Fortnum & Mason
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedFortnum & Mason is a privately owned British luxury department store and grocer known for premium food, hampers, tea, hospitality and royal associations.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Fortnum & Mason is an upmarket British department store and food retailer headquartered at 181 Piccadilly in London’s St James’s district. Founded in 1707 by William Fortnum, a former royal household footman, and his landlord Hugh Mason, the business began as a grocery shop and developed over more than three centuries into a distinctive luxury retail institution. Its identity remains closely tied to high-quality provisions, specialist foods, tea, confectionery, prepared foods, hampers and gift products, while its Piccadilly building also houses restaurants, a tea salon and other retail departments, including menswear. The company’s early commercial model combined everyday provisions with unusual and prestigious foods. Its royal connections helped strengthen its reputation: Fortnum’s grandson Charles entered the service of Queen Charlotte in the eighteenth century, and the store later supplied court functions and notable customers. During the Napoleonic Wars it supplied dried fruit, spices and preserved foods to British officers. In the Victorian period it provided provisions for important royal occasions, and concentrated beef tea from Fortnum & Mason was sent by Queen Victoria to hospitals associated with Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War. The retailer also claims a role in the creation of the Scotch egg and became known for prepared luxury foods, including poultry and game presented in aspic. Fortnum & Mason has repeatedly associated itself with food innovation and changing consumer habits. In 1886 it bought the entire stock of a new Heinz product and became the first British store to sell tins of baked beans. Although the business grew into a department store, food continued to anchor its proposition. Its hampers, teas, biscuits, preserves, chocolates, wines and gift assortments became especially recognizable expressions of the brand, combining presentation, seasonality and British heritage with imported and specialist ingredients. The Piccadilly premises were rebuilt in 1926–1927 in a Neo-Georgian style, creating the architectural setting that remains central to the brand. In 1951, Canadian businessman W. Garfield Weston acquired the company, and Fortnum & Mason has remained privately owned within the Weston family’s wider investment structure through Wittington Investments. A large clock installed above the entrance in 1964 commemorates the founders; each hour, figures representing William Fortnum and Hugh Mason appear and bow to one another. The clock has become one of the store’s most recognizable visual symbols. In the twenty-first century, Fortnum & Mason has combined heritage retailing with a selective international and travel-location expansion strategy. A £24 million refurbishment marked its tercentenary in 2007. Additional British locations followed at St Pancras International in 2013, Heathrow Terminal 5 in 2014 and The Royal Exchange in 2018. The company opened a Dubai store in 2014 and a Hong Kong location at K11 Musea in 2019, incorporating retail and restaurant space. In 2025 it opened its first UK store outside London at Bicester Village and introduced a Fortnum & Mason On the Go hospitality kiosk there. Royal association remains part of the brand’s positioning. Fortnum & Mason has held royal warrants at different points since the early twentieth century and currently holds warrants from King Charles III and Queen Camilla. It has also participated in major royal and national occasions, including the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. Alongside retail, the company operates food and drink awards recognizing achievement across food media and culture. Its premium positioning is supported by provenance, service, distinctive packaging, historic storytelling, hospitality and a curated rather than mass-market assortment.
History
Fortnum & Mason began in 1707 when William Fortnum and Hugh Mason established a grocery shop at St James's Market in London. Fortnum had worked as a footman in Queen Anne's household and supplemented his income through grocery trading. The partnership developed a business serving both ordinary household needs and affluent customers seeking unusual or superior provisions. Royal connections became commercially important during the eighteenth century. William Fortnum's grandson Charles entered Queen Charlotte's service in 1761, helping reinforce the store's court association. Fortnum & Mason expanded its specialist range with prepared foods and preserved delicacies, and it later supplied British officers with dried fruit, spices and other provisions during the Napoleonic Wars. In the Victorian era, the store supplied food for prestigious court functions. Queen Victoria also sent the company’s concentrated beef tea to hospitals serving Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War. The retailer’s reputation was built on a mixture of luxury, novelty and practical food retailing. It is associated with the claimed invention of the Scotch egg in 1738 and became known for prepared poultry and game dishes served in aspic. In 1886, Fortnum & Mason purchased the full stock of a new Heinz product, making it the first British retailer reported to stock tinned baked beans. These episodes illustrate its long-standing role as both a grocer and an early adopter of packaged food. The present Piccadilly building was rebuilt between 1926 and 1927 in Neo-Georgian style, incorporating adjoining properties on Duke Street and Jermyn Street. The premises became the physical centre of a broader department-store operation, but food remained the defining category. Hampers, tea, confectionery, preserves, wine and specialty groceries became important components of the company’s identity, while restaurants and tea service extended the brand into hospitality. In April 1951, W. Garfield Weston acquired Fortnum & Mason after a boardroom struggle. The company has since remained privately owned by Wittington Investments Limited, the investment company associated with the Weston family. In 1964 Weston commissioned the large clock above the main entrance as a tribute to the founders. Its hourly appearance of William Fortnum and Hugh Mason bowing to each other became a landmark feature of Piccadilly. The store marked its three-hundredth anniversary with a £24 million refurbishment in 2007. It subsequently developed a network of smaller and travel-oriented sites: St Pancras International in 2013, Heathrow Terminal 5 in 2014 and The Royal Exchange in 2018. International expansion included Dubai in 2014 and Hong Kong’s K11 Musea in 2019. The company’s 2025 Bicester Village opening was its first UK store outside London and was accompanied by an On the Go kiosk concept. Fortnum & Mason’s institutional profile has been shaped by royal warrants, food culture and ceremonial occasions. Its first royal warrant was granted by Queen Alexandra in 1910; the company later held warrants from George V and George VI, with one warrant temporarily affected by post-war rationing before restoration in 1951. It currently holds warrants from King Charles III and Queen Camilla. In 2022 it sponsored the Platinum Pudding Competition and participated in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. The company also operates annual food and drink awards recognizing writers, publishers, presenters, photographers and other contributors to food culture. Its history has included reputational disputes. PETA UK campaigned against the sale of foie gras from 2010, and Westminster Trading Standards reprimanded the retailer in 2011 over claims concerning animal-welfare standards. Fortnum & Mason ceased selling foie gras in 2020. In 2011, UK Uncut protesters staged a sit-in at the store as part of a wider campaign related to tax avoidance and Associated British Foods. In 2024 the company drew criticism over an event perceived as excluding Paralympians. These controversies sit alongside the brand’s continuing effort to present itself as a premium, ethical and culturally significant British retailer.
- 2025
Bicester Village opening
[1]The company opens its first UK store outside London and introduces the On the Go kiosk format.
- 2022
Platinum Jubilee participation
[1]Fortnum & Mason sponsors the Platinum Pudding Competition and participates in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
- 2020
Foie gras discontinued
[1]The retailer stops selling foie gras and substitutes foie royale.
- 2019
Hong Kong opening
[1]The company opens a 7,000-square-foot retail and restaurant location at K11 Musea.
- 2018
Royal Exchange opening
[1]A new London store and hospitality location opens at The Royal Exchange.
- 2014
Dubai and Heathrow expansion
[1]Fortnum & Mason opens its first standalone overseas store in Dubai and a Heathrow Terminal 5 site.
- 2013
St Pancras expansion
[1]The first additional Fortnum & Mason store opens at St Pancras International.
- 2012
Royal visit and Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon opening
[1]Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla and Catherine make a joint official visit; the Queen opens the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon.
- 2007
Tercentenary refurbishment
[1]A major refurbishment marks the company’s 300th anniversary.
- 1964
Founders' clock installed
[1]A large clock featuring figures of Fortnum and Mason is installed above the Piccadilly entrance.
Products and positioning
Luxury British department store and grocer combining royal heritage, premium food, distinctive gifting, hospitality and curated international retail.
Gifting
Food hampers
Fortnum & Mason’s hampers combine teas, biscuits, preserves, confectionery, wines, pantry goods and seasonal specialties in curated gift assortments. They are among the retailer’s most recognizable products and express its luxury-grocery positioning through presentation, selection and occasion-based themes.
Beverages
Tea
Tea is a central Fortnum & Mason category, spanning branded loose-leaf teas, tea bags, blends and gift formats. Tea retailing is linked to the Piccadilly store’s hospitality offer, including the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, and reinforces the brand’s association with British ceremonial consumption.
Food gifts
Confectionery and biscuits
The retailer sells premium biscuits, chocolates, sweets, cakes and other confectionery, often in highly recognizable Fortnum’s packaging. These products serve both everyday indulgence and gifting occasions, with seasonal collections forming an important part of the department-store assortment.
Grocery · 1707
Specialist groceries and preserves
Fortnum & Mason continues its original grocery role through preserves, condiments, oils, tinned foods, dried goods and other specialist provisions. The range combines basic pantry products with unusual, imported and luxury ingredients, preserving the company’s historic balance between practical groceries and exotic foods.
Hospitality · 2012
Restaurants and tea salon
Restaurants and tea service extend the brand beyond packaged retail. The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, opened during the 2012 royal visit, provides a formal setting for afternoon tea and supports Fortnum & Mason’s positioning around service, ceremony and British food culture.
Controversies
2024
Paralympic inclusion controversy
Fortnum & Mason faced criticism after Paralympians were not included in an after-party connected with a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic athletes. The incident prompted wider discussion about disability inclusion and unequal treatment of Olympic and Paralympic competitors.
2011
Animal-welfare claims reprimand
Westminster Trading Standards reprimanded Fortnum & Mason over claims that customers could interpret as misleading regarding its animal-welfare standards. The company amended its corporate social responsibility wording to clarify that the relevant standards applied only to UK suppliers.
2011
UK Uncut tax protest
UK Uncut protesters staged a mass sit-in at Fortnum & Mason during a wider anti-cuts demonstration, targeting tax-avoidance issues associated with Associated British Foods and its connection to Wittington Investments. Reports stated that approximately 138 protesters were arrested.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Platinum Pudding Competition
United Kingdom
Fortnum & Mason sponsored the competition held as part of the official Platinum Jubilee celebrations, linking the retailer with a nationally visible food and royal event.
Outcome. The competition formed part of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee program.
- 2022Platinum Jubilee Pageant partnership
United Kingdom
Fortnum & Mason was one of the commercial partners of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant held on 5 June 2022.
Outcome. The company participated as an official event partner.
- 2010PETA foie gras campaign
United Kingdom
PETA UK organized demonstrations and public campaigning outside the Piccadilly store to oppose Fortnum & Mason’s sale of foie gras and raise concerns about production practices.
Outcome. The company ultimately stopped selling foie gras in 2020.
- Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards
United Kingdom
The company runs annual awards recognizing achievement by food writers, publishers, presenters, image-makers and other figures in food and drink culture.
Outcome. The awards continue as a brand and industry-relations platform.
Brand decisions
2020
Replace foie gras with foie royaleStrategyBackground
The decision followed sustained criticism from animal-rights campaigners and earlier scrutiny of the retailer’s animal-welfare communications.
Action taken
Fortnum & Mason ended sales of foie gras and offered foie royale as an alternative described as more ethical.
Aftermath
The change removed a prominent source of controversy from the food assortment while preserving a luxury-food alternative.
2019
International retail expansion to Hong KongStrategyBackground
The company pursued selective overseas growth after opening a Dubai store in 2014.
Action taken
Fortnum & Mason opened a retail and restaurant site at K11 Musea in Hong Kong.
Aftermath
The move extended the brand’s luxury British food and hospitality proposition into a major Asian retail market.
2013
Expand into travel and satellite retailStrategyBackground
The historic Piccadilly flagship remained the core of the brand, but the company sought additional customer access through high-traffic transport and commercial locations.
Action taken
Fortnum & Mason opened at St Pancras International, followed by Heathrow Terminal 5 and The Royal Exchange in later years.
Aftermath
The format broadened the retailer’s physical network while retaining a curated premium offer.
2007
Major Piccadilly refurbishmentOtherBackground
The company used its tercentenary as an opportunity to modernize and reinvest in its historic flagship.
Action taken
Fortnum & Mason completed a reported £24 million refurbishment of the Piccadilly store.
Aftermath
The investment reinforced the flagship’s role as the center of the brand’s retail, food and hospitality experience.
Refurbishment cost. £24 million (2007)
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