The 312-year history of the department store contains not a few curious moments, let's go through it in order:
1️. Mr. Fortnum and his team invented the Scotch egg in 1738. A hard-boiled egg in a ground sausage under a crispy crust of breadcrumbs was the perfect find for travellers.
2. From 1794 a letter could be sent here until the country's General Post Office opened in 1839.
3️. During the Crimean War, concentrated beef broth (beef tea) was supplied to front-line hospitals by order of the Queen in 1856.
4️. As a leading seller of canned foods, Heinz was the first to introduce stewed beans from the States to English customers in 1886. This legendary product is part of a long list of novelties introduced by the Department Store.
5️. In 1902 he fulfilled King Edward VII's commission to bring the finest tea in all the land. Not one to say no, having travelled the globe, the team brought Assam from India and Flower Peko from Sri Lanka, creating a blend with a mild, honeyed flavour. The Royal Blend tea was a gift to the King.
6️. In 1911, he sent baskets of food to suffragettes to boost their spirits in response to the defeated shop windows.
7️. Used to feed soldiers on the French front of the First World War, the tin cans withstood the onslaught of gourmet rodents better than anything else.
8️. The only department store to have an Expeditions section. Wherever the British found themselves: in the heart of Africa or on the slopes of the Himalayas, there was someone to take care of their comfort. In 1922, for example, an expedition to Everest simply could not begin without 60 cans of quail in fat and 4 dozen bottles of champagne.
9️. For King George V's anniversary in 1935 it opened an entire department to cater for the dietary needs of the many guests who came to London for the celebrations.
1️0. In 1964 it installed a clock on its front façade which became its distinctive feature. The 18 bells were made at the same foundry as the famous Big Ben.
1️1. Since 2018 the store has kept beehouses on the roof, grown herbs, vegetables and even smoked salmon, which it serves in its restaurants. And all this in the heart of London above Piccadilly.
12. On 1st March 2012, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge, opened the Diamond Tea Room at the Department Store, named after the Diamond Jubilee of her reign and viewed a special trade offer to mark the occasion.
1️3. Gave the world a fourth kind of chocolate - Ruby. A 13-year experiment culminated in the invention of pink chocolate with bright fruity notes.
We wish the wonderful F&M to prosper and continue to develop in the same wonderful way.
And I'm attaching a piece of the legend to every purchase you make at Izum in the form of tea bags containing the very tea that was given to the king.
Photo source: Pinterest.