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Fortnum & Mason plc (colloquially often shortened to just Fortnum's) is an upmarket department store in London, England. The main store is located at 181 Piccadilly in the St James's area of London, where it was established in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason.
William Fortnum, who was quite the entrepreneur, also took a post as Footman in Queen Anne’s household and in Mr Mason’s spare room, where Fortnum met Mason.
The Fortnum’s hamper is the world’s best-travelled tuck box. Over the course of 317 years it’s been dispatched to every possible location, from the slopes of Everest and the battlefields of Iraq to the more welcoming lawns of Twickenham, Henley and Epsom. It’s a by-word for portable pleasure.
William Fortnum became a footman in the royal household of Queen Anne in 1707. Every night he replaced the candles used by the royal family with new ones. The used candles he promptly resold to ladies of the royal household for a tidy profit.
The story of Fortnum & Mason begins in 1707, when William Fortnum, a footman in Queen Anne's household, teamed up with his landlord, Hugh Mason, to establish a small grocery store in St James's Market.
William Fortnum. Categories: Commerce. Image source: Fortnum & Mason archivist. The records of the founders of Fortnum and Mason are not too clear. In 1707 a William Fortnum is said to have become a footman to Queen Anne and at about the same time to have founded a grocery business in Duke Street jointly with his landlord, Hugh Mason.
Our connection to the Royal family dates back to the very foundation of Fortnum & Mason, with the employment of a man we’re very fond of, Mr William Fortnum.
