A YouTuber was left gobsmacked by what he found at one of the UK’s most iconic food stores. Fortnum and Mason, the high-end grocer, proudly displays two royal warrants – marking recognition from Queen Camilla as well as King Charles.
The monarch is such a fan of the store that he chose it as his partner to develop his brand of goods from Highgrove. But is the 317-year-old London food store really superior to a humble Asda or Tesco?
Indefatigable YouTuber Harrison Webb ventured inside Fortnums’ renowned Piccadilly premises to find out.
Within moments he discovered a box of Christmas chocolates – admittedly weighing in at a hefty 1.6kg – that cost £175. The bustling shop had no shortage of customers, despite the astronomical prices, but then some of the fare on offer was worth every penny.
He singled out Fortnum and Mason’s scotch egg as being particularly good value for its £3.50 price tag – and so it should be. While you can get a two-pack of Scotch eggs for around a quarter of that price, Fortnum’s is the birthplace of that particular delicacy, reports the Express.
Former Royal footman William Fortnum, who co-founded the shop in 1705, came up with the idea of wrapping a hard-boiled egg in sausage meat and breadcrumbs, and the practical, portable snack has become known around the world.
Harrison sampled one and was thoroughly impressed: “This is probably one of the best Scotch eggs you’re ever going to have,” he exclaimed. “Everything is done perfectly. If you’re ever in London definitely come and give this a try.”
The Scotch egg from Fortnums shares ingredients with their sausage roll – a substantial snack that overshadows those from Greggs or Pret.
Harrison praised the sausage roll as well, commenting: “The filling in there, the flavours, the herbs …the sausage meat is just so well-seasoned. The pastry is brilliant it’s not crispy but I imagine if you put this in the oven this is going to be honestly unbelievable.”
He noted that although it’s pricier than your average high street sausage roll, the size of Fortnums’ version offers good value for money. He added: “Value-wise, £3.50 for this I think is brilliant. I don’t think even regular supermarkets do a sausage roll that big for £3.50.”
However, Harrison’s upscale picnic from Fortnums, which included two pasta dishes and a selection of exquisite chocolates, set him back just over £117.
He was pleased with most of his purchases, yet at such steep prices, one would need to be royalty to shop there on a regular basis.