London Shops Archives

September 13, 2023September 17, 2023

Buckingham Palace London – Top Tips for a Day Out

Buckingham Palace London is on every visitor’s list but many will leave disappointed. As you cannot enter Buckingham Palace in the Winter, without a plan your visit may involve staring at a set of ornate black and gilded gates with a couple of guards wearing furry hats. Here are tips for avoiding a humdrum, box ticking day to one that will give you an adrenalin high.

Buckingham Palace London Requires a Detailed Plan

Without proper planning you will be staring through the iron gates at a guard in a bear skin hat.

With a bit of forethought a day at Buckingham Palace London could be amazing.

In this plan we suggest the following:

Watching the Changing of the Guards Ceremony
Visiting the Buckingham Palace State Rooms
Viewing the processional carriages and vehicles in the Royal Mews
Seeing the priceless art in the Queen’s Gallery
Having a picnic in St James’s Park or taking afternoon tea at the Goring or the Ritz
Visiting shops which have Royal Warrants on Piccadilly, Jermyn Street and St James’s.
Seeing a Show at the Theatre Royal

The Changing of the Guard Ceremony

The Changing of the Guard ceremony is where one guard regiment takes over from another. This is accompanied by a marching brass band. And best of all, it is free to watch.

The ceremony takes place at 11.00 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday in Winter (weather permitting) and daily in the summer. Check the British Army website for a detailed schedule.

Get to Buckingham Palace before 10am to bag a prime spot for the Changing of the Guard

Significance of The Royal Standard Flying Over Buckingham Palace London

Did you know that if you see the Royal Standard flying from the Palace roof top it means that the King is in residence? On all other days there is a Union Jack flying.

The Royal Standard flag flying over Buckingham Palace London means that the monarch is in residence.

Buckingham Palace London Summer Opening Hours

From July to October, Buckingham Palace is open to the public. You can marvel at:

The White Drawing Room
The Throne Room
The State Banqueting Room
The Grand Staircase
The Picture Gallery

And while you may not be invited to a Royal garden party, your entrance ticket does include Buckingham Palace gardens.

When I was there, I saw Kate Middleton’s wedding dress and a replica of her iced wedding cake.

As tickets sell out months in advance buy tickets early.

Do you love London so much that you would think of moving here? Find out what makes this the perfect city to live in.

The Royal Mews

Don’t miss the Royal Mews with its impressive collection of carriages and processional vehicles.

The Official Buckingham Palace London Gift Shop

At 7 Buckingham Palace Road, there is the Royal Collections official palace gift shop selling tasteful homeware, china, clothing and jewellery.

Compared with the tacky, cheaply made fridge magnets and phone covers that are on sale elsewhere, you’ll find carefully curated, elegant and useful items. These are precious reminders of your Royal day out.

Who doesn’t want a furry corgi key ring or a silk scarf? And you can impress that special person in your life with a monogrammed bath hat.

A Corgi keyring which may be more cute than regal

A vibrant blue and gold silk scarf marking the Coronation of King Charles III

If you are enjoying this blog post, you may also like our posts on Fortnum and Mason the royal family’s grocer and how to photograph St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Queen’s Gallery

Behind Buckingham Palace is the Queen’s Gallery. This is one of the most famous art collections in the world featuring old master paintings, rare furniture and photos.

Currently, on display is Johannes Vermeer Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman. You will also find paintings by Titian, Guercino, Guido Reni, Rembrandt, van Dyck, Rubens, Jan Steen, Claude and Canaletto.

The Queen's Gallery is Just Behind Buckingham Palace London. — The Queen’s Gallery is Just Behind Buckingham Palace London.

Places Near Buckingham Palace London for Refreshments

The Goring Hotel

By now you will be feeling tired and hungry. Staying with our Royal theme visit the Goring Hotel, a luxurious 5 star hotel. It used to house many guests from Buckingham Palace before the palace installed ensuite bathrooms!

This was where Kate Middleton stayed the night before she got married. Make a reservation in advance for afternoon tea.

St James’s Park

Alternatively, you could buy a packed lunch from one of the many shops in Victoria Place and picnic in St James’s Park.

There's a nice view of Buckingham Palace London from St James's Park — There’s a nice view of Buckingham Palace London from St James’s Park

The Ritz

Or walk through Green Park and have tea in the famous Palm Court at the Ritz.

The Ritz was opened in 1906 and is considered to be one of the most prestigious hotels in the world. It has hosted the Aga Khan, Jean Paul Getty, Winston Churchill and Jackie Onassis.

Margaret Thatcher checked into the Ritz in the final months of her life. The only time I saw Margaret Thatcher was when she was invited to the centenary celebrations of the Goring Hotel. She was accompanied by two assistants and despite her obvious frailty she absolutely worked the room – pumping everyone’s hand. It’s strange to think that she took a suite here instead of a nursing home! A woman of style!

The Queen Mother knew a lot about the high life. She dined regularly at the Ritz. The pianist would play her favourite song ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’.

Afternoon Tea is served daily at:

11.30am
1.30pm
3.30pm
5.30pm,
7.30pm

Note that like most luxury London hotels there is a dress code. The Ritz does not permit shorts, trainers and sportswear in any of the hotel’s restaurants or bars.

An Afternoon Walk in St James’s

To work off the tea time calories, take a walk around nearby St James’s. This matrix of small streets behind St James’s Palace is home to a large number of Royal Warrant holding shops. Royal Warrants are often awarded to small artisan establishments which make the “best of the best” of British.

Notably, there is Lock & Co Hatters which is the oldest hat shop in the word. It was established in 1676. You can buy iconic trilbys, fedoras, berets and bakerboy caps…for the gents, you can even find a top hat or a bowler hat.

If you are not in the market for a hat, what about cheese? Paxton and Whitfield has been selling cheese to the aristocracy for over 200 years. I have a treasured Laguiole cheese knife which I bought from Paxton’s and it has been in regular use for decades.

If you are visiting and don’t want a hotel room full of smelly cheese you could browse in the Queen’s Grocer Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly for English teas and preserves

or find a book to read at the nearby Royal Warrant holding Hatchards bookstore.

Hatchards the Royal Bookseller — Hatchards The Royal Bookseller

Evening Entertainment Near Buckingham Palace London

By now it must be dusk and you will be thinking of evening entertainment.

You could walk down to the end of Jermyn Street and cross Piccadilly to see what is on at the Theatre Royal in Haymarket.

The Theatre Royal was established in 1720. It is the third oldest playhouse in London. This beautiful intimate theatre seats just 888 people and is owned by the Crown. Being owned by the reigning monarch means its revenue goes to the Treasury. Sometimes you can get lucky and pick up a ticket on the day at the Box Office. Or you could do the sensible thing and book in advance!

If you plan properly instead of a fleeting glimpse of a Coldstream Guard behind the railings of Buckingham Palace London you can have a magical day filled with art, carriages, theatre, splendour, cakes, tea, hats and cheese that you will remember forever.

August 30, 2023September 17, 2023

Postcard Teas London Roast – A Mini Review

I found numerous references to Postcard Teas when I was writing my article on Where to Buy Tea in London but I couldn’t get my head round it…what has a postcard got to do with tea?

I had also never heard of Dering Street where Postcard Teas is located.

So this establishment went ignored until I started researching luxury within a block of Oxford Street and stumbled on it.

The Postcard Teas Shop

While the exterior has an almost Dickensian London feel with its double fronted small paned windows, there is definitely a minimalist Japanese aesthetic going on inside. One wall is lined with tea, not as you would expect in caddies but in oblong boxes resembling post cards.

The postcard drawings are a delight. They look as if they come straight out of a children’s book from the last century. There are ladies in fancy, feathered hats sitting on wicker chairs enjoying tea in fine porcelain cups, Monet style water lilies in a lake and children drinking tea poured by mum from a large tea pot.

On the reverse of these manila cardboard boxes is a detailed explanation of the tea that they contain.

I purchased the London Roast at £7.95 for a 50g postcard box.

These teas make unusual, postable presents or the perfect hostess gift for a breakfast or afternoon tea invitation.

Postcard Teas’ Description of the London Roast

Description of London Roast on rear of box

A robust blend of fine black teas that have been roasted in the UK using our unique London Roast process to create a new kind of black tea. The base material comes from a mixture of our Hijiri Black and Family Tea, as well a strong black tea from the Cubbagudta Plantation in Australia.

The result of the roasting is a rich, aromatic tea with a full body, addictive roasted taste and dark caramel sweetness that works equally well with and without milk. Out of all the blends we have made in the past eleven years, this may be the one we are the most proud of creating.

Are you also a coffee and cake eater? If so you may enjoy this post on where to buy coffee and cake in London. Of course you can have tea with your cake if you prefer.

My Postcard Teas London Roast Brew

When I was ready to brew I took out my sturdy stainless steel tea pot for one, warmed it with boiling water and put in two scant teaspoons of tea…and poured on the slightly off-the-boil water.

However, subsequently I have discovered that this tea tastes best with less tea and a shorter brewing time… 2-3 minutes is all that is needed.

The London Roast has an unmistakable almost savoury smell. It reminds me a bit of hot oxo (a stock cube) which we drank as kids. The taste is richer than standard black tea. It has a smokey, caramel aftertaste which is very pleasant.

Post Card Teas London Blends

Postcard Teas has a special selection of other London Blends

These include:

English Breakfast
English Afternoon
London Lapsangang
London Rose

My Verdict on Postcard Teas London Roast

Postcard Teas London Roast is almost addictive. I will definitely be buying more. I guess it is better to be addicted to upmarket tea than gin.

August 30, 2023September 17, 2023

Marylebone on a Budget – Shopping and Sight Seeing Paradise

Marylebone on a budget? It can be done! Explore this little known area sandwiched between Marble Arch and Baker’s Street with a unique village atmosphere, many independent shops, a church that rivals some cathedrals and a sumptuously ornate, free museum. Here is a nuts and bolts guide on how you can have a fabulous day in Marylebone on the cheap.

Each month I show you how to plan a budget day out in an interesting part of London, I throw in some cheap eats, shopping and culture and help you do it for less than £15. If you are travelling on a shoestring budget read on…

Rules for the Marylebone on a Budget, London for £15 challenge

I don’t include tube travel …the over 60s with a London address have a Oyster 60+ card which gives them free travel on the London Underground and buses. Many working Londoners are using Oyster cards with capped daily spends and and most tourists have a prepaid Oyster card.

And I don’t include memberships. If you are a Londoner on a low budget, I advise you to stock up on every subscription and membership that you can lay your hands on…just make sure that they are for venues that you will actually go to several times in the course of the year.

Why Marylebone High Street?

Marylebone is probably the only place that I can think of in the centre of London that has a village feel with markets, charity shops, churches and museums. It has a great foodie vibe with a handful of artisan food shops with authentic produce…no E numbers or factory produce here. What appeals to me is the sheer variety of sights and activities all with the feel of London a hundred years ago.

Moxton Street – a Foodie Heaven off Marylebone High Street

Moxton Street is the epicentre of foodie heaven with some surprising budget finds. At the weekends there is a food market at the end of the road where locals buy their produce and they then stop off at La Fromagerie to recover from their exertions and catch up with friends. Bill Nighy is often spotted in the restaurant Aubaine opposite.

Ginger Pig

The Ginger Pig is renowned for offering a roast lunch which is costed by weight…pork, stuffing, gravy…roasted vegetables with minty, lemony seasonings and gravy. There are also pies worthy of any Charles Dickens novel…hot sausage rolls, Cornish pasties etc. You can easily pick up allow cost takeaway lunch here for £5-£8.

A good selection of high quality low priced cold meat pies

Great value sausage rolls. Choose the hot ones.

Roast pork with vegetables and salad priced by weight. Infinitely more delicious than the photograph.

La Fromagerie

And then head next door to La Fromagerie which prides itself on sourcing its ingredients directly from top artisanal producers in the UK and Europe.Their food is fresh and beautifully presented. At the rear of the shop are tables dedicated to people sampling cheese boards and wine and there is a cafe with a small kitchen menu that includes the very popular Portuguese Sardines on toasted sough dough with caper berries and Amalfi lemon at £11.50…but as we are on a shoestring budget, I recommend sticking with the picnic idea from the Ginger Pig. Or to hell with it…blow your budget on a Yorkshire Salt Beef Sandwich with homemade slaw at £12 and focus on free activities for the rest of the day!

Beautiful Food Displays at La Fromagerie.

Go for the Carrot Cake a bargain at £3.20

You can return to La Fromagerie for afternoon tea. They have home made cakes with deep buttery icing that they serve in gargantuan slices…enough for two people. Their cakes are are really good value at £3-£4 a slice, approximately.

If you are enjoying this post on shopping and sightseeing in Marylebone on a budget you may also like to read 20 Free Things to do in London (or Nearly Free) That You’ll Love.

Marylebone High Street

Pret

After that culinary overload you need to rest, so off to Pret. For frequent low budget adventurers I recommend the Pret Subscription as it allows you to have a free drink every 30 minutes, up to 5 times a day, for £30 a month and 10% off the food menu. Get a free barista coffee, or a cup of British Breakfast tea and leave the tea bag in to steep to get the full malty caffeine hit. I usually park myself on one of their outside tables and eat my picnic there. I know that this is frowned on but no one has said anything yet!

Charity Shops

The adjacent residential houses in Marylebone are all worth millions. They are where the super rich live. So it should come as no surprise that the charity shops on Marylebone High Street are choc full of discarded designer clothes, many unworn and still tagged from Harrods and Harvey Nichols.

Unlike the London suburbs. where you can pick up a piece of bargain second hand clothing for a couple of quid, these charity shop managers know how to price but you’d still be paying a fraction of the cost new.

Even if you don’t buy anything in the charity shops it is fun to look.

Found in a Marylebone charity shop. Is this a bargain? A £150 Pucci silk scarf.

Daunt Books

Welcome to Daunt Books which is probably the most photographed book store in London – an independent bookseller with an original Edwardian interior featuring a two storey gallery which contributes to its olde world charms.

This is the place where celebrities come to do their book signings, so be sure to check out their Events page. Boris Johnson was photographed here recently.

Daunt Books exterior on Marylebone High Street.

There is a huge selection of London books including this one on London for free.

St James’s Church a Marylebone Church with a Beautiful Gothic Interior

St James’s Church in Spanish Place is not on the tourist circuit but it has an interior that would rival that of many a famous European cathedral. It’s in an early Gothic style. There has been a church in this site for centuries and the current church opened in 1890. There are beautiful paintings, statues and brasses. The church does a lot of work for the homeless. There is a daily mass. The church is free to visit and is a must for your Marylebone on a budget day out – you can make a small donation in the boxes provided.

St James's church exterior in Marylebone with its flying buttress — St James’s church exterior in Marylebone with its flying buttress

Wallace Collection is Marylebone’s Glitzy Glamorous Free Museum

The Wallace Collection is the jewel of Marylebone – a gilded, glitzy, glamorous museum in Manchester Square. It is stuffed with objet d’art, hand carved furniture, armoury and marble statues. And best of all it is free to visit but a small donation is encouraged.

Visit Marylebone's free museum and see this amazing ornate fireplace offset by red flock wallpaper. — Visit Marylebone’s free museum and see this amazing ornate fireplace offset by red flock wallpaper.

The grand marble staircase with gilded balustrade and burgundy carpet.

Are you thinking of a day out away from London? We have a fabulous post on a day trip to Lewes (East Sussex) and its surrounding villages.

Wallace Collection Museum Shop

The Wallace Collection museum shop has things that you might actually want in your home which makes it a rare find in the world of souvenir type shops and it is not too pricy.

Stylish dressing gowns many with London maps or typography.

For those looking for a tasteful apron depicting a naked man.

Entry to exhibitions is currently £14 but you can buy annual membership for the Wallace Collection that would give you free entry to exhibitions for a year for £45 (single adult membership 2023). If you have a National Arts Club Fund membership you can gain admission at a 50% discount for £7. And of course, if you are on a tight budget and without the necessary memberships, there’s plenty to see in the free permanent galleries.

Harley Street and Selfridges

I ended my day with a walk down Harley Street gazing at the practitioners’ plaques and window boxes and did a bit of browsing in Selfridges.

Instead of heading south towards Oxford Street you could extend your day by going north towards Baker’s Street and visiting the free Queen Mary’s Rose Garden in Regents Park. We have a blog post entitled Queen Mary’s Rose Garden – A Sublime Floral Display.

Total Spend for my Marylebone on a Budget Day Out

My low cost day in Marylebone was only £3.20! I only spent money on the cake in La Fromagerie. I was gifted a few food samples as part of my blog research which kept me going.

If you had a picnic lunch from the Ginger Pig or one of the many cafes in Marylebone High Street, used your Pret subscription and focussed on free entry to the church and the Wallace Collection you could have a fab day out for well under £15.

There’s far more to see in Marylebone on a budget, so please subscribe so you don’t miss another London for £15 blog post in the area.

August 30, 2023September 17, 2023

A Fortnum and Mason Hamper Fit For a Londoner

In my wildest fantasies, I imagine being gifted a hamper…not just any old hamper but a wicker Fortnum and Mason hamper bearing the chic black monogram and brim filled with exquisite treats – each one in beautiful packaging A hamper fit for a Londoner of refined taste (me). And it would be the sort of hamper that would thrill all Londoners from monarchs to the locked-down and quarantined in the London suburbs.

Fortnum and Mason Hampers are a Right Royal Treat

Today I had an email from the Queen’s grocer, Fortnum and Mason informing me of their Locked Down Lovers Hamper…a worthy alternative, in these times of virus, to a Valentine’s dinner

An opportunity for lovers everywhere to change into seductive jimjams and snuggle on the sofa with the delights of a bottle of Cote du Rhone, chocolate covered raspberries, stilton, butter biscuits, rose petal and prosecco jelly and dark chocolate macadamia nut biscuits amongst other delectables.

But in my small household of me and my cat, we have a more savoury meaty, fishy tooth, we like sharper, bitter umami tasting things, London things. A pork pie or scotch egg anyone?

My Fortnum and Mason hamper needs a good selection of savoury items like this delicious pork pie.

As a double royal warrant holder, Fortnum and Mason supplies both the Queen and the Prince of Wales. And naturally, I want whatever she is having!

I can’t quite picture Her Majesty, on the sofa, snuggled up to the Duke of Edinburgh with a bag of chocolate covered raspberries.

Anything that I choose for my perfect Fortnum and Mason hamper has to shout from the rooftops “supplied by the Queen’s grocer and fit for the Queen”.

So I have trawled through the Fortnum and Mason’s omnibus of fine delicacies, condiments and preserves to see if I could create the perfect selection, the most scrumptious of scrumptious, the most Toad of Toad Hall and the most Rupert Bear of all offerings.

Fortnum and Mason est. 1707, is a jewel box of a shop with liveried staff. Decked in an iconic turquoise blue, it screams luxury and refinement. Stopping off point for stage coaches, sender of sustenance to wars and boarding schools. Purveyor of goods to royals. A lifeline in the heart of Piccadilly.

What is the Winning Fortnum and Mason’s Hamper formula?

I analysed all Superior and Show Stopper Fortnum and Mason hampers priced £200-£2,500 and concluded that a magic and majestic hamper needs to contain items in these categories:

Tea and coffee
Preserves and honey
Savoury crackers
Pates and spreads
Ham and cheese
Chutney and mustard
Sweet Biscuits
Chocolates
Wine and spirits
A gift item eg. a cook book or a tea pot

A top of the range Fortnum and Mason hamper.

My Winning Criteria

All delicious consumables would need to pass the following test:

Something I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, make from a recipe
Delectable to the extent that I would be salivating as I tear open the packaging
Uniquely English and preferably with a London twist
True to its royal heritage and fitting for Queen Elizabeth II
Something clearly superior to a supermarket product

Here’s a Fortnum and Mason Hamper Fit for a Londoner – This Londoner! Me!

In blue, black and white – here is my gift list for birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s, Pancake Day, My Cat’s Name Day or any other special occasion. The work has been done for you!

Traditional Potted Stilton

This cheese is the celebrity of Stiltons, it is made from the last family-owned Stilton producer in the UK, and only with milk from the three ‘Stilton counties’ – Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. And the jar has cachet.

Welsh Rarebit Cheese Straws

My mother used to make cheese straws with pastry, cheddar and mustard powder.

But the best cheese straws are the ones wheeled out at the Goring Hotel. It is well worth going there for a few drinks just for the complimentary bar snacks.

Can Fortnum and Mason win a cheese straw competition? Theirs is made with cheddar cheese and hints of mustard and is perfect to enjoy alongside a tipple or two.

Piccadilly Piccalilli Pantry Jar

I like English mustard, I like cauliflower, onions, and gherkins, carrots and green beans and I like piccalilli. It’s like an adult version of Heinz Sandwich Spread. And I think it pairs very nicely with ham so this is going in.

Walnut & Seed Crackers

Traditionally, British crackers have been a bit bland. I have a loathing for cream crackers. They always seem to emerge slightly stale from the tin. I would be excited to have these bold nutty, savoury biscuits.

Pork pie, cheese, piccalilli and crackers are the perfect park picnic – just add grapes.

Jubilee Blend Tea

A special blend of tea brought out to commemorate the Queen's Jubilee. — A special blend of tea brought out to commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee.

In 2012, Queen Elizabeth had her Diamond Jubilee and we were invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

On arrival, we received a wicker hamper containing chilled country garden soup, jubilee chicken, smoked salmon, cheese and chutney, bread and cakes with lavish servings of champagne.

It was a dreary and rainy afternoon but we feasted on blankets in the grounds, serenaded by a string quartet.

Fortnum and Mason marked the occasion by producing a special tea blend of Indian, Ceylon and China teas, creating a slightly smoky tea. Perfect for a Queen’s garden party.

Rose & Violet English Creams

Rose and Violet Creams are a London thing.

Gifts inside the Fortnum and Mason hamper have their pretty signature turquoise packaging.

Growing up, I liked parma violet sweets which came in a thin tube and tasted artificial and violetty. But how much better it would be to have chocolates made with real flower essences suspended in fondant cream and enrobed in dark chocolate with their pretty crystallised flower decorations.

Floral creams are beloved by royalty. Fortnum and Mason Rose & Violet English Creams are proclaimed to be their signature chocolates.

Very English. Very Royal. Very London.

Burlington Breakfast Marmalade

No food hamper would be complete without a marmalade.

Many years ago, I was stumbling about exploring a local park in Chiswick and came across a tiny neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by sphinx statues and filled with priceless antiquities.

It was Chiswick House, Lord Burlington’s summer house and here I was on a glorious Summer day overcome by the urge, not just to visit, but to work there, surrounded by the beautiful treasures that he acquired on his Grand Tour.

And each day for that summer, I sat on a carved, mahogany chair in one of the upstairs interconnecting rooms reading books about Lord Burlington.

Lord Burlington’s London residence, Burlington House (the Royal Academy) is opposite Fortnum’s which is why they decided to name a marmalade in his honour. They believe that there is a parallel between his love of 16th century architecture and the fine construction of this marmalade of pale golden jelly mixed with fine cut peel.

Who knows? But I think I would be every happy with a jar of anything with his name on it.

Blackberry Preserve

Jam used to be something that was made in every kitchen. As kids, we used to go foraging in late August for blackberries in the local fields. Then my mother would mix them with apples to make a dense, treacly jam with cellophane paper lids held firm with a rubber band. It was like a blue-blooded murder in the kitchen, all of us stained with blackberry juice.

Stirring the berries with the sugar for jam making.

Fresh scones with blackberry jam and clotted cream.

Fortunately, in the 2020s we don’t need to go to all that trouble. Fortnum and Mason Blackberry Preserve is described as “juicy and fragrant without being too sweet”. This would be amazing on warm, home-made fruit scones with a thick layer of clotted cream.

Rose Petal & English Honey Jelly

Rose petal jelly for those who like the finer things in life.

My father used to have an Egyptian friend who was addicted to the finer things in life and one of his peculiar penchants was for the Fortnum and Mason’s Rose Petal Jam. I’m still trying to get my head round this! Being curious, I ventured into a local Asian area and bought some rose jam which has been languishing in my cupboard untried for a year or so.

But I’d be keen to try this honey jelly with a fragrant rose scent. It would be memorable. Really, how many people have tasted a rose petal honey jelly? A dinner table talking point.

Lemon Curd Biscuits

This is a classic lemon curd buttery biscuit and would be moreishly delicious with a zesty flavour created from real lemon-curd. This is going in!

If you are looking for less pricy treats that are available from your local supermarket check out our post on London Snacks. And our post on Buying Tea in London is worth a read. We particularly enjoyed Postcard Teas London Roast.

London Dry Gin

London gin perfect for difficult days. It's everyone's favourite tipple. — London gin perfect for difficult days. It’s everyone’s favourite tipple.

As I learned at a pre-lockdown gin tasting at Ronnie Scott’s, gin doesn’t have much flavour until botanicals are added. This information was gleaned before I over-tasted and things became a blur. The botanicals for this gin include bergamot, nutmeg and juniper…and it tastes citrussy and spicy. Nothing quite hits the spot after a difficult locked down day than a gin and tonic with a few nibbles.

Blanc de Blanc

A few years ago, I went to a show at the Hippodrome Casino, an adult themed musical, hilarious in its vulgarity, called Blanc de Blanc. It ended with a semi-naked man (with very tight speedos) cavorting in a glass of champagne. It was at that precise moment that I realised that there was champagne and champagne, and that the Rolls Royce of champagnes was Blanc de Blanc.

The Fortnum and Mason Cook Book

A Fortnum and Mason Hamper must have a Cookbook.

I have been the privileged attendee at many of the events in the Fortnum and Mason kitchen shop on the first floor. Dishes are frequently demonstrated from the Fortnum and Mason Cook Book. Everything (and I mean everything) that comes out of the oven is mouth-wateringly divine and served by uniformed staff on silver platters.

This book is written by Tom Parker Bowles, a London based food writer broadcaster and restaurant critic for The Mail on Sunday and Food Editor of Esquire magazine. I like its old fashioned logic (Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch etc.) and simple quintessentially British recipes covering all the important things in life like how to cook kippers, boil eggs, and pair blueberry scones with stilton…old fashioned food at its best.

Pickled Brussel Sprouts

Pickled Brussels sprouts are clearly a Fortnum and Mason Hamper essential

I’ve got to be honest this statement by Fortnum and Mason is something I somewhat doubt,

“Deliciously crunchy and oh-so-British, we’re sure these glorious Pickled Brussels Sprouts will win over even the most ardent of sprout naysayers.”

but I’d be prising the lid off with alacrity to try them.

I could be one of the handful of people in London who has eaten a pickled Brussel sprout. Surely, it’s worth a shot?

You may also be interested in our blog post on less upmarket popular London snacks.

Where to buy a Fortnum and Mason Hamper

A Fortnum and Mason hamper and other delectables can be purchased online from www.fortnumandmason.com

July 11, 2023August 17, 2023

Are these London Snacks Heaven or Hell?

London snacks are not to everyone’s taste. You maybe salivating when you read through this list or decide that our snacks are an abomination.

Snacking in London on Traditional British Foods

As one man’s meat is another man’s poison, l will take you through my personal snacks from heaven to hell, in descending order, with one snack that I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole.

1. Marmite

Traditional British Foods. Marmite comes top in my list of London snacks.

During the first world war Marmite was including in a soldier’s rations as it is choc full of vitamins and its treacly appearance looks like something medicinal.

Marmite is an industrial by-product of beer brewing but tastes nothing like beer. It has a distinctive savoury, almost anchovy taste.

A little goes a long way and it needs to be spread very thinly on buttered toast.

You either love or loathe it. The ones who hate it have probably tried to eat it on a teaspoon straight from the jar!

“Marmite. You either love it or hate It” is the manufacturer’s clever advertising slogan to get the masses to rise to the challenge of tasting this tongue tingling spread.

However, I don’t need any persuading….I could wake up in the middle of the night craving English Breakfast tea and Marmite on toast. I’m voting this as the acme of my personal food heaven. And if you want to know where I buy my tea from here it is.

2. Warburton’s Crumpets

Warburton's are famous among Traditional British Foods. — Warburton’s are famous among Traditional British Foods.

A crumpet is a cold rubbery thing and extremely unappetising if eaten cold straight from the packet. Crumpets need to be put through the toaster several times until they are almost crunchy on top.

Butter is then lavishly spread. When the butter has trickled down the bubbly holes and coated the underside, they are ready to be livened up with a slathering of fruity jam like Tiptree Strawberry Preserve.

This is what all sane Londoners enjoy for afternoon tea at home on wintery days.

3. Heinz Baked Beans

Heinz Baked Beans prized among gourmet chefs.

Beans on toast is apparently the dish of choice for Michelin starred London chefs. They come home exhausted after creating gourmet delicacies in their restaurant kitchen and heat up a simple tin of beans until it is bubbling and eat them on buttered toast.

Quick and delicious, beans on toast can be greatly enhanced with a grating of cheddar cheese.

4. McVities Digestive Biscuits

McVities Digestive Biscuits. Nice with cheese, or a cuppa, or both.

Perhaps digestive biscuits are not the king of British biscuits – they are far too plain for that. However, their wheaty, malty taste and crumbly texture make them the perfect accompaniment to a British cuppa.

The chocolate versions are very popular. Milk chocolate or dark chocolate is rippled in the surface of the digestive biscuit.

I like the plain ones which make a tasty snack with a corner of cheddar cheese.

5. Nestle Kit Kat

Nestle Kit Kat. Traditional British Foods in our famous London red.

I remember reading that Pricncess Diana (she was an avid dieter) was quite partial to two fingers of Kit Kat.

This iconic British chocolate biscuit is sold in two finger and four finger versions.

I used to get great pleasure from removing the paper wrapper followed by the thin foil covering.

Snapping the individual fingers apart was also strangely satisfying.

Now in my opinion, the manufacturers have royally screwed things up. They have brought out bizarre flavours like orange, mint and apple pie. What’s that all about? And they have replaced the paper and foil wrapper with recyclable plastic. Nestle, stop interfering with our Traditional British foods!

6. Melton Mowbray Pork Pies

A Melton Mowbray Pork Pie make perfectly portable London snacks.

Pork Pies are one of those things that are almost impossible to make at home unless you are a Cordon Bleu trained cook with a few days of free time. The distinctive hot water pastry needs a deft hand. I won’t tell you how the jelly encasing the sausage meat is made. I’ll give you a clue its something to do with boiling animal feet. (try not to think about it).

Pork pies are one of the most portable of London snacks. Take them to your Ascot picnic. They are welcome in all social circles.

The best place to hunt out this snack is the Ginger Pig in Marylebone or Fortnum and Mason food hall however as we are shopping in the supermarket today, you could look for the Dickinson and Morris Melton Mowbray pork pie with the longest use-by-date ensuring that the thick pastry is at its freshest.

7. Mr Kipling Cakes

Mr Kipling French Fancies. I'm sure these used to be called Fondant Fancies. — Mr Kipling French Fancies. I’m sure these used to be called Fondant Fancies.

Mr Kipling is missing a trick. He needs to bring out a selection of his favourite cakes in one special tasting box.

The top of my personal list would be the Battenberg Cake which comprises lurid coloured sponge covered in a thin layer of jam and encased in marzipan.

I am also partial to a French Fancy, which was popular in the era of Lyons Corner Houses. A square of sponge is topped with a dollop of vanilla faux cream and enrobed with strawberry, chocolate or lemon flavoured icing.

You may also want to try Mr Kipling’s almond fingers or jam tarts.

8. Quality Street

Quality Street. Please put in more purple ones.

British families have bought tins of Quality Street for decades as a Christmas treat. We would watch the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day while stuffing our faces and fighting over the purple ones with their caramel and hazelnut centres. They don’t put enough purple ones in the box in my opinion and the fruit creams and hard toffee are left to languish at the bottom.

Now that the supermarkets have introduced these smaller cardboard boxes there is no need to wait for Christmas to enjoy them – they make great London snacks when you are on the move as they are individually wrapped.

9. Bassett’s Liquorice All Sorts

Bassetts Liquorice All Sorts an acquired taste in the world of London snacks.

Obviously, you would need to be a massive fan of black liquorice to buy a packet of these chewy, black sweets. Some of these confections have a strange beaded coating in poisonous colours like pale blue. Liquorice All Sorts are something of acquired taste. The weird thing is that whichever one you eat they all seem to taste the same. I’d put them somewhere down the list beneath other old-fashioned British sweets like pear drops and jelly babies. We are here to live dangerously, so buy a packet.

10. Walkers Crisps

The game was over for me when Walker's Crisps introduced their new flavours. We like our Traditional British foods to be just that - traditional and British. — The game was over for me when Walker’s Crisps introduced their new flavours. We like our Traditional British foods to be just that – traditional and British.

When I was growing up crisps came in just one flavour; plain. A small blue twisted paper was somewhere at the bottom containing salt that you sprinkled to your taste.

I then recall the traumatic introduction of the cheese and onion, salt and vinegar and chicken flavours. This is when it all started to fall apart for me.

Then I saw someone set light to a crisp which oozed fats and oils and I knew my crisp eating career was over.

Let us not forget that crisps are part of the standard British lunch meal deal…a sandwich, a bag of crisps and a fizzy drink is lunch for millions.

All those millions of Brits can’t be wrong. Or can they?

My Snack From Food Hell

Pot Noodles

I want to meet the man who invented the Pot Noodle.

I mean who in their right mind would invent a snack of dehydrated noodles and add assorted flavours which come to life with boiling water and then call it lunch.

When I was at University, there was a spotty science student who acquired a bad case of malnutrition by eating Pot Noodles for every meal. In the defence of Pot Noodle, I’m sure that these are intended as an occasional snack and who knows the recipe may now be fortified with micro-nutrients.

Personally, I don’t think I have had a pot noodles in fifty years and I am not about to start now.

These traditional London Snacks can be purchased at all the major supermarkets including Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Enjoy your London snacks.

July 6, 2023September 17, 2023

Where to Buy Tea in London? – Ask a Londoner

Yesterday, I was approached by a tourist on Piccadilly who asked me where to buy tea in London. She then added in broken English, “Where do you buy your tea?”.

Quality London Tea Stores

Where I buy my tea in London and where she should buy her tea are two distinct questions which, as a savvy Londoner, I shall explain.

A tourist is looking for authentic English tea accompanied with a great “buying experience”. They may want to be attended by a suited man in a tail coat who can explain, with great aplomb, the history, geography and science of tea and guide them to making a selection.

Ideally, the tea will be sold by weight and on the wall, behind our tail coated expert, will be dozens of liveried tea caddies, preferably adorned with Royal Warrants.

After all we want to drink what King Charles drinks, don’t we?

As we were on Piccadilly, I pointed my tea questioning tourist to two Royal Warrant bearing stores.

Fortnum and Mason is My Personal Choice for Tea Buying in London

181 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1A 1ER

Where to buy tea in London? Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly

Fortnum and Mason has been selling tea since people did their shopping using a horse and carriage.

Nowhere in London will you find tea of such quality and with such exquisite blends.

You can be sure that whenever there is a Royal occasion, Fortnum and Mason will bring out a blended tea to commemorate it. Currently, they have special caddies of organic Darjeeling to mark the Coronation of King Charles III.

As I write this post, I am sipping their Mother’s Day Tea which has a distinctive blend of rose and bergamot…it’s subtle which I like, as I am drinking it black. I also have a penchant for full bodied Assam teas. I bought their Irish Tea which is a bold, in your face tea, for early in the morning when you’ve run out of coffee.

Fortnum’s makes an amazing effort with its window design. Its probably the best in London check out these amazing windows made entirely with coloured paper. If you are in London at Christmas their windows are always a delight with several aimed solely at children.

At Twinings You Can Buy Quality Tea and Enjoy its Unique Tea Sampling Bar

216 Strand London WC2R 1AP

Twinings on the Strand offers a unique tea buying experience.

Twinings is another Royal Warrant bearing, tea shop steeped in 300 years of history.

After the Great Fire of London, Thomas Twining, an astute business man realised that the upper classes would be relocating from the burnt out City to the West End. He chose this prime position on the Strand and made tea a fashionable drink amongst the upper class ladies of London.

Ever innovative, Twinings now has a premium sampling bar where you can ask to taste teas that have caught your eye and chat to experts for recommendations.

If you are looking for a special gift, you can create your own personalised selection of tea and request that it be packaged in a deluxe wooden Twinings box.

Mariage Freres Sells a 1000 Teas from 36 Countries

38 King Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8JS

Mariage Freres has a Tea Museum and the biggest selection of teas.

Mariage Freres, founded in 1854, may be an unusual choice for a London tea store as it is proudly French!

I mention it because it has an apothecary style of service with tea experts selling tea by weight. The caddies are luxurious with their period black and cream branding.

This is the perfect store for a day of tea indulgence. It has the longest tea wall in the world selling a 1000 teas from 36 countries. On one of the upper floors there is a tea museum.

The Marco Polo blend with notes of flowers and fruits is one of their most popular blends.

If you are enjoying this post on Where to Buy Tea in London you may also enjoy reading about our recent discovery of Postcard Teas London Roast.

Where to Buy Tea in London as a Londoner?

Let’s return to the original question that I was asked by our Piccadilly tourist, where do I buy my tea?

I buy my tea in the Waitrose supermarket! Since I have cut down on dairy and caffeine I have a large selection of herbal Pukka teas. My black tea of choice is Yorkshire tea.

Londoners seem to be evenly divided on whether they prefer PG Tips or Yorkshire Tea for their breakfast blend – I am firmly in the Yorkshire Tea camp.

Before you call me a Philistine, I do have a kitchen cupboard rammed full of gifted Fortnum and Twining teas.

Londoners are a busy bunch. They rarely buy loose tea.

A quick dunk of a tea bag in stained mug is the most that we can usually manage. After all, we are are not the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey, or the Queen with Paddington bear, pouring from a Wedgwood tea pot and passing the milk and sugar.

Incidentally, if you find yourself near the budget store Lidl, I find their award winning Knightsbridge Gold tea to be one of the best.

Yorkshire Tea

PG Tips

Lidl Gold Tea

Tea Paraphernalia

It seems to have become uncouth to have sugar in your tea. Most Londoners will only have fresh cold milk (poured in last, please).

La Perruche Sugar Cubes

However, if you are using your posh tea set, you will get some kudos for offering hand cut La Perruche sugar cubes in a lidded container with a pair of sugar tongs. OK, people may think that you are a bit mad but please channel your inner Countess.

The Brown Betty Teapot

The Brown Betty Teapot with its locking lid and non drip spout is a utilitarian design classic that dates back to 1700.

There’s a big debate on whether a tea pot should be cleaned. My neighbour was distraught when a friend scrubbed the inside of their Brown Betty teapot removing the build up of tannins as their tea never tasted the same.

A Wedgwood Tea Service

If you want to imitate Countess Crawley or Queen Elizabeth II you could do no better than buying a Wedgwood service.

A Wedgwood teapot in the Wild Strawberry design. This can be purchased from Harrods.

The Beautiful Kutani Crane design by Wedgwood. Photo by Swedg.

The individual items can be pricy. A Wedgwood teapot may set you back £200 in Harrods. So think like a savvy Londoner and search for “tea sets” or “tea services” on eBay or Facebook Market Place, sorting by”Distance first” so you can collect in person.

If you develop a passion for Fortnum and Mason you may enjoy our blog post on our dream Fortnum’s food hamper May you have many happy hours buying tea in London.

Next week, I will be answering another pressing tourist question, so I will be looking friendly and approachable as I walk the streets of London. Please check back to see what thorny dilemma I address.

March 7, 2023June 23, 2023

Fantastic Fortnum and Mason Windows of Folded Paper Summer 2021

Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly famed as the Queen’s grocer, has just taken its fabulous window dressing to a whole new level with its Summer 2021 window display created entirely in paper…paper that is coloured, printed, cut out or folded into a jubilant origami display showcasing its summer wines and groceries.

Fortnum and Mason Paper Window Display – Summer 2021

Prior to Mr Selfridge transforming the Selfridges department store in Oxford Street, little thought was given to shop windows, they were often used as places to store excess stock. Now in a sprit of competition our key department stores are raising the standards of window displays to dizzying levels.

Fortnum and Mason has just gone stratospheric with their joyously colourful windows dressed entirely in cut out paper.

The source of the inspiration and the craft involved in its execution remains a mystery, so we can only focus on the paper window displays themselves.

Apricot and Cherry Cold Brew Infusion Window

Apricots, strawberries and cherries dance among ferns and daisies with boxes of tea nestling in the papery undergrowth.

English Sparkling Wine Window

Green bottles are offset by a zinging combination of purple and lilac wisteria, lime green grapes and punchiest, adorable yellow and black striped bees.

Summer Cup Window

Is this window good enough to drink? Can you imagine slurping wine mixed with lemonade on clattering ice, garnished with cherries, peaches and sliced oranges?

The Summer Cup window is brilliantly evocative of summer.

Rose Petal Chutney Window

Delicate multi petalled roses vie for attention with bright green apples.

Lemon and Parsley Olives Window

Marinated green olives are a Summer staple and these ones are enveloped in lemon and parsley.

Chiaretto Rose Window

The Charetto Rose window leaves you in no doubt that this wine has notes of raspberries, apples and cherries and notice the lush and lavish bunch of purple red grapes and the verdant back drop of vine leaves. Some poor s*d has spent half the year assembling these fruits by hand.

Smoked Salmon Window

The photograph of the smoked salmon window doesn’t capture the stunning way that the cardboard smoked salmon wrapper conceals a coloured pink board engraved with cream, of realistic sliced and layered salmon.

And if you don’t know how to serve your salmon, this window has given you a suggestion – make a dressing of lemon and red onion (I would add olive oil and black pepper) and serve on a bed of watercress…some brown bread and butter would be nice too.

Piccadilly Piccalilli Window

This window is my favourite, I love the way that the cauliflower florets have been created by overlapping intricate cream scalloped paper. The green veined outer leaves gently curl around the base. Halved red pepper have cute raised seeds. The red onion is realistic in its paperiness and non conformity.

The colours of this window are something straight out of a 1950s children’s book…love it!

What is your favourite window? And Fortnum and Mason please tell us how you crafted these and who were the magicians who performed the paper assembly?

Information on their opening hours can be found on their website. Fortnum and Masons windows can be seen at 181 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1A 1ER.

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