and mason keeping the fortnum and mason is a british store. is it not. it's been here for ages so i assumed it was wholly owned by british people. never mind everything's ok now you know the reason that things are beginning. to almost half the companies in the u.k. and now in foreign hands the coalition government in britain likes to talk about the march of the makers have a march of the makers if we're selling of all that is good household names like boots the chemist cadbury's chocolate and weetabix cereal have all been gobbled up by foreign corporations your traditional bacon butty hardly imaginable without h.p. source the name stands for houses of parliament the label even has westminster on it but the white house might be more fitting h.p. now belongs to heinz and as you're spreading your hartley's jam or your son pat peanut butter over your morning toast you might be surprised to learn that these british brands were just bought up by another american company in fact even thames water which comes out of every single tap in and around lond