Fortnum & Mason launches new takeaway coffee and ice cream counter

Fortnum & Mason has launched a new coffee to go service at its flagship Piccadilly store.

The concession, which opened this week, is the first time the retailer’s 317-year history that it has had a fixture dedicated to takeaway hot drinks.

Open seven days a week, the counter will offer a selection of hot and iced coffees made using its Fortnum’s Piccadilly blend, as well as a selection of teas.

Hot chocolate, pastries and a newly launched soft serve ice cream will also be available

It’s the latest new addition to Fortnum’s offer as part of an ongoing strategy under CEO Tom Athron to widen its appeal.

Fortnum’s has traditionally relied heavily on gifting, major public events like coronations and tourists as core part of its proposition. However, Athron has identified food-to-go as an area for potential growth.

It’s seen the launch of Breakfast Boxes, and a new bagel counter added to its Piccadilly flagship, aimed at capturing commuters, but also increasing numbers of local residents working from home.

“We are increasing our offering to cater for even more of our customer base,” Fortnum’s fresh buyer Zoe Norman told The Grocer.

“As we see our ever-popular lunchtime offer growing we saw the need to offer a hot drinks proposition while also allowing us to offer coffee and morning goods before the lunchtime rush.”

Following a widescale overhaul of its distribution network last year, the department store has also been ramping up its home delivery offer. In July it launched Fortnum’s Dispatch, a trio of subscription services for tea and biscuits.

Fortnum’s returned to profit in 2022, following a difficult couple of years when shops were shuttered during Covid-19.

Since joining in 2020, Athron has regularly spoken of the need to change the idea of Fortnum’s – which is often referred to as “the King’s Grocer” – as being seen as a shop that’s only for a wealthy few.

“It’s actually not so much about attracting a younger customer base,” he told The Grocer in March 2023, shortly after the refit of the Piccadilly’s store third floor.

“It’s about making sure Fortnum’s remains really relevant in a world which is changing super-quickly.”