Fortnum & Mason

 
Interview
Provenance and afternoon tea..
 
Critically acclaimed Chef Skye Gyngell has worked in some of the best restaurants in the world, including The Dorchester. After achieving and then, in true rock’n’roll style, rebelling against the Michelin star awarded to Petersham Nurseries Café when she was head chef, she moved on to become the culinary director of Heckfield Place, a luxury country house hotel nestled in the Hampshire countryside.
 
What is the best thing about the English food scene?

 
Napoleon called us a nation of shopkeepers – it’s a tradition we’re proud to uphold.
 
London’s most prestigious department stores and shopping streets – Bond Street, Sloane Street, Savile Row, Harrods, Liberty, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason, to name a few – are as familiar landmarks as Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. But stick solely to the shops in the capital and you’ll miss some of the most interesting shopping experiences in the world.

 
Whatever is on your wish list, you will certainly find it here, and more.
 
Even more sumptuous is an experience offered by luxury concierge service Quintessentially: a private tour of the ‘Queen’s grocer’ Fortnum & Mason before it opens, followed by a tea tasting and an invitation to create your own version of the store’s iconic picnic hamper. You will then be whisked to the grounds of Windsor Castle by helicopter to enjoy your hamper before taking a tour of the castle.