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December 22nd, 2011 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda
By
Emma Reynolds
Last updated at 3:39 PM on 22nd December 2011
Hundreds of families expecting to tuck into a luxury feast this Christmas will be disappointed after Fortnum Mason admitted many of its famous hampers will not arrive in time.
The iconic British store blamed ‘severe’ IT problems for its failure to deliver – but its website makes no mention of this on the homepage and still suggests customers place orders for New Year.
The Piccadilly company, which was opened in 1707 by Hugh Mason and William Fortnum, sends thousands of hampers costing up to £5,000 around the world every Christmas.
Left waiting: Hundreds of customers will not receive their gourmet hampers in time for Christmas
Each is stuffed with the most
decadent of festive treats, from gourmet food and vintage champagne to
tea and pampering beauty products.
But
thousands of hampers are still sitting in the warehouse, shattering the
hopes of present-buyers who have shelled out a small fortune for one of
the wicker baskets, which are each emblazoned with the classic black FM logo.
‘Due
to a number of circumstances, Fortnum Mason is experiencing
severe issues with its IT infrastructure, causing delays with its
Christmas deliveries,’ the retailer told The Telegraph.
‘Everyone, from the managing director to the temporary Christmas staff, is working hard to correct the problem.’
Despite
drafting in 100 extra customer service staff and more employees for its
warehouse team, the world-renowned store is set to fail many of its
customers.
Special delivery: The Windsor Hamper contains Darjeeling tea, truffle oil and store specialities such as rose petal jelly while The Ultimate Christmas Hamper includes bottles of Dom Perignon and Graham’s Vintage Port
It has promised
to provide refunds to those who ordered their hampers in good time and
still do not receive them by Christmas Eve.
However, this will be little consolation for those who have to go hunting for a new gift.
The problem is apparently down to the combination of a new computer system and a tripling of trade over December.
Many Fortnum’s employees will be forced to work overtime, the company admitted, in order to get at least the majority of the hampers out in time.
Overstretched: Fortnum Mason have disappointed their loyal customers with the Christmas chaos
The firm’s signature hamper, popular with the royals and celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, is described on the company’s website as ‘the ultimate indulgence at Christmas – filled with edible and drinkable delights and luxuries, it is quite the best thing to find on your doorstep on a snowy morning.’
The £5,000 Imperial Hamper is packed with the most extravagant treats, including Beluga caviar, foie gras truffles, cognac butter, a magnum of Cristal 2002 and a 32-year-old whiskey.
There are hampers tailored to suit men and women, with the Merry Gentlemen’s Hamper containing port and a handy corkscrew and the Beauty Box ‘for ladies’ providing truffles along with rose and champagne scented hand cream.
Fortnum Mason says it has two rules: ‘Everything inside must be the finest of its kind; and there must be a Fortnum’s hamper for everyone.’
One hamper – named the Highgrove – is made entirely with products from the Prince of Wales’s estate.
Another has been created especially for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Each container is decorated with a colourful re-imagining of the Queen’s beasts, and the Jubilee Musical Biscuit Tin plays the national anthem.
The hamper also contains a Queen Elizabeth pudding and Majestic Marmalade sprinkled with gold leaf.
Customers who have ordered the English Essentials Hamper at £110 may feel be most upset if they fail to get what they wanted for Christmas. Those excitedly anticipating Fortnum’s classics such as Earl Grey Classic Tea, Hot English Mustard and Lemon Curd at their dinner table will not appreciate being let down by a British institution.
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I wouldn’t pay £5000 for a hamper even if I won the lottery, people who do must have more money than sense!
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Oh they’ll just have to go round to Tom and Barbara’s and have a home-made Christmas instead. Much more fun!!
– Sandra, Galway, Ireland, 22/12/2011 13:14
I like Sandra’s suggestion
Those that have everything, now have nothing.
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I was shopping at Fornums at the end of November, and they were having IT problems then.
– Kay, London, 22/12/2011 16:00
Why is this posting being red flagged. I don’t shop at Fortnums but don’t care that anyone else does.
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Lesson for all – always have your ladder stocked up.
– liz, London, 22/12/2011 13:11
Errrrrr, I’d rather have my larder stocked up. Who stocks food on a ladder?
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Ah, yes, blame IT. It’s an easy get out clause for their own incompetence. Not that I feel sorry for any of the customers.
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One will tone this down a little ; ( using the third person singular is far less pompous than the DM leads us to believe ) … DM needs to concentrate on all the errors which they print on a daily basis !
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Can’t the idle sods just get up off their big fat backsides and go down to the shops like everybody else has to do!?
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I was shopping at Fornums at the end of November, and they were having IT problems then.
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Try Lidle,they sell smoked salmon and champers!
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Can’t afford big things there but ordered a few small gifts – or tried to. Website wasn’t working properly back in November. I then ordered by phone, the package took much longer to arrive than it have done and some of the little boxes were scruffy, dusty and dirty. That was the first and last time I will ever buy anything there.
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