Fortnum & Mason to reopen food departments tomorrow

Fortnum & Mason, which along with Harrods and Selfridges is one of London’s triumvirate of world-famous department stores, will open its main food floors first including the basement foodhall.

“All being well with the reopening”, the retailer will then open the first floor of its Piccadilly flagship a week later on May 28, and the second and third floors on June 1.

Trading will be restricted to between 11am and 7pm in order to allow staggered travel to the store, and bars and restaurants will stay shut in line with lockdown rules.

The retailer’s commercial director Lucy Williams outlined the plans to suppliers earlier this week. She told them: “As you’d expect, we have out in rigorous controls to ensure both our teams’ and our customers’ safety.”

The retailer is also sending guidelines to suppliers about how to ensure health and safety when making deliveries direct to the shop.

Fortnum & Mason continued to trade online during the coronavirus pandemic. The partial reopening of the store follows Selfridges resumption of trading at its foodhall on Oxford street at the start of this month. Harrods initially kept its Knightsbridge foodhall open but closed it a few days into lockdown.

Fortnum & Mason also intends to reopen its shop in St Pancras station on May 26.