In a rush to buy some English tea for grandma Illy in Jakarta we entered the first store seen in the heart Piccadilly, London. It was an ancient red brick building with Fortnum & Mason sign.

Browsing through shelves of teas we picked Fortnum & Mason Royal Blend Tea and was surprised when reading the label of the 250 gram loose leaf tea container: Piccadilly since 1707.

Glancing around we realized how special the store is. Covering 7 floors Fortnum & Mason is a Specialty Grocery Store- Department Store carrying luxury goods. It offers elegantly designed hampers, foods, drink and gifts. A selection of books, fashion, kitchenware and gifts are also available.

Grandma Illy  loves the Royal Blend Tea, she followed the instruction to use boiling water and brew the loose leaf, originally from Ceylon and Assam, for 3 minutes. She is a little bit proud sipping the smooth honey-like flavor tea first blended for King Edward VII in 1902.

Charles Dickens, author of Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, was a customer of Fortnum & Mason. He wrote at a derby event in 1851: "Look where I will.... I see Fortnum & Mason. All the hampers fly wide open and the green downs burst into a blossom of lobster salad!"

Hamper for the British is a wicker basket filled with luxury foods and drinks. There are Fortnum’s hampers for every happy occasion from birthdays and anniversaries to weddings and new babies.

In a modern setting, Fortnum & Mason was abuzz with royal auras when last year Elizabeth, The Queen of England, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge visited the store. They toured the food halls, had an afternoon tea, and unveiled a plaque to mark the regeneration of Piccadilly. Each presented with a Fortnum’s Hamper containing British delicacies such as chocolate truffles and handmade preserves.

Being an established specialty business makes Fortnum & Mason prone to public attack. The store was condemned by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for selling foie gras, a pate made from goose liver. Fortnum’s announced just two farms produced the foie gras, carefully selected for their excellent welfare standards.

Nonetheless, a 4:26 minute video clip narrated by PETA's foie gras campaign ambassador Sir Roger Moore went viral, showing how one of Fortnum’s supplier produced foie gras.

Fortnum’s holds two royal warrants, for both The Queen as Grocers and Provision Merchants and The Prince of Wales as Tea Merchants and Grocers.

According to UK official sources, Royal Warrants of Appointment are a mark of recognition of those who have supplied goods or services for at least five years to the Households of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh or The Prince of Wales. Royal Warrants have always been regarded as demonstrating service, quality and excellence.

Fortnum & Mason organizes sold out events and classes. Master classes range from how to make proper puff pastry, scone, tea tastings and wine tastings. There was also pesto chicken demonstration. Areas for entertainments can accommodate from 6 to 1000 guests.

Another event that is currently going on is Cookbooks at Fortnum’s where chefs will be present for books launching and signing. In the line up are Join Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo for their book Two Greedy Italians, Vivek Singh for Cinnamon Kitchen The Cookbook, and Russel Norman for Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook.

A few months after our first visit, we went back to Fortnum & Mason wanting to feel the classic setting of the iconic store.

The Parlour seemed to be the best choice for an affordable ambiance. It is not intimidating, small, has a charming retro style and overlooking Piccadilly.

No. 38 Rose & Violet Chocolate bar was our choice for a taste of Fortnum’s chocolate. Costs £5 a bar it is crunchy, yet smooth with cocoas and tastes florally.

We asked for the Afternoon blend tea, originating from Ceylon. Fortnum’s promotes the Afternoon tea makes the best iced tea, as it stays perfectly clear when chilled, but it was also good when we had it hot, served with fluffy cheese cake and apple strudel.

Remembering how grandma Illy loves Fortnum’s Royal Blend Tea we bought the Jubilee Tea Loose Leaf on our way out.

Fortnum’s created a range of magnificent gifts that will be a lasting memory of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the 60th anniversary of her coronation. The container, with a decorative Jubilee design, is a collector’s item.

Grandma, 81,  loves this noble Jubilee tea, a blend of teas from India, Ceylon and China that offers mellow sweetness. It is indeed truly fit for the queen in our family.

-------------------------------------

Images: Fortnum & Mason, Jan Kranendonk, Featureflash/Shutterstock, Omar Niode Foundation