thank God for Google… anyways this place is now not only the home of one of my favourite biscuits but also a place i will pop in to anytime i am in that area with free time…