An indulgent Afternoon Tea at Fortnum and Mason’s

Afternoon Tea. A British institution. And yet…

Afternoon tea is a concept at first quite intriguing and difficult to grasp as a foreigner. Earlier than continental dinner, far more elaborate than a simple cup of tea with biscuits and definitely more refined than a mid-afternoon snack. A posh version may even be coupled with a classy glass of champagne.

Fortnum & Mason was created just before the dawn of the Georgian era in 1707. William Fortnum, a Queen Anne’s footman, and his landlord set up a shop in St James’s together to dispose of the queen’s half-used candles wax, then greatly developed and expanded. It is now a highly respected London institution renowned for its delightful outmoded charm and excellent quality products.

I was quite excited by the opportunity to at last experience this most traditional of afternoon teas, located in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon on the 4th floor at Piccadilly premises and opened by HM The Queen. I had heard about it so many times, including by non-Londoners going there on a kind of pilgrimage each time they visit the capital.

I must admit I was at first a tiny tad disappointed by the décor (quite refined but a little too bland to my taste) and mostly the touristy feel arising from a few tables of people wearing jeans and sneakers (although it is specifically requested to dress smartly).

But I did not want these details to spoil my treat...

If you go for the traditional Afternoon Tea menu, you have the choice between two options: the Fortnum’s Afternoon Tea (mainly sweet, with a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and preserve, and afternoon tea cakes), or the Savoury Afternoon Tea (with the same finger sandwiches, savoury scones, savouries and cakes). Of course, we wanted to try everything and ordered one of each. What a good idea!

Tea is served in fine china with delicate golden decorations underlining the distinctive Fortnum aqua colour. The edible delicacies are presented on three-tier silver trays that complete the lavish look of the table dressed with a white tablecloth, fresh roses and silverware. The mouth-watering sight of the sandwiches and savouries definitely opened my appetite while I could not help myself but to keep an eye on the scones and admire the graceful beauty of the cakes. But let’s not forget about the pièce de résistance: not only is it pleasing to the eye, it is also delicious! And it is also enough to satisfy your appetite, even if you plan to skip dinner.

Of course, the experience is not cheap (£44 or £48 depending on if you choose a classic blend tea or one of the single estate teas) but it is for sure one to remember and a great way to indulge yourself or treat loved ones.

http://www.fortnumandmason.com/ 
http://www.fortnumandmason.com/c-54-diamond-jubilee-tea-salon-afternoon-tea-london.aspx to make a reservation

Written by Aude Eyraud who works as a volunteer at FOCUS Information Services.

For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org

The Best Things In Life are Free (or £6)!

There are a lot of things that I am not yet British enough to know.

It’s trousers, not pants; 9-9-9 for emergencies; museums are free.

The free museums really threw me because there's no such thing as a free lunch in New York.

Here, the British expect free culture. They are also at peace with its costs: queues. An American friend who has lived here for a while, and who has become essentially English through osmosis, told me about a class at Kensington Palace (!! I know) for Kid-2. It's called Tiny Explorers. She had me at Palace. I prepared myself for the velocity with which I would need to navigate the online reservation system, and out-clicked most of the rest of  London to get us a spot. 

The English appear bored with the lavish and historic palaces that dot the country every few hundred kilometres, but I am not. Americans know royalty only through fantastical story books. Royalty, palaces, moats and richly adorned guards are a thing of imagination, not a thing within spitting distance. Here we have actual palaces, Disney style, with ballrooms and tapestry (and frankly very unattractive floral wall coverings) within scooting distance. This was a piece of British culture I was not prepared to miss.

Not surprisingly, most of my friends were on the Tiny Explorer's massive waiting list. So perplexed was I at the great discrepancy in class price and popularity that mid-way through the first class I asked whether we could discuss their pricing strategy. Didn't they know they could make a killing and finally replace that Laura Ashley wall covering?  

Again, the incongruity of supply and demand was a surprise only to the expat. Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity that runs the open areas of Kensington Palace, is not trying to turn a profit. It is, however, trying to open up British culture and treasures for all, which it accomplishes readily.

As you would expect, this was not a typical kiddy class. Tiny Explorers centres around the true tale of Peter the Wild Boy. I'm not being politically incorrect; that's his name. Discovered at age 12 living among the animals in the woods, Peter was brought to live with King George I in Kensington Palace.

Beside the instructors, two other Kensington Palace representatives assist with the class, or more likely are stationed with us to prevent children from destroying priceless tapestries. These women have been the highlight of our classes. They humoured my questions about royal life, 17th century fashion and Queen Victoria's marriage and they are wildly knowledgable about both the Wild Boy and English history. 

Last class I learned that commoners often petitioned the king for money. Not infrequently, he would grant these requests, for example if the money seeker had a promising invention. Kings were the first angel investors. King George might also oblige if he just liked the guy. With a good story and some quick thinking, turns out you can get a free lunch, at least in London's palaces.

Written by Susan. Susan is an adventurer, former lawyer, current 'trailing' spouse and constant mother of two daughters. She writes on her blog www.SmartlyMomming.com

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

Ready… Steady… GO!

On Sunday, 12th October, I did not have a second thought when I had to wake up early… too early for a Sunday… I was nonetheless accompanying a team of runners to the amazing Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon, undoubtedly the most beautiful run in London!  We were not the only ones: at 8.00 am Victoria and Knightsbridge tube stations were packed with feverish runners ready to enter this great challenge.

When we reached Hyde Park,
the atmosphere was  welcoming and cheerful. The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals bands, members of the Household Cavalry, were welcoming the crowd and playing in honour of the runners ABBA’s tunes. The Food and Fitness Festival was just opening and an English double-decker bus had been transformed into a… cocktail bar – quite well attended at this early hour of the day! The area was already packed with families, supporters and busy runners. Luckily, the weather was dry and sunny and Hyde Park looked glorious with shades of green and yellow.

The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon* was created in 2008 and takes the runners on a 13.1 mile route which passes through London’s famous sites: Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Houses of Parliament, the Royal Albert Hall and four of the great city’s eight Royal Parks: Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens. This is one of the biggest charity runs in the UK and charity runners truly appreciate: supporters line the whole race and cheer you on from start to finish. Since its creation, the Royal Park Foundation Half Marathon has already raised over £ 18 million.

The start of the race was divided into pens to allow faster runners to take off quickly and the ‘amateurs’ to enjoy the site before starting.  Charity banners, t-shirts, buzzers were filling the first 6 miles which took the runners through London’s beautiful landmarks. The race went on through the Royal Parks which, at this time of year, are intensely coloured and blooming.

Lucky and attentive supporters could see the elites, top UK and overseas runners, jostling for the first place and ending the second lap of the park.

The finish of the race was truly amazing with thousands of people lining the streets and cheering on every  runner. This great atmosphere generated a sense of emotion, community and achievement: 16,000 runners, 800 volunteers, over 200 charities of all sizes and thousands of supporters were involved in the event.

At the end of the race, we could not just go back home: we were all too excited! We therefore ended in our local pub to celebrate and plan the next half marathon!


An amazing London experience and a great day for all, runners or supporters!

* http://royalparkshalf.com/

Written by Florence Tilkens.  Florence is Social Media and Marketing Manager at FOCUS.

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

Merry Christmas?

How does it feel when you unexpectedly experience Christmas and the festive atmosphere?

Well strange at first, but lovely afterwards. This is what I experienced two days ago walking into the beautiful Milestone Hotel, where we were delighted to include FOCUS members in this lovely event. You should have seen my face when I saw the Christmas tree, the lights and decorations! I am still in denial that the summer is over and I haven’t changed my wardrobe yet, so I was absolutely not prepared nor did I expect to be “thrown into” the holiday season.

The gracious team at the Milestone wanted the guests to experience the full array of Christmas events and experiences they can organise; may they be small family celebrations, business holiday lunches or a gathering for friends.

We were greeted with lovely drinks and delicious canapés while Christmas carols in the background created a very warm and festive atmosphere. I was so pleased to meet some lovely new members who have just moved to London from Singapore and were fascinated by the British flavour of the evening. As people were mingling and meeting each other an enormous turkey appeared. It was of course cooked and stuffed  with delicious cranberry sauce and served on some fine bread and, to my surprise and amusement, prepared by an Italian chef named Fabrizio.  He heard me speaking in Italian to

a guest and came over to introduce himself and, typical of the Italian culture, put me under the care and protection of a lovely waitress, also Italian, who kept bringing me some amazing prawns with pancetta.

When I left that night I felt so positive and I am now really looking forward to the weather changing, the leaves falling and for Christmas to arrive!

Written by Alessandra Gnudi. Alessandra is FOCUS Executive Director.

For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org

Mirror, mirror on the wall…

We arrived in Berkeley Square as dusk was approaching.  There in the middle of the garden was a stunning, illuminated Chihuly glass sculpture, perhaps a foreshadowing of what was to come. After all, we were en route to attend the opening evening of the LAPADA Art & Antiques fair, certain to have a delightful time and to see an amazing variety of very special pieces.

The marquee itself is quite something.  They manage to construct, in the middle of a busy London square, a temporary exhibition space on various levels, which incorporates the trees from the garden.   

Chippendale Mahogany card table

LAPADA is a well-renowned trade association for antique and art dealers.  They have very rigorous rules and regulations that all of their members must abide by in order to carry the LAPADA seal and adds an element of credibility to the individual dealers.
  
Once inside, there was a vast array to choose from.  Exhibitors were comprised of over 100 specialists and there were paintings of traditional English hunting scenes, beautiful Chippendale furniture, tapestries, and rugs as well as stunning diamond earrings and Rolex watches in their original boxes from the beginning of the 20th Century. 

Each dealer had their own unique display of the pieces they had brought with them.  Some were set up as living rooms which were very inviting; others were offering a glass of bubbly as you perused the artwork lining the walls.  My personal favourite was a dealer that had the misfortune of having a tree growing through their space, but made the most of it by hanging a series of prints of little mice coming out of their mouse holes as if they were coming out of the tree.

As well as all of the wide selection of unique objects, there were several bars and a restaurant on the upper level overlooking Berkeley Square, providing an opportunity to quench your thirst, or linger over the beautiful scenery.  While this year’s event is now over, it is certainly a date to put in the diary for next year.  

One fellow FOCUS member declared that she was ready to refurnish her entire flat after attending the fair, although how she was going to finance it was quite a different story! 

www.lapada.org


Written by Eva Stock. Eva is Director of Sponsors Relations at FOCUS.

For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org