Fortnum's at St Pancras

Our Year at St Pancras

THE NEW PLATFORM FOR FORTNUM’S

In 1707 Piccadilly was full of coaches, inhabitants nourished by Fortnum’s. In 1807 the world’s first fare-paying railway opened, since when many a porter has hauled a hamper aboard, usually picked up from Fortnum’s and driven by hansom to the train. It took a couple more centuries before the store came to the station, but the idea has taken off like the 17.07 to Brussels.

St Pancras International, the ‘cathedral of the railways’ , is at the very heart of the rail network. That makes it the perfect fit for Fortnum’s.

Ewan Venters, Fortnum’s Grand Fromage, notes:

Fortnum & Mason has been famous for servicing the needs of travellers and explorers since the early 18th century, and we look forward to doing this for the next three hundred years from our new home in St Pancras.

As at the Piccadilly parent, an inescapable clock dominates. Commissioned from the historic firm Smith of Derby, the latest Fortnum’s clock is a stunning piece of craftsmanship, featuring two clock faces at opposite ends of an ‘exploded’ mechanism, stretching half the length of the store. Based on a design from the 1860s, when St Pancras first opened, the clock alone has proved quite the star attraction.

At ground level, the store combines a well-stocked shop with a bar and restaurant, so customers can enjoy all the things we do best. 

The all-day menu features classic savouries such as Welsh rarebit and fish pie, and ‘en route’ dishes inspired by the many Eurostar destinations as well as by the changing ingredients of the season. For those in more of a hurry, there is a takeaway counter for food and drink and a judiciously edited selection of gifts from our Piccadilly store, all beautifully presented and gift-wrapped by arrangement.

Naturally, there will always be a wide choice of tea to taste and compare, alongside the usual suspects such as honey, jam, marmalade, Florentines, shortbread and our famous musical biscuit tins.

If there’s a gift occasion for which one of those isn’t appropriate, we’ve yet to encounter it. There is also a small chilled section for the likes of Stilton and smoked salmon, a trove of sweets and chocolates and some of our top-notch wines and spirits. There will also, of course, be seasonal gifts, from mince pies to Valentine’s gifts, Easter eggs and, in all likelihood, amusing Hallowe’en-themed sundries.

Finally, of course, there are our famous hampers; the original ‘travelling baskets’.

Just do ensure that they don’t block the aisles or doorways. After all, they have our name on them.