Fortnum & Mason: A Trip to Bountiful

When I put Fortnum & Mason on my Delightful Tour of England itinerary, I really didn't understand how much I would love it inside. Our trip was several years ago, but I remember ever detail. 

The store ia packed with my favorite things: sweets & treats, beautiful packaging, picnic supplies, gorgeous displays. It was marvelous. I remember turning to Dan after I had scanned the first floor, I said, "I can't ever leave." He understood and we ended up strolling every inch of the store by way of this magnificent staircase.

Can you see the fresh fruits on display at the very lowest level - if I had to use one word to describe Fortnum & Mason, it would be bountiful.

The store was handing out samples of their homemade marshmallows and I nibbled a raspberry one while I tried to absorb the store and my options. The entire ground floor is dedicated to tea, jams, honey and sweets. Knowing how I love the use jam jars and biscuit tins as flower vases, my mind was overwhelmed with the potential.

I wandered the entire store (established in 1707) and made mental notes of all the things I wanted to buy. I was conservative and did not buy almost anything. It was a case where I thought we would have time to double back later, but we never did. Honestly, my kitchen had aqua accents, you'd think I would at least have bought an aqua tea tin! 

The good news is that the Fortnum & Mason has a special collection available through Williams Sonoma! They even offer 2 luxury F & M hampers full of their products. That is my heart's desire, to receive a Fortnum & Mason hamper and a chance to taste some of their teas, cookies & jams AND have one of their wicker picnic hampers to keep! I'd use it on adventures for the rest of my life. *Sigh* 

Thank you Williams Sonoma for making the best of England within reach.

#williamssonoma #fortnummason #london #tea #shoppinginlondon #england #aquaismycolor

Loving Lemon in London

Do you ever really know when you are making a lasting memory?  Of course, I was on my first trip to England, so just about everything was exciting.  But it is funny how this moment stands out among the other highlights.  

We had checked into our hotel, The Mayfair, and decided to try and diminish our jet lag by going on a walk around the area to get some fresh air.  It was damp and gray and I was happy for the short trench coat and scarf I had brought along.  

After wandering around for quite a while, we noticed a Marks & Spencer Simply Food on Piccadilly Road, very close to an entrance to Green Park.  We bought some yogurt and water and walked over to the park and found these chairs.

When you select chairs to sit in, an attendant comes over and charges a small rental fee.  That was okay with me - the chairs were very comfortable and it gave me a spot to savour my Lemon Curd (!) yogurt.   

I liked this yogurt so much that I took a photo of the label so that I could find it again.  

I never found it again.  Not on the trip and not back in America.  Why can't we have lemon curd yogurt?  It was light and tart and fabulous.  If you are in England, do me a favor and have one for me. 

So this is a fond memory from my first trip to England:  Sitting on striped chairs in Green Park eating Lemon Curd yogurt.

Sometimes you never know what will bring you delight.  

Souvenirs from London

My brain and it's wish list is a little eccentric.  My husband and I have been watching the Olympics and cheering each event, but I pointed out to him that very little of the national coverage is about shopping or delightful things in London.  This makes me feel encouraged about the book I am working on, A Delightful Tour of England; it is loaded with shops, sweets and treats in London!
Yes, the tv coverage encourages the audience to eat at an English pub (I recommend The Grenadier) and ride the London Eye, but what about shopping?  What about souvenirs?  You might have guessed that for me, a delightful souvenir from England is made of tin.

I loved these tin replicas of famous china patterns used by the Royal Family, that I bought one of each!  And the beautiful tins of tea, of course, that you can find at Harrod's or Fortnum and Mason.  What a wonderful treasure to bring home from London.  But my still-longed-for souvenir is a Fortnum and Mason tin bicuit box full of cookies...that is also a music box!  Can you stand it?  I loved the tin, the selection of cookies, the fact that it was a music box - the whole this was perfect, but felt too rushed at the moment to actually buy it.  I guess I have to go back!

What would you want as a souvenir from London?  Is it tin?

Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) in London

Tah-dah!   The shops and spots from Ina's trip to London are listed here.  The "Barefoot in London" episode of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa television special has created a lot of interest for foodies around the world.  If you have been searching for a list of places she visited, you can find it here.  Enjoy!

La Fromagerie - bacon sandwiches

William Curley Chocolatier - chocolate lollipops with fruit and nuts

Ottolenghi - a Middle Eastern specialty food shop - cheese straws and sliced potatoes)

Harwood Arms gastro pub - Ploughman's Lunch (lincolnshire poacher cheese, keens cheddar, pork pie, potato bread, walnut bread, fresh radish, celery, carrots, apple, 7 min eggs, apple chutney and piccalilli relish)

Borough Market was toured by Tom Parker Bowles

• Hebridean Smokehouse (scallops, salmon)
• The Flour Station (Chelsea Buns)
• (Piccadilly Chili sauce - need farm stand name)
• Brindisa Spanish Tapas - chorizo, ham loin, salami and drank sherry

William Yeoward - placemats, glassware, holiday tablescapes

I blogged about my visit to La Fromagerie here.  And you can read about additional locations I loved in England by clicking the "London" (and "England") links in my City Series section in the blog sidebar.  

I am an author, blogger and candy-lover that writes about things that bring people delight - explore my other 1,600 original blog posts and find delight. 

Blenheim Palace Mineral Water

It was my first meal in London and I was already asking for favors.  I thought that bottled water was a smart choice as I transitioned to a different time zone etc., so I ordered a big bottle.  Look what they brought me!  A beautiful bottle of mineral water that was "drawn from the aquifer within Blenheim Palace." 

Blenheim Palace was a destination on my trip!  Only days after this, I planned to leave London and tour this palace turned museum.  Remember when I had the place to myself? 

I immediately told the waiter at the gorgeous street-level restaurant in Fortnum and Mason that I loved the statuesque bottle and asked if I could take it with me once it was empty.  

He winked and said, "Of course."  On the label was an image of cherub riding a serpent in the calm colors of gray, khaki and aqua.  I had to add it to my bottle collection.  By the end of the trip I had two matching bottles and I plan to grow ivy in one of them for my kitchen.

Now tell me, wouldn't you want to take this bottle with you?

Sweets in London

Knowing that I love candy wrappers and vintage-style sweets, a friend insisted that I visit Tom's Deli in the Notting Hill area of London last year.

She was so right - I loved this place!  I stood admiring this very display for a few beats too long and the clerk thought that something was wrong.  Oh no, I assured him.  Everything is perfect. 

Pretty tins of mints.  Chocolate bars.  Candy canes.  I was definitely in the right place.  There is an indoor/outdoor cafe, lunches to-go, wines, cheeses.  A foodie paradise.  Thank you, Bettina, for showing me some British eye candy!

Royal Wedding and The Goring

I just went to a party where I heard that Kate Middleton and her family will be staying at The Goring hotel in London during the week of the Royal Wedding!

I couldn't believe it!  I absolutely love The Goring hotel - I stayed there in June and it was one of the finest hotel experiences I have ever had.  Gorgeous accommodations, an exceptional staff, delicious food.  If I felt like a princess, it's no wonder she wants to stay there! 

The photo above was taken in The Goring's large formal garden behind the hotel.  It is enclosed on all four sides by buildings, so it should offer a wonderful place for a private outdoor party.  What fun they will have!

I also thought you might like to see inside.  I took this photo at High Tea in the lounge overlooking the gardens.  I loved dining in a bright, yet cozy, enclosed porch with vibrant yellow china.  I thought it was just plain good luck that my cigar box purse (shown on the table) matched the room!  I think this will be a lovely place for a bride to have her morning coffee, don't you?

Barefoot Contessa in London

I was so happy to see that Ina Garten visited La Fromagerie when she was taping her holiday special in London.  I wrote all about my lunch at this spectacular cheese shop (full of epicurean delights!) after my visit in June - you can read my post about it here. 

Before I go on, I want to list the shops that Ina Garten visited in London:

• La Fromagerie - bacon sandwiches
• William Curley Chocolatier - chocolate lollipops with fruit and nuts
• Ottolenghi - a Middle Eastern specialty food shop - cheese straws and sliced potatoes (thank you reader for telling me!)
• Harwood Arms gastro pub - Ploughman's Lunch (lincolnshire poacher cheese, keens cheddar, pork pie, potato bread, walnut bread, fresh radish, celery, carrots, apple, 7 min eggs, apple chutney and piccalilli relish)
• Borough Market was toured by Tom Parker Bowles
• Hebridean Smokehouse (scallops, salmon)
• The Flour Station (Chelsea Buns)
• (Piccadilly Chili - need name of food stand)
• Brindisa Spanish Tapas - chorizo, ham loin, salami and sherry
• William Yeoward - placemats, glassware, holiday tablescapes

Now back to La Fromagerie!  Although I couldn't bring back cheese in my suitcase, I was smart enough to buy a La Fromagerie tote in black and cream.  The version I bought has the cows (that produce milk for the cheeses they sell) marching across the bag with dignity.  I love the design and whenever I am on-the-go, it is by my side filled it with magazines, knitting and snacks.

So far it has been impossible to watch "Barefoot in London" on the Food Network.  I am hoping that they re-play this fun episode full of the London food scene.  You can read the recipes Ina derived from her visit here. 

*Watch a video interview with La Fromagerie's Patricia Michelson and have a quick tour of the shop and a peek at all of her luscious cheese!  Her segment begins (in English) on minute 4:17 - Press play, then move the bar to advance the footage.   

Visiting England: A Museum of Garden History

Now that I am home from London, everyone wants to know if I went to their favorite monument. They ask, "Did you visit Buckingham Palace/The Tower of London/Westminster Abbey?" Ummm...no. I might someday, but this trip was all about delight and I had to stay focused.

While I didn't have time to visit some of the classic British sights, I did make it to this gem, The Museum of Garden History. Housed in a 14th century deconsecrated church (St Mary-at-Lambeth) near the banks of the Thames, this Garden Museum is dedicated to both historical collections and the pursuit of gardening in modern times.

I loved wandering through their permanent collection of garden artifacts. A vintage glass cloche, a Sweet Pea seed counter (dispenser) from the 1900's and this miniature iron garden.

This display is about 2 x 3 feet and is protected in a glass box. I peered into this secret garden for quite a while and decided that my favorite part was the man pushing the vintage lawn roller (in the back right corner).

What do you like best?

Visiting England: Japanese Sweets

One of my favorite things about traveling is photographing unusual window displays. Look at these beautiful Japanese sweets! Wagashi packaged in pink origami-esque boxes - how could you resist?

This window lures shoppers into Minamoto Kitchoan. There are only three Minamoto Kitchoan locations in the world (New York, London & Singapore) - this one is located on Piccadilly Street in London.

The treats in the center remind me of my sushi soaps! Love it!

Visiting England: St. Paul's Cathedral

A statue of Queen Anne presides over the west entrance of St Paul's Cathedral.

I have been wanting to visiting St. Paul's Cathedral since July 29, 1981. Are you with me?

It was the morning of Lady Diana Spencer's wedding to Prince Charles. What a day!

Eleven years later I chose a candlelight white wedding gown and soft white bridesmaids dresses for my wedding just as Diana did. It was gorgeous!

It meant a lot to me to stand on these steps and enter St. Paul's cathedral just as she did 29 years ago. It was the closest I would ever get to her life and somehow it was a way to pay my respects.

I could tell you a million facts about the cathedral, dome and its history, but honestly for me, it was all about Diana.

Visiting England: Afternoon Tea

Was I happy or what? This mini-masterpiece was just one of the little desserts on our 3-tiered tray during high tea at The Goring hotel in London. I would describe it as a dark chocolate cake with layers of chocolate mousse and raspberry ganache. They must use a razor blade to cut the raspberry in half perfectly!

Afternoon tea at The Goring is served on a glass-walled terrace that has upholstered chairs and accent walls in sunflower yellow. The entire tea service (teapot, creamer, sugar, plates) is in the gorgeous pattern you see here; I had never eaten on bright yellow china and I loved it. The food looked so pretty highlighted with a yellow rim.

I happened to be carrying a yellow cigar box purse with me to tea and I was able to take a gorgeous photo of it on the table before tea was served. What a perfect backdrop! I will post it here soon.

The British Tea Guild awarded The Goring their "Award of Excellence" in 2008 & 2009 and I agree! The food was delicious and the setting was out of this world.

Visiting England: La Fromagerie

It is not often that I walk into a shop with articles about the place torn from a magazine. But I was very organized on this trip and I wanted Patricia Michelson to know that I had been reading all about La Fromagerie and had been wanting to visit her store for a long time.

La Fromagerie was on my "Moments of Delight: Visiting England" tour and I thought that she would be pleased to know it. Luckily, Patricia was in the Moxon Street shop when I came for lunch and I was able to introduce myself to her. She is so nice and what a beautiful shop she has!

Dark shelves of vinegar, jam and chutney. Beautiful open baskets of local produce. A glass-walled cheese room showcasing the prettiest selection of cheese I've ever seen.

Dan and I had lunch in the tasting cafe and shared an Ewe's Milk Cheeseplate (Perail, Wigmore, Ossau & Beenleigh Blue) served with Confiture de Cerises Noire (Black Cherry preserves) and a variety of fresh breads. It was delicious! We also shared a La Fromagerie Charcuterie Plate, which was a selection of cured meats accompanied by Duck Rillettes, Celeriac Remoulade and Cornichons. It was a midday feast and we ate every bite.

My visit was certainly a "Moment of Delight" and I was sorry that I wasn't going to be in town just a few days longer to be able to attend an in-store event in honor of Patricia's new book, Cheese.

If you are in London, be sure to visit La Fromagerie. I know ewe will love it.

Visiting England: Living Wall

In 2009, I read an article in Wired magazine about Patrick Blanc's "Living Wall" at the Athenaeum Hotel in London.

He created a vertical garden on the exterior of a building and I wanted to see it! The plants on the wall thrive on a network of slats, artificial felt and an automated water/fertilizer system. You can read all about how he does it here.

But as you know, London is enormous and although I carried the article with me on my trip, I thought the chances were slim that I would be able to find/visit it during my short stay in London.

The day we arrived, as we rode from the airport to our hotel in a taxi cab, my ever-calm husband casually pointed out the window and said "I think that's the hotel you wanted to see."

All I can say is that I practically gave the taxi driver a heart attack with my exclamation. He quickly realized that all was well and that I had simply "found something" that I was looking for.
There it was! We had found it by accident! The next day we made sure to walk by The Athenaeum on our way back from dinner so that I could photograph it properly.
Love it!

Visiting England: Cath Kidston

I have loved the work of Cath Kidston for years and made a beeline to one of her shops when I arrived in London.

I love her light-hearted prints, her vintage-style travel accessories, her commitment to oilcloth. Seriously, I believe in this brand and I think her approach to lifestyle design is perfect. I have seen very few designers with such a complete vision.

Cath Kidston just started making a magazine out of her print catalog (genius!) and decided to commission vintage candy tins (full of travel sweets) to sell in her store. A tin of sweets was the first thing I picked up when I arrived at her Portobello Road shop.

Because if you are going on a Summer holiday and you are packing your car full of vintage-style luggage pieces and oilcloth travel pouches, you'll need some candy for the trip, right? I love how she thinks.

I hope that someday everyone will know the name Cath Kidston.

Visiting England: High Tea

I couldn't wait to have High Tea in London. As I did research for our trip, I poured over travel books, magazine articles I had saved in my "England" folder and everything I read pointed to Brown's Hotel.

It was lovely. We had a table for two at the window in a formal wood-paneled room. You can see photos here - we sat just to the right of the fireplace. A pianist played a baby grand piano softly in the corner and nothing could have felt more like a vacation in England to me than to sit and share a pot of "Brown's Afternoon Blend."

Delight is about appreciating the wonderful moments of your life and while this was an exceptional experience, I made sure to relish every minute of it. We enjoyed our table, the food, the soft music for 2 hours and I wouldn't change a thing.

The angle of this photo is so that you can be right there with me. We started with homemade scones, strawberry jam and yes, that is clotted cream. It is silky and cold - absolutely delicious and much prettier than it sounds. In America, I haven't found many scones that would turn my head. They are all too big, quite dry and easily skipped for something higher on the tiered tray. These, however, were so light and satisfying that I ate three!

Our reservations for tea at Brown's Hotel (Note: you can book online!) was at five o'clock and since it landed between shopping and the Columbia Road Flower Market and visiting The London Eye, our high tea became lunch and dinner. We ate trays of tea sandwiches, scones, sweets and topped it off with cake! I have more pictures to show you, but for now enjoy the first course.

Would you like one lump or two?

Visiting England: A View from The London Eye

Now I couldn't tell you about the London Eye without showing you too, could I?

We had a spectacular night to view the city - it was around 8 o'clock when we "boarded," the sky was as clear as a bell and the sun was beginning to set.

I took this photo through the glass walls and I am so happy with it!

I wanted to tell you about a neat event that will be taking place on The London Eye in October of this year. During the London Restaurant Festival, the London Eye will become a revolving restaurant with 11 celebrity chefs! Doesn't that sound wonderful?

I know, someone bid on (and win) the Gordon Ramsay charity capsule and I'll fly over and join you!

Visiting England: London Eye

When I am talking to my friends about the highlights of my trip to London, not everyone is familiar with The London Eye. It is a giant observation wheel on the banks of the Thames that was built to celebrate the millennium (the wheel is said to be symbolic of time turing into a new century).

Giant glass pods rotate so slowly that the wheel never stops. Guests simply step out of the pod when their rotation is complete, the wheel slowly moves to the next station where new guests step on for their "flight."

I love a beautiful view, but am wary of standing too close to the edge of anything, so I wasn't so sure about The London Eye. I wanted to love it, but was a little nervous. Poof! My fears disappeared the moment I was on board. It is roomy, solid and moves so slow that you hardly think of it as a "trip" at all.

I decided to show you how impressive The London Eye is by letting it dwarf Big Ben. There is no camera "trickery" going on. I simply stood on a bridge and captured both structures in the frame.

Now you can say what I said, "Wow."

Visiting England: Cupcakes at Treacle

Flowers and cupcakes? I told you that I was in heaven at London's Columbia Flower Market! After making my way from one end of the market to the other (and then back again), I was ready for a snack.

A pretty bakery caught my eye and as I approached, I read the motto painted over the window: "Our true intent is all for your delight."

I was in the right place! These yummy cupcakes are from Treacle, a bake shop dedicated to new nostalgia (old-fashioned recipes, vintage-style aprons, enamelware tins). 

I've never heard it called new nostalgia before, but I like it!
I wanted to show you this interesting display. They have taken mini cupcakes and put them on a wooden skewer (like a shish kabob!) on an outdoor grill. Certainly eye catching and the cupcakes look even prettier than if they had simply been in a box. So clever!

I had a traditional vanilla cupcake with pale purple frosting, edible glitter and candied violets on top. I ate it on the street with gusto and think I sold a few more cupcakes for them in the process.

Visiting England: Columbia Road Flower Market

I was in heaven. I arrived at the Columbia Road Flower Market around eleven o'clock on Sunday morning. Though hardly an early bird, I was certainly in good company. The place was packed!

Vendors were shouting seductions into the crowd like, "Here you are, Love, something for the front room."

Although it was dim in this photo, the sun eventually broke through clouds and it was like wandering through an Impressionist painting. I loved every second of walking this stretch of historic road. I may have been a million miles away from my garden, but I was right at home.

When you are in London, be sure to come to the Columbia Road Flower Market on Sunday morning and buy a bouquet of flowers for your hotel room. What a delight!