Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
London retailer Fortnum & Mason (F&M) has added a new milestone to its history: the first new F&M store to open in the UK for 306 years.
The site of the new store and tea salon, which opened on Friday November 8, is London’s St Pancras International Station.
The retailer explained that this Victorian terminus is at the heart of the country’s national and international rail travel. It is therefore ‘the perfect fit’ for Fortnum’s, because since the company’s earliest days, ‘we have been the traveller’s friend, supplying travelling baskets for the long carriage rides from London to the country and sending supplies to intrepid explorers in the furthest corners of the world’.
Ewan Venters, chief executive of Fortnum & Mason, added: “The transformation of [nearby] King’s Cross from insalubrious corner of London into international gateway and home to some of the capital’s most creative businesses and organisations is impressive. This makes St Pancras the ideal spot for our new store, allowing us to introduce a whole new group of customers to the wonder of Fortnum & Mason.”
“Fortnum & Mason has been famous for servicing the needs of travellers and explorers since the early 18th century, and we look forward to doing this for the next 300 years from our new home in St Pancras.”
The new store combines a shop with a tea salon, serving breakfast and brunch as well as light lunches and suppers. There is also a takeaway counter for food and drink, as well as an edited selection of gifts from F&M’s Piccadilly store.
The range includes 18 rare single-estate teas and 10 classic blends, plus honey, jam, marmalade, Florentines, shortbread, Stilton, smoked salmon, a selection of sweets and chocolates, some wines and spirits and hampers. A gift-wrapping service is available.
