Shopping in style

Time Well Spent May 2, 2024

Farlows of Pall Mall has always been a box to tick for fly-fishing visitors to the Capital. The iconic country sports store has just undergone a major refurbishment, having signed a new long-term lease for its grand Monopoly board address. 

Inside the Grade II listed former bank, an “aqua feature wall” has been created from natural materials, a glowing, rippling watery backdrop to the ornate ceiling. 

Farlows CEO, Robin Philpott, said, “The inspiration is the natural world. The colours evocative of the riverside or lakeside environment and of the fishing or shooting lodges we choose to spend time in.” 

Mr Philpott said the refit had been a “significant financial investment”, but the store now “feels a lot bigger than it ever did” and he hopes it will “meet the expectations of our customers”. 

Farlows, established in 1840, has an eclectic clientele. You might find yourself picking flies alongside a tycoon on their lunchbreak or an actor between matinee and evening performances. The staff offer trusted advice for weekends on the chalkstreams, salmon weeks in Scotland and outfits for far-flung travel.  

The new look extends across four floors. The basement displays wading and fishing clothing; the ground floor has fishing tackle; the first mezzanine is for fieldwear and shooting; and the second mezzanine is devoted to Patagonia. Centrestage in the double-height atrium are an impressive quiver of double-handed rods.  

Tackle-shops are important physical meeting places in a digital world and Farlows regularly hosts events for London fishing societies. Amid a tough High Street environment, many anglers will hope its new presence is a success.