The connections with the crown continued (Queen Victoria personally sent Fortnum & Mason supplies to Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War) and in 1910 that the company received its first royal warrant. It now holds two: one from King Charles III and one from Queen Camilla.
For centuries, Fortnum’s products have been on the frontline of extraordinary human endeavours; packed in the backpacks of mountaineers scaling Everest and explorers charting the depths of the world’s wildest jungles. More recently, the store has branched out from its flagship at 181 Piccadilly, with a new outpost at London’s historic centre of trade, The Royal Exchange, opening in 2018, and the first international standalone restaurant and shop unveiled in Hong Kong the following year.
The spectacular double helix staircase has just opened at the heart of the store in time for Christmas
TIMOTHY SOAR
Now Fortum’s is marking the unveiling of an exciting new addition to its five-storey flagship at 181 Piccadilly: a striking double helix staircase designed by royal-approved architect and interior designer Ben Pentreath. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s vision for a double helix staircase, the pioneering design features two intertwined staircases that ribbon their way from the lower ground to the second floor.
‘It has been a privilege to work with Fortnum & Mason on such a rare and ambitious project,’ said Pentreath, whose portfolio includes work at Dumfries House and for Poundbury, the Dorset community backed by King Charles III. ‘The double helix staircase is at once a technical marvel and a deeply human piece of design, marrying engineering precision with craft at the highest level’.