A Toast to the Year – A Tour of Food and Drink
As we approach the end of the year, we always enjoy looking back at some of our favourite moments. When it comes to food, the seasons naturally guide us and our team of talented chefs love nothing more than to create menus, events and experiences. Join us as we take a look at what our teams got up to in the kitchen in 2022!
SPRING
Spring Menus
Our spring menus featured a bounty of vibrant seasonal produce, from fresh spring greens to Yorkshire rhubarb. We sourced lamb from Pusey Farm in Oxfordshire, which we served with Jersey Royal potatoes, wild garlic and steamed asparagus, as well as a delicate Chalk Stream trout, which we paired alongside crayfish, peas and broad beans.
Kitchen Gardens at The Soho Hotel
In March we created a rooftop kitchen garden at The Soho Hotel, to join our existing kitchen gardens at Ham Yard Hotel and Crosby Street Hotel. Brimming with vegetables, salads, and herbs from kale to courgettes, you’ll regularly find these Soho-grown delights on the menu at The Soho Hotel’s restaurant, Refuel. Using freshly picked produce from our own gardens is a real joy. These ingredients go from roof to table in a matter of hours and travel no more than a few feet on their journey!
Out of the Cellar
In April we launched a new series of wine dinners at Covent Garden Hotel, designed to celebrate the most innovative and renowned wines from regions around the world. Starting with the volcanic vineyards of the Canary Islands, we then headed to France to sample a series of home grown Champagnes and the hallowed Burgundian grape, Pinot Noir, before ending the year in Northern Italy with the bold and full-bodied Nebbiolo. Keep an eye out for more Out of the Cellar dinners in 2023.
SUMMER
Summer Menus
As spring turned to summer we embraced leafy greens, fresh seafood and aromatic herbs. From spaghetti alle vongole to marinated scallops with salted cucumber, red chilli, lemon and rosemary, we created simple dishes that were artfully cooked to allow the flavours to really flourish. Our terraces, courtyards and gardens came to life with guests enjoying these light summer dishes with a glass of something chilled. It was a pleasure to see.
Platinum Jubilee
We celebrated the Platinum Jubilee at Covent Garden Hotel with a limited-edition Jubilee Afternoon Tea, which included homemade scones, Victoria sponge, violet macarons and a specially-crafted ‘Lilibet’ cocktail.
Joe’s Jubilee Coronation Crab Salad
We also joined Firmdale Hotels’ Group Executive Head Chef, Joe Fox in the kitchen whilst he shared a celebratory recipe – Joe’s Jubilee Coronation Crab Salad.
Bread & Butter: Tea for Three
In the UK, National Cream Tea Day is celebrated in June and Kit joined Food FM’s Caroline Kenyon to talk about the evolution of afternoon tea and why it makes us happy.
The Art of Beekeeping
Our much-loved Ham Yard Hotel bee colony was celebrated this summer with a series of events on the ‘Art of Beekeeping‘. We were joined on the roof terrace by the hosts of ‘The Queen Bees’ podcast, Esther Coles and Jane Horrocks who shared stories of their beekeeping adventures along with advice on how to nurture these clever creatures in our own gardens. Honey cocktails and canapes were served using honey from our very own hives.
Soho Feast
In June we joined an array of local restaurants at Soho Food Feast, a food fair that raises money for Soho Parish School. On our Ham Yard Restaurant menu was native lobster mayonnaise on a seaweed scone, spiced panisse with Wigmore, peas and cured egg yolk and a dark chocolate brownie with raspberries.
Aperitif Menu
At Dorset Square Hotel, we brought one of Italy’s most beloved traditions to the heart of London, with a new aperitif menu. Guests were treated to an array of handcrafted classics from an Aperol spritz to a garibaldi, along with a complimentary small plate from the bar. Salute!
AUTUMN
Autumn Menus
Autumn arrived and we turned our minds to hearty, wholesome dishes that celebrated the season’s finest offerings. From squash soup with wild rice and sage, which we served at The Crosby Bar, to smoked duck with fig, heritage beetroot, goat’s cheese and dandelion, which could be found on the menu at Haymarket Hotel’s Brumus. We loved the colour and creativity that shone through in these dishes.
Frieze Masters
In October Ham Yard Restaurant & Bar appeared for the first time at Frieze Master’s in Regent’s Park, surrounded by some of the world’s finest contemporary art. Our Executive Head Chef, Joe Fox, created a tantalising selection of dishes that embraced the late summer harvest, bringing together traditional British cuisine with a contemporary flair. We also gave the pop-up restaurant our own Design Studio flair by incorporating some of our favourite fabrics from our collections with Christopher Farr Cloth.
‘Back to Nature’ Afternoon Tea
With autumn attired in its brightest colours we paid tribute to the natural world at a very special Beatrix Potter themed event in the Orangery at Number Sixteen. Hosted in collaboration with the V&A Museum, guests were treated to a fascinating talk from Helen Antrobus, Co-curator of The V&A’s recent ‘Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature exhibition’, as well as a one-off ‘Back to Nature’ Afternoon Tea.
WINTER
Champagne & Caviar in New York
In New York we hosted a luxury Champagne & Caviar tasting masterclass at The Whitby Hotel with Louis Roederer Champagne and Petrossian Caviar. Guests were guided through different types of caviar, each of which was paired with a matching Champagne.
Master Chef Success
We were so proud when our very own Sous Chef at Charlotte Street Hotel’s Oscar restaurant, Tasoula Gramozi, reached the quarter-finals of BBC’s ‘Master Chef: The Professionals’. Well done Tasoula!
Thanksgiving
We always want our hotels and restaurants to feel like a home away from home, so we were delighted to have so many of you join us with friends and family for Thanksgiving. We served a special Thanksgiving menu with traditional turkey and all the trimmings, as well as an array of extra dishes for the table including mac ‘n’ cheese and collard greens.
Festive Menus
December is always a wonderfully busy time with our hotels and restaurants fully decorated and filled with guests celebrating the season. You’ll find festive dishes on all our menus throughout December, as well as Christmas day feasts for those celebrating with us on the day. Take a look at what we’ve got planned here.
Thank you for joining us on a tour of this year’s food and drink highlights. Let’s raise a toast to 2022!
