United KingdomOverview
Fortnum & Mason dates from 1707, when William Fortnum, a footman in Queen Anne's household, went into business with his landlord Hugh Mason, and tea became one of its signatures. This sharing calendar gives two servings a day. The tea list runs from Royal Blend (three times), Victoria Grey, Countess Grey, Smoky Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling and Jade Oolong to Rose Pouchong, fruited and flavoured greens and blacks, Christmas Black and Christmas Green, Chai and a Cleanse Infusion.
The biscuits move from Stem Ginger, Traditional Shortbread Fingers and Anzac to Salted Caramel, Chocolate Orange, Irish Cream, Earl Grey Biscuits and Scottish Ling Heather Honey, plus a family of two-to-a-serving 'lossus' biscuits (Chocolossus, Toffolossus, Gingerlossus, Mochalossus, Merrilossus). Dark Chocolate & Macadamia Nut contains macadamia, and all biscuits are produced where tree nuts and sulphites are handled.
Taste & variety
The tea list is a proper Fortnum's shelf: Royal Blend three times over, Victoria Grey, Countess Grey, Smoky Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling, Jade Oolong, Rose Pouchong, Green Tea with Mandarin, Elderflower, Lemon and Mango, Black Tea with Vanilla, Strawberry, Peach and Fig, a Christmas Black and a Christmas Green, Plum, Apple & Cinnamon, Chai and a Cleanse Infusion.
The biscuits range from Stem Ginger, Traditional Shortbread Fingers, Anzac and Scottish Ling Heather Honey to Salted Caramel, Chocolate Orange and Pistachio & Clotted Cream, with a family of 'lossus' biscuits packed two to a serving.
Pairing is the premise, and it is a pleasure to be told what goes with what.
Packaging & gift appeal
Fortnum's page gives numbers where it could have given adjectives: 24 pairings, 48 silky tea bags, 88 biscuits. Most biscuits come in fours, with the Chocolossus family packed in twos, so each day has a different handful on the plate.
Think about where it will live before it arrives. A calendar that holds a month of biscuits belongs out of reach of the tree's lowest branches and of anyone who cannot count to the right door.
The pleasure is in eating the biscuit that belongs to today's tea, and in the argument over who gets the last Stem Ginger.
What is in the box
48 silky tea bags and 88 biscuits across 24 tea and biscuit pairings, two servings a day. The biscuits are produced in an environment that handles tree nuts and sulphites.
Key features
- 24 matched tea and biscuit pairings
- 48 Fortnum's silky tea bags
- 88 biscuits, from Stem Ginger to Scottish Ling Heather Honey
- Two servings a day, for sharing or enjoying solo
Our verdict
Forty-eight silky tea bags, 88 biscuits and the unspoken instruction to sit down together once a day. The best use is for two people, and the worst is an office desk with no mugs. Fortnum's name is doing real work here, because the biscuits are as much the calendar as the tea.
What we like
- Fortnum's teas and biscuits together in one calendar
- Pairings chosen so tea and biscuit complement each other
- Two servings a day, for sharing or solo
A few things to know
- Two servings a day is a lot of tea and biscuits for one person
- Biscuits carry tree nut and sulphite warnings
Questions about Fortnum & Mason Tea & Biscuits Sharing Calendar
What is in Fortnum & Mason Tea & Biscuits Sharing Calendar?
24 doors. 48 silky tea bags and 88 biscuits across 24 tea and biscuit pairings, two servings a day.
