The Boltons

The Boltons began as a surprising commercial enterprise for a confectioner named James Gunter. In the early nineteenth century, Gunter owned a famous chocolate shop in Mayfair that served the British aristocracy. To keep his kitchens stocked with the fresh fruit needed for his high-end jams, jellies, and summer ices, he purchased this land and transformed it into a sprawling network of fruit farms. Strawberries, raspberries, red currants, and apricots were harvested here and transported across London to satisfy the refined palates of his royal and noble clientele.