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Christmas At 34 Bloomsbury – Our Inspiration 1024 535 Four Gables Group

Christmas At 34 Bloomsbury – Our Inspiration

You may have seen that we have teamed up with our friends at 34 Bloomsbury for Christmas to create awesome events to celebrate the festivities. We sat down with Head Chef Steve to gather his thoughts and to find out where the food inspiration for our Christmas menus started.

Q – When did the planning start?

We sat down in late July when it was 35 degrees outside to bring our thoughts together around Christmas – in the hospitality world that is when Christmas starts for us. It feels very strange arranging tasting days with cranberry and stuffing when we should be firing up the BBQ!

Q – Tell us more, where did the menu inspiration come from?

We wanted to create “our version” of Christmas, we didn’t want to simply suggest the traditional turkey and xmas pudding. We all sat with a coffee in one hand and a pen in the other to write down our own personal memories of Christmas, given we are all chefs they were mostly around food. You would be on the right lines if you thought “not eating bounties in the celebrations” & “the brandy not flaming properly over the xmas pudding”.

From there we took those concepts and expanded on them until we got to the menus, they are playful takes on festive food concepts.

Q – What is your favorite dish?

For me, it is all about “the purple one” we wanted to take Quality Street and make it into a restaurant dessert. You will find it on our fine dining menus and out of all the creative things we have done this year I am more proud of that.

34 Bloomsbury | Sustainability | 34 Mile Menu 683 1024 Four Gables Group

34 Bloomsbury | Sustainability | 34 Mile Menu

We were delighted to collaborate with our friends at Plain Jane Events at the launch event of the wonderful new venue 34 Bloomsbury. The team at The 43 Club created a range of wonderful cocktails to reflect the building’s character. When taking your first step through the door at 34 Bloomsbury you will be greeted with a building exuding class and elegance – we think its own description does it perfect justice.

“Welcome to 34 Bloomsbury, a newly renovated 1850’s Georgian townhouse in the heart of Bloomsbury. Combining an elegant contemporary style with a rich heritage, the space offers four rooms across two floors, as well as an urban garden to host a variety of events.”

When we sat down with the team at Plain Jane Events we wanted to create a menu concept that was current and creative. We came up with a 34 mile menu for 34 Bloomsbury, as such all aspects of the menu we sourced with 34 miles of both our HQ and 34 Bloomsbury. This allowed the kitchen team to get creative with the best of the southeast. Our suppliers were incredibly helpful and we wanted to champion their amazing work as such small quotes were in pride of place to explain more about their production methods among much more.

34 Miles Of Amazing Producers

Wild Tenterden Trout – Modern, sustainable fisheries that create amazing produce using traditional methods.

Kevin and Alison Blunt make Golden Cross goats cheese from their own goats milk which are fed only on pasture or hay.

East end crab – pot caught off the Sussex coast.

Using traditional techniques, High Weald dairy produce English feta in West Sussex.

Forman & Son is part of the Forman family of companies spearheaded by H. Forman & Son, the world-renowned smoked salmon business that dates back to 1905 perched on the side of the river Thames.

Meadow Vale in West Sussex allow their birds to roam free – maturing at 7 months rather than inventive farming the quality is second to none.

The Alexander Family have been farming in the Darenth Valley since 1892 when James Alexander brought down 17 milking cows on the train from Ayrshire in Scotland.

During the late 1980s Mark and his parents, Guy and Audrey, established a flock of 150 British Friesland sheep and ever since have produced award winning cheese at High Weald.

Watts Farms create all their produce with sustainability at its core – they are all about soil composition when it comes to courgettes.

CURED TENTERDEN TROUT | CREAM CHEESE | CAVIAR
BLACK BEETROOT MACAROONS | GOATS CHEESE
PICKLED KOHLRABI DISC | EAST END CRAB | HERB POWDER
COMPRESSED MELON | WHIPPED FETA | BLACK OLIVE DUST
SMOKED SALMON ‘LOLLIPOPS’ | BLACK APPLE JELLY
SHREDDED DUCK BAO BUNS | PICKLED GINGER | BLACK SESAME
BLACK GARLIC | KENTISH BEEF | NASTURTIUM
KENTISH PEAR | CIDER VINEGAR GEL | BLUE CHEESE | WALNUT
WHIPPED RICOTTA | COURGETTE | CHARCOAL CRACKER
Seasoned 2023 1024 768 Four Gables Group

Seasoned 2023

Take a look at ‘Seasoned 2023’. The brochure is the backbone of creating the perfect food experience for your event. It is designed to be the starting point when making your food selections.

‘Seasoned’ is chock full of suggested dishes. At this point, it’s important to say the menus are guides, not absolutes. You can mix and match and use our expertise to get creative with your own event. Using seasonal produce is important to ensure you get the best possible quality and freshness in every dish. Once you’ve had a chance to have a look at ‘Seasoned’, join us for a chat in the office with a glass of wine and let’s get excited about food and cocktails!

Our job is to create your vision and ensure that your event is everything you want it to be. Our ethos is food theatre with each of your guests being part of the show. It is our job to perform and ensure people remember your event as something truly special.

You can visit ‘Seasoned 2023’ here.

The Four Gables Award Winning Touch

We caught up with David (Director) last week about his thoughts on our new menus, he had this to say “We are really looking forward to bringing all of these concepts to life. Steve and the team in the kitchen have done a wonderful job curating a range of dishes that scream of creativity and elegance. We are looking forward to seeing you and your guests experience them.”

Digging Deep With The Tipsy Food Company 1024 596 Four Gables Group

Digging Deep With The Tipsy Food Company

So, just in case you didn’t know we have just launched our sister company – The Tipsy Food Company. Of course, having your own gin and rum doesn’t hurt when you’re an events company! You can expect to see plenty of The Tipsy Food Company spirits at Four Gables events, from innovative new gin cocktails to delicious rum-based desserts. Well, it’s only fair if events clients get to get ‘Tipsy’ too!

The great thing about this is that it gives us a chance to do what we love doing – getting creative with new ideas! Our brand new food concepts will add fun new tipsy twists to our canapés, sharing plates, sit-down meals, and sweet treats alike. Gin-cured salmon, rum chocolate mousse? Don’t mind if we do!

And of course, this also means our events clients are making a difference around the world too. Our ‘Drop for a Drop’ campaign isn’t limited to drinks bought from The Tipsy Food Company website – every bottle drank at a Four Gables event will also see one pound donated to Dig Deep. Suddenly that extra cocktail at your wedding or party sounds like an even better idea! Click me to learn a bit more about our partnership with Dig Deep.

It’s Time To Celebrate The New Normal… Boutique Events 1024 684 Four Gables Group

It’s Time To Celebrate The New Normal… Boutique Events

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m David, Managing Director at Four Gables. The last few weeks have looked very different for all of us. Personally, I have loved the cherished time spent at home with my family. Although, it’s definitely fair to say that I’m better at managing a business in hospitality than home schooling. Now the tide is starting to turn, it’s time for me to return to the helm and start planning what the future will look like at Four Gables.

We are just as committed to you, the customer, as we have ever been. We are also prepared for whatever the world will throw at us in the next few months. It has taken us a while to envisage a path to “the new normal” and I guess in practice we are all going to continue to adapt as more information becomes available. For now, we have been working hard to find the right way forward and I am delighted to say that with government guidance, now is the right time to spring into action!

It will not come as a surprise to you that all of our pre booked events during this Spring and Summer have been cancelled or postponed. It has been our policy to be as helpful as possible during this scenario. All of our clients have put their faith in us and I have received many heartwarming messages to say “thanks for being so understanding, positive and proactive”.

Recently the government have (and we are to understand will continue to) relax the lockdown measures. So we are now confident we can take tentative steps forward. Things will obviously start small and we are now having conversations with clients pulling together small gatherings ready for the green light from the Government.

What does this mean for now?

We know that you are keen to spend time with friends, colleagues and family, so we have created three concepts that will work for small numbers (ideal for your ‘bubble’ of close friends and family). You can see more about the concepts below. Thinking about doing something different? perfect, take a look here for some inspiration.

We have already a number of these small intimate events booked over the coming weeks and I can’t tell you how much we are looking forward to getting things back on the road.

I am looking forward to seeing you soon,

 

David

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Take a look at the brochure below that will tell you a bit more about how we are going to deal with the challenges of social distancing etc…

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Close your eyes and imagine, you are in your garden, it’s a warm summers day. You have a mojito in one hand and a slow cooked pulled pork slider in the other. Perfect!
For parties of any size (restrictions allowing) this is perfect to get friends and family together while staying socially distanced. All you need is some relaxed seating and we will do the rest (bringing the BBQ itself and all equipment including glassware, cutlery and crockery). We can deliver a wonderful event while minimising contact. To ensure we deliver a seamless event, it is likely we will need to provide (depending on numbers) one front of house staff member and one chef on site.

 

From the grill

Pulled pork slider with red cabbage slaw and paprika mayo
Ras el hanout and honey glazed chicken
Grilled coconut and lime mackerel parcels
Coriander and garlic chicken skewer

Rocket, parmesan and walnuts with mandarin aged olive oil
Asian noodle salad with sesame and soy
Panzanella salad with ciabatta croutons
Truffled potato salad with spring onion and crème fraîche
Roasted beetroot, carrot and fennel with orange dressing

 

Something Sweet

Baileys tiramisu
Cocktail lollies – mojito | peach bellini | bucks fizz

 

*Let’s chat about cocktail options to sit alongside the grill

 

So, hopefully you are thinking “this sounds good but how does it work”. The Grill is priced at £39.00 per person. Shall we chat further, click here to get in touch.

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Think Wimbledon / afternoon tea – glass of champagne in one hand and a warm scone laced with jam and clotted cream in the other. This is all about finesse. For parties of any size (restrictions allowing) this is perfect to get friends and family together while staying socially distanced. All you need is some relaxed seating or maybe a few rugs scattered around the garden and we will deliver the individually personalised hampers, designed to be given to each person.

The hampers can be delivered prior to guests arriving to minimise contact. That said, with potential drinks options, we suggest one member of our front of house team to be on site to ensure we deliver a seamless event.

 

Something Savoury

Poached and smoked salmon with lemon and dill mustard on dark rye bread

Roasted black leg chicken, walnut, lettuce & smoked mayo on granary bread

Roasted scotch sirloin, fresh horseradish cream & tomato on onion bread

Grilled red peppers, smoked hummus and rocket on brown bread

Truffled egg mayonnaise with chives on dark rye bread

Spinach and cheddar quiche royale

 

Something Sweet

Selection of scones

Botanical gin and tonic drizzle cake

Giant jammy dodgers

 

*Let’s chat about cocktail options to sit alongside the hampers

 

So, hopefully you are thinking “this sounds good but how does it work”. Strawberries and Cream is priced at £35.40 per person. Shall we chat further, click here to get in touch.

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So, if you are anything like us, you have probably missed the ability to get together with friends and family.
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When we were thinking about unique events you will enjoy, we got chatting about resurrecting something from the Food Academy days (you may not know but we used to run a cookery school). Making pasta was our most popular course by miles. So why not gather a group of 8-16 friends and family together and our chefs come over to teach you how to roll pasta and turn it into a dish worthy of a Michelin Star.
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All this will be accompanied by a cold bottle of beer, glass of bubbly or cocktails of your choice. We can roll pasta both inside and outside and we will bring all the equipment. Learn how to make the perfect pasta dough. Create an array of different pasta including spaghetti and pappardelle.

Then it is time to get creative as we roll tortellini and ravioli – how about stuffing them with roasted butternut squash, sage and comte?

As if rolling them wasn’t enough, its got to be time to eat by now, right? We will cook and present your pasta and leave you to enjoy the rest of the day with your friends and loved ones.

 

So, hopefully you are thinking “this sounds good but how does it work”. The Masterclass is priced at £49.50 per person. Shall we chat further, click here to get in touch.

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We know that the last few weeks have created a great deal of uncertainty for individuals and businesses alike, we are in a great position as a business and are hugely excited about the opportunities on the backside of all this. That said in my role a big part of what I do is to ensure our clients feel comfortable booking with us, as such given the current scenario our stance has been and will continue to be that if any event is disrupted in any way by Covid-19 any deposit will be returned in full immediately or we are more than happy to move to a more suitable date. My hope is that this will give you the confidence to book your event with Four Gables without any financial risk. If you have any questions about any of this, just drop me an email.

 

Click here to drop me an email

Virtual reality? 1024 620 Four Gables Group

Virtual reality?

“Because we live our lives more and more detached from the physicality of reality — through our phones, we are detaching ourselves from the reality of life,” he says. “I wanted to work to bring us back to the realness, and eating is one of the most real things you can work with.” Casalengo.

For a while now, we’ve been fascinated with virtual reality and its application in the food industry. The technology has been around for a while, but its use in entertainment is definitely still in the infant stages. We love the potential this technology brings to our industry. Food has always been a sensory delight and people are always looking for different ways to enjoy it.  We think virtual reality is the logical next step.

Virtual reality provides an opportunity for you to enjoy all kinds of things about the food you are eating. We can show you where your food came from, it’s provenance and the way it is prepared. All with added theatre and excitement. Your senses will be astonished at the experience. It will become a different way of eating. 

This reality dining experience is trippy

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We need your help…

We would love to know what you think about virtual reality. Is this something you are interested in? Would you attend a virtual reality gastronomic event? Would your guests be delighted by the concept or is this something that needs more exploration? May we ask you to spare us a couple of minutes to give us your impression? We are hugely grateful. 

Click here to drop David an email. 

Seasoned 2019 1024 449 Four Gables Group

Seasoned 2019

‘Seasoned 2019’ is officially launched.

The brochure is the backbone of your food experience.  It will tell you a little bit about us and what we love and give you a place to start for your food selections.

There are a whole range of suggested menus.  We should say that these are guides, not absolutes.  We are not fans of the ‘set’ menu and cannot think of anything worse than churning out the same stuff over and over.  So, once you’ve had a chance to have a look at ‘Seasoned’, come and join us for a chat in the office with a glass of wine and let’s get excited about food and cocktails!

Fundamentally, our job is to create your vision and ensure that your event is everything you want it to be.  Our ethos is food theatre, each of your guests are part of the show and it our job to perform and ensure people remember your event as something truly special.

You can visit ‘Seasoned 2019’ here.

Arias under the stars 1024 451 Four Gables Group

Arias under the stars
Last week we headed off to Belgrave Square Gardens in London to cater for an inaugural opera themed dinner.
 

‘Arias under the Stars’ was organised by the Belgrave Square Garden Events Committee in association with The Hari, the Grosvenor and The Berkeley hotels, London.  

We were honoured to be their chosen caterer.

 


Guests started with canapés of Mortadella and Goats cheese parcels; crisp tiger prawns with arrabiata dip; Dorset crab and oregano cones and mozzarella bonbons.  The Italian theme continued with sumptuous artichoke and ricotta stuffed gnocchi served with wild mushroom cream and garnished with shaved Parmesan.  Dessert was mocha tiramisu with milk chocolate foam.

 

Guests drank cocktails courtesy of the magnificent Blue bar at The Berkeley Hotel and Rémy Martin while enjoying the performance of the singers from The Ritz London.

It was a magnificent affair, enjoyed by all and we were delighted to be invited to be a part of it.

A magical night of cinema… 1024 683 Four Gables Group

A magical night of cinema…

… prosecco* and street food?  Happily, you can enjoy just that at Painshill Park this Friday 17 and Saturday 18 August.  We are teaming up with the fab guys at Painshill to provide you with the perfect evening to share with friends.  Relax in front of the film, shown under the backdrop of the Gothic Temple, and enjoy street food and a full bar provided by Four Gables.

The weather forecast looks perfect and treats to tempt you (along with ‘The Greatest Showman’ on Friday and ‘Star Wars – The Last Jedi’ on Saturday) include pulled pork, Cumberland sausage ‘hot dogs’ and buttermilk fried popcorn chicken, all served with a salad buffet.

‘The Greatest Showman’ is sold out and so, if you have a ticket, we’re really excited to see you then.  Tickets are still available for the Saturday night direct from Painshill Park and you can check out their website here.

 

*other drinks are available 🙂

Canapés and Cocktails 1024 408 Four Gables Group

Canapés and Cocktails

Years ago I was lucky enough to enjoy a wine tour of the vineyards of the Napa Valley.  At the time, it was a very unusual ‘holiday’ thing to do – a perfect inclusion to a trip to France or California but unheard of in the UK (I’m very old!).

These days, of course, things are different.  Very different as it happens.  With vineyards and distilleries mushrooming all over England (Scotland spotted this market years ago!) there are lots of opportunities for alcohol related tourism.  One such venue we are always very happy to visit is the Bombay Sapphire Distillery at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire.   If you have never been there, you’ll never get a better excuse than their ‘Summer Cocktails and Canapés’ evening on Friday 31st August from 7pm to 11pm.

Here is what Bombay Sapphire say about it…. ‘Bombay Sapphire will be serving cocktails and canapés in the grounds of the distillery and you can choose your cocktails using the aroma cards in the Botanical Dry Room.  The experience includes a welcome cocktail as well as 2 additional cocktails, further drinks can be purchased in the Mill Bar and we canapés will be available throughout the evening.  This experience is in partnership with Four Gables Group and is available for over 18s only’.

So there you have it – it will be a fabulous evening and we hope to see you there.

UPDATE: Tickets for the event have now sold out.  You can read more (and find out about more Bombay Sapphire events) here.

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