The East India Company Returns

Today I was invited along to the grand opening of a new store in the heart of London’s West End specialising in very high quality gourmet food, the reinvented ‘East India Company‘.

Taking their inspiration from the trading company established in the 1600s and which had its heyday during the Raj, when it imported all sorts of exotic items to Great Britain from India and China, the new East India Company has a whole range of products specifically sourced and produced for them that reflect those values and influences. There are a wide variety of teas and coffees, and all of the things that you might choose to enjoy with them – chocolates, delicate sweet and savoury biscuits and preserves. They even have a unique line of mustards and other condiments to enjoy, including their spectacular ‘Bulldog’ mustard – an English mustard fortified with chilli which I had the opportunity to sample, and which I’m sure would be the perfect accompaniment to a prime piece of steak.

Make no mistake though – the East India Company’s products are aimed at the top end of the luxury market, so expect an experience in some ways similar to a visit to Fortnum and Mason (but with much less clutter and more attentive service from the staff) and price tags to match. That being said, for that special occasion or a perfect gift for your tea-obsessed partner, its certainly worth walking through the doors and entering the store’s striking and opulent interior to see what you can find. I shouldn’t overplay the cost either, as its not spectacularly expensive – a pot of one of their exclusive preserves will only cost you five pounds or so, and one of the chocolate bars in their Indian and Chinese-inspired combinations of flavours will leave you even less out of pocket than that.

Just in closing I’ll tell you what impressed me most about the East India Company, and that’s their attitude towards their staff and customers. Having a chat with their Dutch managing director it was quite clear that they understand that employing well-qualified and well-motivated people with a range of abilities is really going to help them connect with their customers which, lets be honest, isn’t exactly commonplace in retail these days. For example, their staff are drawn from all sorts of backgrounds and nationalities that span the globe so, wherever they’ve come from, customers walking through the door are quite likely to find someone who can address them in their native language. I challenge you to pay them a visit and try that out for yourself