Posts Tagged "fortnum and mason"

29 Mar
2012

Croatia in London: D’Issa at Borough Market

Posted by Visit London in Eating Out, Shopping, World in London 1 Comment

Maxine Clayman is a travel writer and editor of the blog My Hidden Gems. In the next in our World In London series she meets Croatian born Ana-Maria Volaric who explains why it’s her mission to bring a taste of Croatia to London.

“Last year my husband Chris and I decided to set up D’Issa, a company selling exclusively Croatian produce.

“I’ve lived in London now for 24 years and I’m married to a North Londoner. I’m originally from Zagreb and I still feel incredibly connected to my roots. I wanted to draw on my knowledge and passion for Croatian culture and introduce Londoners and visitors to the capital to Croatian food.

“Currently we’re the only Croatian retailer in the UK. We have a stall in Borough Market and we also sell to Fortnum & Mason and a couple of specialist delis in London. Our merchandise is quite high end, which may surprise a lot of people, as Croatia isn’t a country that’s necessarily associated with quality cuisine.

“There are only around 2,000 Croats living in London so our food is still relatively new to people. My aim is to educate Londoners about one of the best-kept gastronomic secrets Europe has to offer. For instance, it might come as a surprise to discover that some of the finest truffles in the world can be found in Istria, Croatia.

“Our fig products are proving incredibly popular with Londoners. Smokvenjak is a traditional Croatian fig cake made from dried figs, almonds, lemon juice, raisins, rosemary and sage. It’s packed with natural energy, so it’s good for athletes, and you can use it as a base for canapés, with cheese or ham.

“Pumpkin seed oil is another unique item that we stock. It’s got a wonderfully nutty flavour and is great for roasting and marinating meats. But my top tip is to drizzle it over vanilla ice-cream. Delicious.”

Visit D’Issa at Borough Market on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in the Jubilee Market area. www.dissa.co.uk

21 Oct
2011

Worm Cakes and Ant Cocktails: Halloween Food and Drink in London

Posted by Hannah in Eating Out, Pubs & Bars No Comments

If you’re feeling brave this Halloween, there’s plenty of ghoulish food and drink to try in London.

At Artesian bar, you can enjoy a scary Vieux Carre cocktail, containing cognac, rye whiskey, vermouth, bitters and herbal liqueur, plus two special ingredients: Columbian giant ants and mopani worms!

Or perhaps you’d prefer The Living Room’s spine-tingling Zombie, Corpse Reviver or Blood & Sand cocktails? (These cocktails are a little tamer: despite the names there are no creepy ingredients.)

Over at Gelupo in Soho, you can enjoy a Sanguinaccio gelato, made from chocolate, pigs’ blood and Marsala. Or head to Harrods for some more traditional treats: chocolates in the shape of witches, ghosts, pumpkins, skulls and eyeballs.

Even cupcakes are going spooky this Halloween. There’s a devilishly delicious selection available at The Hummingbird Bakery, topped with spiders’ webs, monsters, ghosts and pumpkins.

AAGGHH! It’s Alive! comes to Fortnum & Mason’s Demonstration Kitchen on 27 October. You can find out how to make scary Halloween dishes, from finger pies to worm cakes, perfect for Halloween parties.

Or pop into Carluccio’s for some terrifyingly good gifts for trick-or-treaters, including pumpkin lollies, ghost and pumpkin biscuits, ghost meringues, bat biscuits, Halloween jellies and chocolate pumpkins.

Happy Halloween!

10 Sep
2011

London Photo of the Week: The staircase at Fortnum & Mason

Posted by Lettice in Shopping No Comments

This week’s photo by David Bank shows the central staircase well in Fortnum & Mason, the top London department store.

Fortnum & Mason was founded in 1707 and is best known for stylish afternoon teas, luxury food hampers and lavish window displays.

Have you been out and about in London this week? Don’t forget to add your photos to the Visit London Flickr pool.

2 Feb
2011

£15 Menu at Fortnum and Mason’s Restaurants

Posted by Jenny in Eating Out 4 Comments

Cheap isn’t a word I’d usually associate with Fortnum and Mason but the store has just introduced a £15 menu in its three restaurants and wine bar, offering the Fortnum’s experience on a budget.

I tried the £15 menu at The Fountain Restaurant last night. You can choose two courses from the set menu; I opted for a main course and dessert.

I enjoyed a delicious main course of poached Cornish brill, mussels, baby gem, vanilla and blood orange. The fish was soft and lightly flavoured which contrasted perfectly with the sharp segments of orange. I can never decide whether I like mussels but in this case, I did as the texture was just right and not chewy at all. The food was bathed in a juicy broth, and we were given spoons to slurp it up with!

Then to dessert, an indulgent chocolate and berry torte (not the English treacle tart on the online menu). The thick chocolate embedded with slightly bitter tasting berries was heaven!

And all this for £15 each. Admittedly, by the time we’d had a bottle of wine and two coffees, the total came to a bit more than that but it was still very good value for the food.

Plus, you do get the pleasure of the Fortnum and Mason experience. That means lots of little touches like the special Fortnum and Mason crockery, a live guitarist playing away in the corner and the feeling of being somewhere really quite posh! The waiters were attentive and helpful (even asking some Italian diners on the table next to us whether they’d prefer to be served in English or Italian).

The £15 menu is available until 13 March so start working your way through the restaurants now!

The £15 menu is available in The Fountain Restaurant, St James’s Restaurant, The Gallery Restaurant and 1707 Wine Bar until the 13 March 2011. There are menus available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Offer must be pre-booked quoting £15 menu.

6 May
2010

Croquet at The Goring Hotel

Posted by Jenny in Accommodation, Eating Out, Sport 5 Comments

Yesterday I enjoyed a rather spiffing game of croquet on The Goring hotel’s beautiful lawn. The hotel is celebrating its centenary this year, and is marking its 100th summer in London with a croquet and afternoon tea package.

As someone with absolutely no hand-eye co-ordination (I’ve played entire games of bowling without knocking down a single pin), I didn’t have very high expectations for my croquet skills. Despite croquet experts Jaques of London being in attendance, I admit I didn’t pick up much in the way of rules (in fact I’m not sure there were any!)

Croquet involves attempting to hit the ball through various hoops on the lawn using a mallet. One must assume the most unladylike of positions in order to hit the ball – straddle it, bend your knees and whack it as hard as you can! But I didn’t do too badly, and happily cheating (“nudging” the ball, pushing opponents’ balls out of the way) seems to be entirely acceptable!

It all made for a fun evening and I can imagine how lovely it would be to spend a leisurely afternoon trying to finish a game.

In typically British style, everything stopped for tea after a couple of hoops and we were treated to delicious sandwiches, scones, cakes and Fortnum and Mason tea.

Afternoon tea and croquet at The Goring, available 22 July to 26 August 2010, £45 per person

29 Mar
2010

Question of the Week: What’s Your Favourite Chocolate Shop in London?

Posted by Jenny in London 8 Comments

Easter is just a few days away, and it’s the best excuse we can think of to scoff as much chocolate as possible!

But not just any old chocolate, we want the good stuff. We want the best chocolate in London, so tell us where we can get our greedy mouths on it.

Do you like the beautiful displays and sweet delights at Fortnum and Mason? Or do handmade, organic Rococo chocolates take your fancy? Ever seen a finely crafted chocolate rose at one of Paul A Young’s shops?

Is there somewhere in your corner of London selling the most mouth-watering truffles or the richest hot chocolate?

We want to know…

18 Aug
2009

Five Ways To Cool Down In London This Summer

Posted by The List Man in Attractions, Eating Out, Open Spaces, Pubs & Bars 1 Comment

1. Ice, Ice, Baby at the Absolut IceBar
Nothing cools you down on a hot day like a chilled drink. And venues don’t come much more chilled than the Absolut IceBar! Everything in the bar – the walls, tables, chairs and even the cocktail glasses – is made of ice. (Don’t worry – you get given a thermal cape thingy so you don’t get hypothermia!) And to keep things fresh, the bar is redesigned with a completely new theme every six months. Cool!

2. Stroke of Genius at The Berkeley
Acrophobic (scared of heights)? Aquaphobic (afraid of water)? It’s probably best you don’t read on: the two are combined to spectacular effect at the rooftop pool at The Berkeley. Between doggy-paddles, you can take in gob-smacking views over Knightsbridge and Hyde Park as part of a half-day or full-day package at the hotel’s Health Club & Spa. And when the sun’s out, they even retract the roof so you can top up your tan.

3. Speed Boat on the Thames: Sorted for Breeze and Whizz
LondonEyeStPaul’sCathedralTateModernTowerBridge…! Yes, a voyage on a high-speed RIB (rigid inflatable boat) is without a doubt the fastest, most exhilarating tour of London’s sights! If you have false teeth, make sure they’re securely fastened as you whizz up the Thames, James Bond-style, with the cool breeze whistling through your hair. The fully guided tours – you can choose between the Canary Wharf Experience and the Thames Barrier Experience – last around 50 minutes. That’s your lunch hour sorted, then!

4. Fortnum & Mason: Sundae Service
Back in the day, summer just wasn’t summer without a Screwball from the ice-cream van! But things have moved on since then, and now London’s eateries are serving up all manner of weird and wonderful ice creams and sorbets. Take the Parlour Restaurant at Fortnum & Mason, where you can cool down with treats such as the Lazy Sundae Afternoon (see what they did there?). It’s basically fresh strawberries with vanilla bean, crushed meringue, frosted strawberry and shortbread ice creams, strawberry coulis and – wait for it – 12-year-old balsamic vinegar. It shouldn’t work but it definitely does!

5. It’s Great to Skate at Queens in Bayswater
It baffles me why ice-skating is a winter sport. The last thing you want on a freezing cold day is to end up pirouetting on your rear. In the summer, however, nothing could be more welcome! So head down to Queens London Ice Skating and Bowling in Bayswater, where you can attempt Torvill & Dean’s Bolero to the accompaniment of a state-of-the-art sound and light system. If you don’t quite pull it off, the venue offers classes to turn you into a pro!

Let us know if you have any other inventive ways to keep cool in London…