Latest news with #FortnumAndMason
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Rough sleeper on billionaire's row claims his wealthy neighbours LIKE him living on the steps of Britain's most expensive house and feed him despite his camp trebling in size
A £5,000 Fortnum & Mason hamper, designer Armani and Tom Ford clothes and dozens of vibrant house plants. Those are just some of the lucrative items amassed by Anders Fernstedt over the last few years. They are housed in what is now a sprawling estate on billionaire's row in London 's Knightsbridge But the 57-year-old is not a millionaire, nor does he even own a home on the exclusive street. Rather, Fernstedt has been sleeping rough on the steps of Britain's most expensive home after losing his job - with his newfound accommodation having trebled in size in the space of just one year. The Swede, who hails from the tiny town of Borås, an hour outside Gothenburg in Sweden, arrived in the UK 1996 to study at Edinburgh Botanic Gardens having worked in the USA in software development at the dawn of the World Wide Web. He has no family and after allegedly being made redundant and losing his houseboat he found himself destitute with nowhere to go. Despite a rocky few months which saw him convicted for an assault involving swans and banned from Hyde Park, Fernstedt appears to be living the high life - working out on gym bars he found in the street and showering for free in nearby Victoria. He also receives donations including food and clothing from neighbours, who he claims actually like him living there. Fernstedt lives in the portico of an abandoned and gutted 45-room £210 million 'private palace' spread over 60,000 square feet. It is Britain's most expensive home and allegedly owned by the disgraced Chinese billionaire and Communist Party Secretary Hui Ka Yan. He has no family and after allegedly being made redundant and losing his houseboat he found himself destitute with nowhere to go. The eccentric Swede told MailOnline: 'Now I'm part of the neighbourhood, yesterday I had two or three different meals. 'The council listens to other people's complaints but the neighbours have sorted it out, they like me here. The council comes by every so often, has a chat and see you later.' A golf-style umbrella keeps the rain off his belongings but it is not fool-proof, having had most of his belongings drenched in the storms over the weekend. Trouble is few and far between but he blames several incidents of saboteurs moving his belongings on his new-found recognition. 'They don't damage or steal, but things are moved or knocked over, people are strange', he says. Fernstedt now spends his days immersed in novels by William Dalrymple and economists and has created an encampment complete with a mattress, wardrobes, dozens of plants and soft toys. He works out on gym bars he found in the street and can pull off a variety of impressive gymnastic moves for passers by. He showers at a location in Victoria and can use the bathroom at a nearby church, which he attends as a practicing Russian Orthodox Christian. Fernstedt also says, despite his living situation, he is looking for love - and has already had some interest. 'If you're asking how I explain things if I invite somebody over, well maybe I have! I should keep that to myself but I will nod my head in all directions. 'To put it this way, I'd say in the three years in the parks, maybe twice have I thought I could get married today. There have been two or three people. 'Of course, to paraphrase Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I would like to find the everlasting gobstopper. 'I wouldn't be accused of kissing swans in the Crown Court if there wasn't love in my heart, right!' 'I'm not here for a reason, I am here because nobody that I know can put me elsewhere - it is a "who knows?" situation', he explained. Westminster City Council say Fernstedt intentionally made himself homeless. In June, the 57-year-old became the subject of an extraordinary Crown Court trial after being caught embracing swans in Hyde Park. Southwark Crown Court heard how Fernstedt 'stroked, cuddled and kissed' after enticing the birds with food which drew the attention of swan volunteer Jon Ferguson, who warned the Swan-lover Fernstedt he could spread Avian flu if he carried on. When local resident Viriginia Grey filmed the Fernstedt's swan embraces, he rammed his bike into her causing her to tumble. The court heard as Mr Ferguson apprehended Fernstedt, the Swede attacked him, leaving him needing stitches on the inside of his mouth, blurred vision and in need of painkillers for his bruised ribs following the March 30, 2023 incident. Fernstedt was sentenced to a 15-month community order with a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement which the judge said would focus his mind. He is now banned from Hyde Park's Kensington Gardens and was slapped with a restraining order against his victims, whom he must not contact for two years. Following the four day trial, where he represented himself, he remains defiant and has decided to teach himself the law of the land with old law school textbooks. He said: 'The great irony is why people had to go to war with me because I hugged the bird? 'The legal system is so convoluted. The unbelievable thing is that it was exactly as I anticipated, all I need is one enemy somewhere and they win. 'What he [the judge] said about me and my conduct and character are the funniest things I've heard. In a way, that was my graduation here in London!' The 2023 fracas in Hyde Park is not the only swan-related chaos Fernstedt has found himself embroiled in. 'A week ago I was chased out of Barnes Green by two pensioners because of the swans!', he recalls laughing. The Swede believes he has an affinity with the Royal-protected waterfowl and admits he misses interacting with them, claiming how a friendship with a swan 'is a great gift'. Fernstedt's background remains somewhat of a mystery and he is coy about many aspects of his life. Answering cryptically to a series of questions about his childhood, he said: 'The best thing for a child is benign neglect. It was all the stuff a boy needs, sports, nature and no dangers.' During his conversation with MailOnline, a Russian man approached to shake Fernstedt's hand, explaining how he sees him at services and congratulated him on his ascetic lifestyle. Asked if he's happy, Fernstedt, who wears cashmere socks in bed, replied: 'Yes I am. I smile a lot, I laugh a lot. 'I'm not running from anything, I'm also not running to everything. I'm not my own enemy. 'I live like I'm retired, I'm not stuck in the past or future.'
Telegraph
26-06-2025
- Telegraph
Tea fraudster claimed he'd invented the ‘Bag for Life'
A fraudster who conned luxury businesses into buying tea he claimed was grown in Scotland lied that he invented the 'bag for life'. Thomas Robinson made more than £550,000 by tricking customers such as Fortnum & Mason and Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel into buying 'Scottish-grown tea' that was actually from abroad. He also conned aspiring tea growers by selling them plants he claimed had been 'specially engineered' to grow in Scotland's climate – but in reality they had been bought in from Italy. The 55-year-old, who was known to his many customers as Tam O'Braan, spun an elaborate back story claiming among other things that he was a former bomb-disposal expert, had lived in the Amazon and sold tea to customers including Kensington Palace. He also lied about inventing the ' bag for life ', a recycling initiative pioneered by Waitrose in the late 1990s. 'Hubris and arrogance' Robinson, a father-of-four, of Dalreoch Farm, Amulree, Perthshire, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail at Stirling sheriff court via video link with Low Moss Prison, where Robinson is being held. He denied defrauding tea growers, hotels and tea companies between 2014 and 2019, claiming that paperwork he could have used in his defence had been destroyed in a flood and his electronic records wiped. Robinson added: 'I've time to wrestle with this over sleepless nights in my cell. Hubris and arrogance led me to believe I did my best. 'I hope my actions have not detracted from the truthful success that can be achieved for people who want to grow tea in Scotland.' The court heard that Robinson ordered tea plants from a nursery in Sussex called 'Plants4Presents' and planted them in the kitchen garden of a rented former sheep farm near Loch Tay. Robinson claimed to have found a way to make his tea flourish in Scotland using a 'special biodegradable polymer', which prosecutors said resembled black bin liner. He said he had given a presentation on his methods to the Royal Horticultural Society, and began supplying Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel with what he described as authentically Scottish single-estate tea. The tea menu at the Balmoral's Palm Court, based on his descriptions, boasted: 'Our Scottish grown teas come from gardens in our farming heartlands in Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway.' They had names such as 'Dalreoch White', 'Silver Needles', 'Scottish Antlers Tea', and 'Highland Green'. 'Not a victimless crime' Robinson secured deals to supply single-estate Scottish-grown tea products from his own plants and other tea gardens but in reality he bought over a ton of tea grown abroad that was repackaged and sold on. The court heard a kilo of African tea could be sold for 100 times its cost if passed as grown in Scotland. The scam began to unravel early in 2017 when Perth and Kinross council checked on whether he had a food processing licence and Food Standards Scotland launched an investigation. Robinson was told by Keith O'Mahony, the sheriff, that he had carried out a fraud using 'significant, determined and sometimes complex planning'. Imposing the jail sentence, Mr O'Mahony said he wanted to emphasise that Robinson's crimes were 'not victimless'. He said: 'Witness after witness gave evidence that they would not have transacted with [Robinson] had they known the true position regarding the providence of the plants and the tea leaves. 'Numerous individuals keen to develop a possible tea-growing occupation were persuaded by him on the basis of false pretences to hand over significant sums of money. For all these reasons the only appropriate disposal is a custodial one.'
The Sun
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
UK's most iconic department store plots its first shops outside London after 318 years in business
THE UK's most iconic department store plots its first shops outside London after 318 years in business. The upmarket store currently has four UK stores that are all based in the capital. 2 2 Fortnum & Mason was established 318 years ago in 1707 and was founded by William Fortnum, a footman for Queen Anne, and Hugh Mason, his landlord. The pair started operating from a small store in St James Market and a spare room in Mason's house. The store quickly became known for its innovative and high-quality products, appealing to the tastes of the affluent and aristocratic clientele. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Fortnum & Mason expanded its offerings, becoming a purveyor of fine foods, wines, and spirits. Currently, Fortnum & Mason has stores in Piccadilly, St Pancras station, the Royal Exchange in Bank and in Heathrow Terminal. But now the upmarket department store is thinking about venturing outside of the capital. The retailer said earlier this year that it was no longer seen as a 'Christmas focused' business as shoppers were snapping up its luxury food products to 'stock their own larders' throughout the year. The retailer's chief executive Tom Athron told The Telegraph that he would be interested in having branches 'up the spine of the country'. He said the business would look at sites in a 'beautiful location' with 'beautiful architecture'. 'This isn't about ubiquity. But there are other locations across the country where we think that Fortnum could offer both retail and restaurants, where it would be relevant. The Viking Centre: Britain's first American-style mall faces demolition "And we're looking at those now,' Athron said. The news comes as the retailer says there is a surge in demand for its luxury teas, biscuits and jam. The store underwent a significant refurbishment in 2007, celebrating its 300th anniversary with a rejuvenated look that honoured its storied past. History of Fortnum & Mason Fortnum & Mason was established 318 years ago in 1707. It was founded by William Fortnum, a footman for Queen Anne, and Hugh Mason, his landlord. The pair started operating from a small store in St James Market and a spare room in Mason's house. The department store eventually set up shop at its current location at 181 Piccadilly. One of Fortnum & Mason's earliest claims to fame was its invention of the Scotch egg in 1738, a portable and filling snack ideal for travellers. The store quickly became known for its innovative and high-quality products, appealing to the tastes of the affluent and aristocratic clientele. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Fortnum & Mason expanded its offerings, becoming a purveyor of fine foods, wines, and spirits. It was also during this period that the store became renowned for its hampers, which were meticulously curated and became a staple of British festivities and picnics. These hampers were often sent to British troops during times of conflict, providing a comforting taste of home. By the Victorian era, Fortnum & Mason had firmly established itself as a symbol of British luxury. The store's association with the royal family was further cemented when it was granted its first Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria. This distinguished honour recognised Fortnum's as a supplier of goods to the royal household, a tradition that continues to this day. The 20th century saw Fortnum & Mason adapting to the changing times while maintaining its commitment to quality and tradition. During both World Wars, the store remained open, offering solace and a sense of continuity to Londoners. Post-war, the store further diversified its range, introducing new departments and expanding its international reach. In more recent years, Fortnum & Mason has continued to evolve, embracing modernity while preserving its heritage. The store underwent a significant refurbishment in 2007, celebrating its 300th anniversary with a rejuvenated look that honoured its storied past. Today, it offers a wide array of products, from gourmet foods and fine teas to exquisite homewares and beauty products. It offers a wide array of products, from gourmet foods and fine teas to exquisite homewares and beauty products. is set to open more shops. Earlier this year ASOS also revealed plans to relaunch a Topshop website. .
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fortnum & Mason plots first UK stores outside London
Fortnum & Mason is plotting its first UK stores outside of London after a surge in customer demand for regular top-ups of luxury teas, biscuits and jam. Tom Athron, the chief of the luxury retailer, said he would be interested in opening stores 'up the spine of the country', adding: 'We do like the idea of stepping beyond Piccadilly [where it has its flagship store], and certainly stepping beyond London.' Fortnum & Mason currently only has four UK stores – including at St Pancras station, a 'tea salon' in London and Heathrow Terminal 5, as well as one site in Hong Kong. Opening outside London would mark the first time the Royal grocer has set up a permanent UK base away from the capital in its 318-year-history. Mr Athron did not say where a new Fortnums could open – but said he would look at sites in a 'beautiful location' with 'beautiful architecture'. He suggested Fortnum would probably consider opening one or two outposts, adding: 'This isn't about ubiquity. But there are other locations across the country where we think that Fortnum could offer both retail and restaurants, where it would be relevant. And we're looking at those now.' It comes as the retailer said it was no longer seen as a 'Christmas focused' business, with customers using Fortnum & Mason to 'stock their own larders' throughout the year. Fortnum & Mason earlier this month launched a new membership scheme – with those signing up to the 'Friends of Fortnum's' programme getting access to tickets for dining events as well as free delivery. Mr Athron said any new store away from London would 'remove the barriers' for the membership scheme and allow members to attend these events. Fortnum & Mason will also look at opportunities to open more airport stores, with Mr Athron saying: 'We would love the opportunity to have shops and restaurants in every terminal at Heathrow.' The plans come despite signs that households are slamming the brakes on spending, amid concerns over the economy. Figures from the British Retail Consortium last week suggested retail sales rose by just 1pc in the year to May. Mr Athron said Fortnum was not seeing a drop in demand. He said: 'What we tend to find is that when people become more judicious in the way that they spend their money, they switch out handbags and trainers for small luxuries they can take home – things like a really special jar of jam.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fortnum & Mason plots first UK stores outside London
Fortnum & Mason is plotting its first UK stores outside of London after a surge in customer demand for regular top-ups of luxury teas, biscuits and jam. Tom Athron, the chief of the luxury retailer, said he would be interested in opening stores 'up the spine of the country', adding: 'We do like the idea of stepping beyond Piccadilly [where it has its flagship store], and certainly stepping beyond London.' Fortnum & Mason currently only has four UK stores – including at St Pancras station, a 'tea salon' in London and Heathrow Terminal 5, as well as one site in Hong Kong. Opening outside London would mark the first time the Royal grocer has set up a permanent UK base away from the capital in its 318-year-history. Mr Athron did not say where a new Fortnums could open – but said he would look at sites in a 'beautiful location' with 'beautiful architecture'. He suggested Fortnum would probably consider opening one or two outposts, adding: 'This isn't about ubiquity. But there are other locations across the country where we think that Fortnum could offer both retail and restaurants, where it would be relevant. And we're looking at those now.' It comes as the retailer said it was no longer seen as a 'Christmas focused' business, with customers using Fortnum & Mason to 'stock their own larders' throughout the year. Fortnum & Mason earlier this month launched a new membership scheme – with those signing up to the 'Friends of Fortnum's' programme getting access to tickets for dining events as well as free delivery. Mr Athron said any new store away from London would 'remove the barriers' for the membership scheme and allow members to attend these events. Fortnum & Mason will also look at opportunities to open more airport stores, with Mr Athron saying: 'We would love the opportunity to have shops and restaurants in every terminal at Heathrow.' The plans come despite signs that households are slamming the brakes on spending, amid concerns over the economy. Figures from the British Retail Consortium last week suggested retail sales rose by just 1pc in the year to May. Mr Athron said Fortnum was not seeing a drop in demand. He said: 'What we tend to find is that when people become more judicious in the way that they spend their money, they switch out handbags and trainers for small luxuries they can take home – things like a really special jar of jam.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
