On Friday 8 November, Fortnum & Mason will be opening a new store in the UK for the first time in over three centuries. In the heart of the capital’s most exciting redevelopment, Fortnum & Mason has chosen London’s St Pancras International as the site for its brand new store and tea salon.
The 200 square metre store, located in what was part of the ‘undercroft’ used for storing Bass Beer from Burton on Trent in the nineteenth century, means the millions of people visiting the area every week can enjoy an edited range of exquisite Fortnum & Mason products, as well as elegant all-day dining in the tea salon. From 07.00 to 21.00 daily, people will be able to escape the throng of the station, and have breakfast, brunch, a light lunch or supper, and of course Fortnum & Mason’s famous afternoon tea, in the tea salon.
The all-day menu will feature a number of classic savouries such as
Welsh rarebit and fish pie, as well as ‘en route’ dishes, inspired by
Eurostar destinations, changing seasonally and as routes evolve. The
tea salon will cater for hurried rail passengers or people wanting to
relax and while away some time. In time for the opening, the Fortnum
& Mason chefs have developed a range of quintessentially English
sweet and savoury tarts made according to recipes from Tamasin
Day-Lewis’ new cookbook, ‘Smart Tart’.
Ewan Venters, chief executive of Fortnum & Mason, said: “The
transformation of 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 three hundred years from our new home
in St Pancras.”
An installation of a fully working but deconstructed clock will hang
three metres above customers’ heads in a nod to the original Fortnum
& Mason clock in Piccadilly. Fortnum & Mason commissioned the
clock from Smith of Derby, the makers of the original St Pancras station
clock, based on the 1863 design.
The product range at the St Pancras store is themed around the three
components of the tea ceremony – tea, biscuits and jam – and it will
vary with the seasons. There will be 18 rare single estate teas and 10
classic blends, supported by tea tastings to help customers understand
the range and complexity of the teas on sale, and learn about Fortnum
& Mason’s relationship with tea over three centuries.
The store will sell honey, jam, marmalade, Florentines, shortbread,
and Fortnum & Mason’s famous musical biscuit tins. There will be a
small chilled selection, with stilton and smoked salmon. Customers will
be able to find the most popular Fortnum & Mason sweets and
chocolates such as rose and violet creams, and English chocolate
selections. A range of Champagne and red, white and rosé wine will be
served in the tea salon and sold in the store so that customers can
enjoy a glass or take a bottle home.
In keeping with the time of year, Christmas biscuits, mince pies,
Christmas puddings, Christmas tea and coffees, Turkish delight, glacés
fruits and marrons glacés will all be on sale as the store opens.
And of course, it would hardly be Fortnum & Mason without the hampers. A selection of the store’s famous hampers
(first seen in the early 19th century) will be available to purchase in
the store, with the full collection available to order in-store.