Inside Fortnum & Mason!

Inside Fortnum &Masons is a completely different story.

Very Xmasy indeed!

Naturalement they have the traditional teapots of every variety bien sur...

But tea in a pear container? Quite festive non?

In fact F&M's containers are some of the best!

Like this jolly tin...

Where else but merry old England can you find a biscuit box like this one?

More delightful British tins..The perfect gift for Xmas - a container of Stilton fromage...

An advent house to beat all advent houses non?

Holiday cupcakes not to be forgotten...

So even if the windows are full of skulls + truffles...

One can seek instant refuge inside with all the essentials for a lovely christmas

YAY!

BONJOUR FORTNUM & MASON!

Fortnum and Mason Xmas Windows?

Here's a London Xmas mystery for you to solve.
When I saw the windows at Fortnum and Mason in October I was puzzled.
I went inside and asked the liveried doorman if these mushroomie, underworld, Hobbit-esque window decorations were for Halloween?
I was assured these were the Christmas windows!?
What?

Is it possible?

Mustrooms and moss + British jams..?

Giant acorns + tiny lamps...

Champagne amidst the leaves - this looks a tad Christmasy...

But silver champagne glasses full of green moss? Huh?

Champagne and macarons, contact me, 9" x 11"Please say it isn't so!

I can live with a Beefeater chess set - what a perfect Xmas gift.

Burgundy velvet slippers in the hay? Hmm...

French parfums amongst the moss..? non non non!

Mustard under glass - is this a vision from the latest, darkest Harry Potter movie? Please tell me someone was pulling my leg.

This can NOT be Christmas at F n' M in Piccadilly.

Doesn't one deserve a bit of dessert after that?

BONJOUR FORTNUM and MASON!

London Cupcake Update

You can hardly take two steps in London without bumping into a cupcake... First stop - HummingBird Bakery!
All aboard. They've got special Halloween cuppies.

YIKES!

And they offer a daily special flavor...

In Covent Garden, you'll find Crumb Dollies and they've got cupcake trees!

If you're not crazy about cupcakes, you better leave now and that includes me. These lovelies are from Ella's Bakehouse and they reside in Selfridges Food Hall.

There's a lot of cupcake competition at Selfridges from Primrose Bakery as well...

Lola's Cupcakes has a cafe to boot

Boxes and boxes including what they call 'Tinies' and we call minis...

AND they have GIANT cupcake cakes! OMG I have to admit I rather fancy these elegant numbers from Fiona Cairns...

Maybe it's the lovely flat tops that make these so appealing.

I, for one, am not big on tons of fluffy icing sitting a top my cupcake (if I even liked cupcakes...)

Competing alongside all the cupcake concessions at Selfridges is Pierre Herme's macarons and chocolates. Frankly this is not doing PH any favors in my opinion.

Quelle dommage :(

Out of sheer exhaustion I broke down and had a cuppa and a cupcake in Selfridges. (I did not eat the icing but the cake part was quite nice)

A late stop in Fortnum & Masons to pick up some Earl Grey et voila.

Les cupcakes!

Harvey Nichols has a highly decorated set o' 6 beauties.

Plus they have a pop-up shop of special small cakes from British pastry chef formerly of the French Laundry, Claire Clark.

I loved this witty drawer display...

They're featuring her new book, 100 Perfect Desserts, which has been out for a bit in the US. Would you call these cupcakes on the cover?

Marks & Sparks' iced buns caught my eye as a possible antecedent of the cupcake or 'fairy cake' as the Brits call it.

What do you think?

Yesterday the 22 bus stopped at Duke of York Square and there was another open market . Of course there were cupcakes from Peggie's who does 'couture' and wedding cupcake towers.

Who knew?

I saw these adorable clown hats at Pollock's Toy Theaters in Covent Garden. Don't they look like the perfect hat to wear while you're eating a cupcake, if you happen to eat cupcakes that is...
Lots more to come on Pollocks later.

I'm week-end posting since I missed Friday a week ago, whilst traveling and I may miss tomorrow.

I must be on the Eurostar by 5:13 am

Eeeek!

BON WEEK-END PBers!