According to legend, William Fortnum – a footman at the Court of Queen Anne, replaced the used beeswax candles each night. It was not long before the enterprising Mr. Fortnum and his partner Mr Mason had set up a sideline business selling the candle ends to the ladies of the court and Fortnum and Mason [...]

Restaurant Les Ambassadeurs is one of the most prominent restaurants in Paris. Situated within The Crillon Hotel and overlooking the Place de la Concorde this gastronomic restaurant was recently redesigned by the Parisian interior designer, Sybille de Margerie. The former XVIII ballroom of the Dukes of Crillon has been infused with modern warmth yet remains [...]

The igourmet site offers a mouth-watering selection of over 600 specialty cheeses and thousands of fine foods such as fresh fruit preserves, aromatic teas and coffees and handmade pastas and sauces.  Founded in 1997 by Spencer Chesman, part of a family that started importing cheese to the US after World War 1, the igourmet site [...]

Standing at the counter in a PAUL Boulangerie is an exercise in self-restraint.  If the exquisite smell of fresh bread doesn’t get you first, the sight of beautifully glazed fruit tarts or delicate macaroons will break down any resistance. PAUL is a chain of french family bakeries and patisseries that were started in 1889.  The [...]

Dom Pérignon was the 17th century Benedictine monk who has gone down in history as the person who “invented” Champagne. His name was originally registered by Eugène Mercier. He sold the brand name to Moët & Chandon, which used it as the name for its prestige cuvée, which was first released in 1937. A rigorous [...]