Fortnum & Mason

We are thrilled to announce that our CEO, Tom Athron, has been named as part of The Standard100 - a celebration of the people shaping London, across the arts, politics, media, sport, charity and more.   In its first year, The Standard100 acknowledges a diverse list of people, ranging from high profile personalities in the world of entertainment, to restaurateurs that make London's food scene the greatest in the world today. It also acknowledges those Londoners engaged in vital work across the capital fighting knife crime and other social issues and is a holistic roundup of influential figures in the capital today.   Tom said:   "It’s great to see the exciting things we’ve been up to at Fortnum’s recently being recognised in this way by The London Standard. This acknowledgment is a proper nod to the innovation, creativity and sheer hard work of the whole team at Fortnum & Mason. My sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed.”  To find out more about The Standard 100 click on the link below.  https://bit.ly/4ebYtzP #Standard100 #TheLondonStandard #London #CEO The London Standard Tom Athron

Vanillekipferl, and a coffee from Hally’s... sparkling tea, Christmas shopping at Fortnum's... these are a few of Mel's favourite things! Our Retail Marketing Manager Melanie Hasenzagl grew up, and went to school in Austria, but was always destined to have an international outlook. "At 17 years old I left home to study for a Bachelor's degree at Boston University in the United States of America. It was a big move but I will always love Boston, it has a special place in my heart. I studied Business Administration and Management, specialising in Marketing”. "Boston is such friendly city with lots of green spaces and parks (the people are very sporty too). You have the Charles River there, it's very international in its outlook and not too overwhelming as a city. London I love too, because I can't think of a city that is as multi-cultural as London is, which makes it unique." With a career that began with global roles at Starbucks, Unilever and Nestlé under her belt - in brand management and food service teams - looking after different markets, she has brought all of her experience to Fortnum's. "I started in January 2022, and in my role I am very focused on what's going on front of house with customers, footfall levels, driving in-store experiences, and always coming up with ideas for surprise and delight activations. It could be anything from handing out roses for Valentine's Day, pancake day activations, but also working with our strategic partner organisations across London. You also have to be highly collaborative with most departments in the business if you want to be successful in Retail. I speak to everyone - from our shopfloor teams, to the chefs in the kitchen, to the buying teams, and to the merchandisers. Most activations touch 6-7 teams at least." What do you like to do in your personal life? "I am a big coffee fan, Hally's in Parsons Green is one of my favourite places. My big de-stresser is going for walks, and that usually involves a coffee as well! "I get back to Austria about 3-4 times per year - Easter, Christmas and in the summer. I miss the Austrian pastries, cakes and bakeries which are really nice. For Christmas we bake a lot of cookies. My favourite Austrian Christmas cookie is Vanillekipferl. Do you have a favourite Christmas activation to date? "We are going to re-run a favourite Christmas shopping event on November 14th for our customers. It will be a free event from 6-9pm in-store, with samplings, live music and other surprises. Customer can experience the magic of our suppliers, plus classics such as scotch eggs, cheeses, Christmas drinks and spirits too." How will you spend Xmas? "With family in Austria. We celebrate on December 24th, it's a real family day. Dinner is the most exciting part, and every family has their own traditions. We wrap our presents and listen to Silent Night, a classic Austrian song." Great to have you in Team Fortnum's Mel! #retailcareers #christmas #facesoffortnums #teamfortnums

Sunday 20th October was International Chefs Day, celebrated throughout the world every October. Since its creation by the Late Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher in 2004 Chefs come together to inspire and educate the next generation about the joys of cooking, healthy eating, and the importance of sustainability. Earlier this month we welcomed three-Michelin starred chef Pierre Koffmann, who joined our Fortnum’s chefs in the Food & Drink Studio, for the next instalment in our Food Behind the Pages Supper Club. Serving up a selection of delectable recipes from his latest book Memories of Gascony, Pierre delighted our guests with his storytelling, and extraordinary food. At the heart of fine cuisine in Britain for more than 50 years, Pierre Koffmann began his career in London under Michel and Albert Roux at Le Gavroche and then the Waterside Inn before opening La Tante Claire, achieving its third Michelin Star after just six years. After a short retirement, he gravitated back to the kitchen at Koffmann’s at The Berkeley in Knightsbridge. Inspired by his provincial French roots, his book Memories of Gascony focuses on delicate simplicity, with recipes that stand the test of time and speak to the food tastes and trends of today. The recipes Pierre knew, and enjoyed most as a boy, are the ones from his grandparents’ farmhouse kitchen in rural Gascony. It was another very special evening in our 3rd Floor Food & Drink Studio at Piccadilly. To see Fortnum's full events programme - click here: https://lnkd.in/esB7bixU To find out about International Chefs Day - read more here. https://lnkd.in/efA-Nj-S #food #foodie #internationalchefsday #chefs #fortnums

Congratulations to Cherrie Lo 盧曉婷, who was recognised for her Contribution to Business this week at the Mulan Awards 2024, which celebrates the Achievement of Women of Chinese Heritage. Cherrie was presented with her Highly Commended Award by renowned Chef Ching-He Huang MBE at the ceremony last night, at the Sofitel London St. James Hotel. Launched as a Charity at the House of Lords in 2013, the Mulan Foundation Network is co-chaired by Lady Katy Blair MBE & Luise Schafer OBE, and aims to recognise and honour the achievements of Chinese women in the UK. In addition to their Annual Awards, the Mulan Foundation builds a global network of successful Chinese women and emerging talents, for networking and mentoring, but also to support and help the wider community. As our Senior Manager of Concierge Marketing & Business Development at Fortnum & Mason, Cherrie has a deep understanding of both British and Asian cultures, which she's used to build important business connections and collaborations. She is a Board Member of the Hong Kong-UK Business Forum and the Academy of Chocolate, as well as a Co-Author of CACAOSOURCE. She also serves as a Grand Jury member for a number of international chocolate awards, and is a judge at the Great Taste Awards. Cherrie is very committed to promoting cross-cultural exchange, and strengthening ties between British and Asian markets. "For far too long Chinese women have kept a generally low profile but Mulan aims to address this issue by encouraging Chinese women to use their skills and talents to help others. I’m incredibly grateful to be recognized among such inspiring Asian women. This award is not just a personal honour but a testament to the power we have to uplift, support, and empower one another, both here in the UK and beyond. Together, we can inspire future generations, encourage each other to achieve even more, and contribute meaningfully to our communities. I am proud to be part of this journey, celebrating women’s achievements and creating lasting change. Thank you again to the Mulan Awards and to all the judges for believing in me and entrusting me with this incredible honour." Great to have you on Team Fortnum's Cherrie. #facesoffortnums #teamfortnums #award #mulanawards2024

Nothing tastes quite like breakfast in Hong Kong, unless of course that's dinner in 181 At Fortnum & Mason...   But the real treat for our leadership team this week, was being able to engage face to face with our Retail and Hospitality teams in Hong Kong once more.   Our CFO Justin Carmichael was on his first visit since the Hong Kong site re-opened at K11 Musea in 2019, and CEO Tom Athron was able to get an update from his trip one year ago.   Regional General Manager for Hong Kong, Richard Gilding said:     "It was really motivating, and a real highlight for us to have Tom and Justin over, but also to spend time with them over dinner at 181. They both enjoyed our Hong Kong hospitality, praising our teams on the experience and the amazing standard of the food and drinks served on the night. They also joined us for a Q&A session at our Good Morning Fortnum's breakfast briefing, before spending time in Hong Kong to learn more about the region and meet with business leaders.   I think they got most value from having the chance to get to know our teams in Retail and Hospitality that much better though. It was an action packed couple of days, and we can't wait to see them back again."   #hongkong #meettheteam #facesoffortnums #teamfortnums

Go Team Fortnum's! There's nothing like an award Bounce to put a spring in the step. We were delighted to win the Retail Gazette's Best Retailer (under £500m) award, and a number of our people - representing a broad spectrum of different teams - turned up to the ceremony at Bounce in Shoreditch, London last week. Joining a shortlist, described by the Retail Gazette as a 'who's who of brands who are changing the game in retail', we joined fellow finalists: Liberty, Majestic, American Golf and the Cotswold Company on the night. Winners were chosen across the 12 categories by a distinguished judging panel of industry experts, featuring 3 Brand CEOs and the Retail Gazette's Editor Gemma Goldfingle. The judging panel said: “This heritage brand has been reinvented for the 21st century. The brand experience is world-class in store and it is innovating to bring this into the digital world. It has achieved great financial results and its customer loyalty levels are highly impressive.” Liz Darran, our Chief Brand & Creative Officer said:   “It’s been a fabulous year on so many fronts at Fortnum’s. It was brilliant to be nominated, and win this award. It really does feel like a game-changer year. We’ve done so much work across so many areas, on design innovation, new product development, some fantastic, cutting-edge brand collaborations, and we’ve also trialed a new membership scheme. It’s always about improving our guest experience, and ultimately putting extraordinary food and drink at the heart of our brand.” We were delighted to be recognised alongside other market leading brands last night, and it was a fantastic boost for all of our teams as we head into our peak trading season. Our thanks to everyone who has contributed so much across the board, throughout the last year for Fortnum & Mason, and to the Retail Gazette for nominating us. #teamfortnums #retailcareers #retail #awards #RGA2024

Pianist, hiker, lover of Truffle (more on this later), skincare enthusiast and content creator. Meet our Social Media Executive Alice Barnes - who joined in September last year. We went to find out more!   “Whilst studying for my master’s in philosophy, I fell into the world of social media. Before I’d considered a career in it, I started my own skincare blog on Instagram and grew to really love the world of social. Whilst being a hobby I enjoyed, I met a whole community of like-minded people and through networking, I found my first job with a beauty brand. I saw my current role on Fortnum’s LinkedIn and having spent time within the beauty industry, I was excited by the food and hospitality industry, which was completely new to me. As part of my interview process, I was given the task of creating a social campaign. One of the pieces of content I created for this was shared on our Instagram in my first few weeks of joining Fortnum’s, which was amazing to see."   What has been your favourite campaign so far? "Every campaign is always so different and exciting in their individual ways, but Truffle the Bear has been so much fun to work on. Whether Truffle is exploring Piccadilly or attending a teddy bear’s picnic, bringing him to life on screen and sharing the magic at Fortnum’s has been really special." Are we going to see more of Truffle the Bear? "We definitely have quite a few plans for him, but we won't reveal what those are just yet!"   Favourite products? “The Wicked Wicker Hamper for Halloween is one of my favourites! I absolutely love Halloween and I’m planning to pop loads of pumpkin inside for my display this year."   What about Christmas '24 - what are you most looking forward to? “We have some exciting new products for Christmas this year, so I’m looking forward to getting creative and working with the team on how we will showcase these on social this year."   Hobbies? "I love spending time with my friends and family, but also taking time for myself too. I really enjoy hiking, reading and also playing the piano which I’ve done since I was six years old - I’m a huge Hans Zimmer fan, so I spend a lot of time listening to his work!"    So great to have you in Team Fortnum's Alice.   #facesoffortnums #socialmedia #teamfortnums #christmas