At number 181 of Bond Street you can see the historic site of Fortnum & Mason, which was opened in 1707 and to this day remains renowned worldwide for its luxury gastronomy. Its founder William Fortnum was a simple coachman who had the idea of reselling used candles from the royal residences to ladies-in-waiting. Lacking funds to start his business, he partnered with his landlord Hugh Mason and they founded a grocery store. At the shop they offered exotic products imported by the East India Company to the aristocrats who lived around Piccadilly, starting with tea and spices. They began to accumulate an unstoppable fortune which you can still see today in the shop's elegant and luxurious rooms!
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