WELCOME BACK

Our doors are open again from Wednesday 2 December and we look forward to welcoming you for seasonal shopping and dining in our historic home. Whether you visit us to enjoy breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner at The Fortnum’s Bar & Restaurant, or to go gift shopping in our splendid boutiques, The Royal Exchange offers a calm and considered experience, in spectacular surroundings. For information on the health and safety measures we have in place to ensure you can visit us in confidence, click here.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

The countdown to Christmas has begun and The Royal Exchange is the perfect place to tick off your Christmas list, with a wide selection of luxury gifts to be discovered in our array of boutiques. With presents to suit every personality type, from the adventurer to the gourmand, our Christmas gift guide is sure to spark your imagination with covetable items for even the hardest to buy for. Visit our Christmas site ­– Seek And Ye Find – for curated gift guides, expert edits, festive how-to guides and seasonal wellbeing advice.

FESTIVE GIVEAWAYS

Enter our 12 Days of Christmas competition on Instagram to win exceptional gifts from our coveted brands. We’ll be giving away 12 prizes in the countdown to Christmas to people who deserve an extra-special gift this year, as nominated by our followers. To enter, follow @theroyalexchange on Instagram and check the giveaway posts for terms and conditions.

FORTNUM’S SEASONAL FARE

The name Fortnum’s is synonymous with festive foods and experiences, from its iconic hampers to its mouth-watering menus. The Fortnum & Mason boutique at The Royal Exchange is full of goodies to elevate Christmas to the next level, from hampers laden with luxury groceries, to beautifully presented gourmet gifts including teas, biscuits, chocolates, preserves and fine wines. Meanwhile, the Fortnum’s Bar & Restaurant, situated in our spacious central courtyard, offers festive dining experiences in spectacular surroundings. Click here to discover seasonal menus and dining deals, and how to book. 

INDULGENT DELIGHTS

Ladurée is renowned for its delicate and brightly coloured macarons ­­– which make a perfect gift at any time of the year in their array of flavours and pretty packaging – but the Parisian patisserie and confectioner has many more treats to offer in addition to its signature creations. Visit Ladurée at The Royal Exchange to find edible delights to suit all palates for your festive sweets table, from mince pies and yule logs to chocolate brownies, loaf cakes and seasonal editions of the bestselling macarons. Two vegan macaron flavours – Caramel Coconut and Chocolate Pure Origin – have been introduced to the range just in time for Christmas, as well as a vegan gingerbread loaf cake smothered in dark chocolate. laduree.co.uk

EXTRA-SPECIAL STOCKING FILLERS

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a little sparkle, and these small in size but big in meaning gifts will be sure to light up the face of someone special, should they discover one in their stocking this year.

Vashi’s new Lumina collection is inspired by the light of dawn and the circular nature of life. This rotating disc pendant features pavé diamonds of different dimensions, which refract the light for a playful sparkle. For a more understated look, the plain gold back of the disc can be personalised with an engraved inscription or fingerprint, or left blank for a more minimalist look.

Tateossian is renowned for its unique and eye-catching jewellery designs, and its square gear cufflinks are a best seller. Reimagined here taking inspiration from the architecture of the tiered pagoda towers of South East Asia, the multi-coloured gears spin individually to create a playful and mesmerising effect. Available in rose gold, rhodium and gunmetal.

Bremont’s new Hawking Limited Edition Collection of timepieces pays homage to the illustrious late scientist Professor Stephen Hawkins and his groundbreaking work studying time and the universe. The collection comprises four models (three men’s and one women’s), all featuring design details and materials inspired by Hawking’s awe-inspiring life and work.

Boodles Raindance ring celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The dazzling contemporary design features nine brilliant cut diamonds and has been immortalised as an example of British fine jewellery design as part of the V&A museum’s permanent jewellery collection. A special edition Raindance ring has been created with White and Argyle pink diamonds to commemorate the anniversary. To be in with a chance of winning a Raindance ring, along with other incredible prizes, purchase one of Boodles’ Christmas crackers. Available in-store, the crackers have been created in support of the charity Street Child and cost £20 each. One in four crackers contains a prize, and every cracker purchased covers the cost of a year of schooling for a child in Sierra Leone.

Montblanc’s writing instruments make a treasured keepsake that can be passed down from generation to generation. Its Le Petit Prince editions are inspired by the beloved children’s story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, where an inquisitive young prince from another planet travels the universe trying to understand the people he meets and imparting messages of curiosity, wisdom, kindness and caring. All Montblanc purchases of £250 or more between now and 21 December will be accompanied by a complimentary wireless charger.

For more festive gifting inspiration, visit our Christmas site – Seek And Ye Shall Find – and discover exceptional gifts for every personality type.

STRIKE A POSE

The Royal Exchange has some new visitors who have taken up residence at our main entrance – don’t forget to smile for our newly installed Paparazzi Dogs as you cross the threshold to come inside. Crafted from bronze, these larger-than-life sculptures are the creative expression of Gillie and Marc, a New York-based artistic duo who work together to create a single vision. Designed to highlight the pack mentality of the media, the four Paparazzi Dogs have been travelling the world from New York’s Rockefeller Center to Melbourne’s Federation Square, Shanghai’s Jing’an Sculpture Park and Dublin’s Dundrum Town Centre, before arriving at The Royal Exchange to turn their lens on passers-by in a piece of public art that gives us all a taste of the glare of celebrity living.

For Christmas gift guides, festive giveaways and seasonal activities explore The Royal Exchange’s guide to Christmas: Seek And Ye Shall Find