There are some London experiences that feel almost mandatory, and afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason was high on my list when I planned our two days in London before the Disney Dream. I had planned our Sunday reservation for 1:00 p.m. in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, followed by enough time to explore the store before heading back to our hotel.
That last part of the plan turned out to be important. Afternoon tea was lovely, but the shopping afterward became an experience of its own—and resulted in a box of Fortnum & Mason goodies being shipped all the way home to Texas.
Afternoon Tea in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon
The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is on the fourth floor of Fortnum & Mason’s Piccadilly store. It feels elegant and special without being intimidating, which was exactly what I wanted from a London afternoon tea.
We had booked the Winnie-the-Pooh afternoon tea, created as part of Fortnum & Mason and Disney’s celebration of 100 years of Pooh adventures. It was a very charming choice for two Disney people spending a weekend in London before boarding the Disney Dream for our 13-night transatlantic cruise. The tea room itself was beautiful, the service made the afternoon feel like an occasion, and we were able to settle in and enjoy the experience instead of rushing through lunch.
The savory tier included five finger sandwiches: egg mayonnaise, Coronation chicken, Kames Bay smoked trout with dill cream cheese, honey-glazed ham with English mustard, and cucumber with lemon and mint. The sandwiches were easily one of our favorite parts of the meal. I appreciated that it was a genuinely varied selection rather than five slight variations on the same filling.
The Coronation chicken was the biggest surprise. Chicken has usually been my least-favorite afternoon-tea sandwich, but Mom and I both loved the Coronation chicken here. In fact, we also loved it at the other afternoon tea we had during the trip, so apparently Coronation chicken has changed our minds about chicken tea sandwiches.
The lemon and mint were interesting additions to the traditional cucumber sandwich. They made it taste especially light and refreshing. The poppy seeds in the bread used for the egg mayonnaise sandwich received more mixed reviews: Mom loved them, while I would have preferred the sandwich without them.
The staff were also happy to bring extra sandwiches when we asked. We took full advantage and splurged on another round of our favorites: Coronation chicken, egg mayonnaise and cucumber. That generous service was lovely, although ordering seconds probably explains why I was already so full by the time we reached the ptisseries.
Then came both plain and fruit scones, served with Fortnum’s strawberry preserve and Somerset clotted cream. The scones delivered exactly what I wanted from a proper London tea and joined the sandwiches as the clear winners for us. By the time we reached the sweets, I was already completely stuffed.
The Pooh-inspired ptisserie selection featured a rose clair, honey and apricot mousse, strawberry and vanilla tart, redcurrant cheesecake, and chocolate orange loaf. They were beautiful and sounded wonderfully whimsical on the menu, but the desserts were the one part that did not really work for us. They simply were not to our taste. Fortunately, afternoon tea is a lot of food, so disliking the final tier did not leave either of us hungry. I was perfectly happy to focus on the sandwiches, scones and tea.
The full experience was served with a pot of Fortnum’s tea and was listed at £84 per person on the summer menu, before the discretionary 12.5 percent service charge. The menu also offered optional additions, including Champagne, alcohol-free sparkling tea, a Honey Blossom cocktail, and an expert tea tasting with a Fortnum’s Tearista at the table. You can see the complete Fortnum & Mason Winnie-the-Pooh afternoon tea menu.
Choosing My Tea
One of the best parts of having tea at Fortnum & Mason is being able to try a tea in the salon and then find it downstairs in the store.
I enjoyed Fortnum’s Afternoon Tea blend during our tea service, so bringing a tin home was an easy decision. It became a little edible souvenir of the afternoon rather than simply another purchase.
I also bought the Breakfast Blend. That choice happened while we were browsing: it smelled so good that I could not leave without it. Once I was home, I made my first cup on a rainy, gloomy Texas morning and was very pleased with my decision. Drinking it from my Garden Party mug made the whole thing feel especially cozy.
Shopping at Fortnum & Mason
After tea, we explored the store—and I did a whole lot of shopping.
Fortnum & Mason is the kind of place where it is very easy to keep finding one more thing. There are teas, biscuits, sweets, gifts, beautiful tins and accessories everywhere. Some of my purchases were Christmas gifts, so those were quickly hidden away when the shipment arrived. No spoilers.
For myself, I brought home:
- Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea
- Fortnum & Mason Breakfast Blend
- A Top Hat tea strainer for home
- A travel tea infuser for the office
The Top Hat strainer feels delightfully British and makes brewing loose-leaf tea at home a little more fun. The travel infuser was the practical purchase: it lets me take the Fortnum experience to the office instead of saving all the good tea for weekends.
Shipping My Fortnum & Mason Purchases Home
The smartest decision of the afternoon was having Fortnum & Mason ship everything home.
We were in London immediately before a 13-night transatlantic cruise, and I had packed carry-on only. I did not have the suitcase space—or any desire—to haul a growing collection of tea, gifts and accessories onto the Disney Dream and across the Atlantic.
Shipping solved the entire problem. I could shop without worrying about luggage space, and the box arrived around the time I returned home. Opening it extended the fun of the trip by one more day: the gifts went into hiding, and I was able to unpack my own tea haul and enjoy everything again.
I also apparently left London with my own Fortnum & Mason shopping connection. Anne-Marie, the lovely associate who helped me, said she would email after I was home and could assist with any future shopping needs.
This is incredibly convenient and potentially very dangerous for my wallet.
Was Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea Worth It?
For us, yes.
I would return for the setting, the sandwiches, the scones and the opportunity to turn tea into a full afternoon at Fortnum & Mason. I would go in knowing that the sweets may not be the highlight for every palate and that the experience is filling enough that you should arrive hungry.
I would also intentionally leave time to shop after the reservation. The store was not an afterthought; browsing the teas and choosing what to send home became one of my favorite parts of the visit.
Most importantly, I would ship my purchases again. It let me enjoy shopping without spending the rest of the trip protecting tins of tea inside a carry-on.
London may be over, but apparently my Fortnum & Mason era is just getting started.
Tips for Planning Your Own Visit
- Reserve afternoon tea in advance, especially if you have a specific day or time in mind.
- Allow plenty of time for the experience rather than squeezing it between other reservations.
- Arrive hungry. Even when every course is not your favorite, it is still a substantial meal.
- Leave room in your schedule to browse the store afterward.
- If Fortnum & Mason offers shipping to your home, consider using it—especially if you are traveling carry-on only or continuing to another destination.
- If you love a tea in the salon, make a note of its name so you can find the same blend in the shop.
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