Fortnum & Mason

Fortnum and Mason is identified by its distinctive Eau de Nil—or Nile water—blue-green color, which has been the brand's signature since the eighteen forties. Located on Piccadilly, this institution began in seventeen oh seven as a grocery store founded by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason. William Fortnum had served as a footman to Queen Anne, and he famously turned his royal employment into a business opportunity. Because the Queen demanded fresh candles every evening, Fortnum was permitted to collect the discarded half-burned wax, which he then sold for a profit to fund the new enterprise.