Visiting Prince Philip House was the second time in as many weeks that I was attending an event born from the Harbour & Jones Family. The last trip, Tonic’s experiential catering under investigation was a truly amazing evening so this one now had very high expectations to live up to.
The entrance to Prince Philip House shouted renovation, it was shiny with sharp new marble lines. I loved the vibrant purple and blue hues of the lighting and the resonating beats of the music.
Cocktails were being served and I indulged in a Cosmopolitan whilst preparing my camera. The concept of the evening was “Stovewars”. Three of the H&J chefs went head to head with their different food stations, with the winner decided by the visitors through a social media poll (I Love Social Media).
There were three rooms jam packed full of very colourful and diverse culinary offerings. The first leg of my taste bud adventure was the Seafood Room. The Under the Sea station offered up a treasure chest of scallops, salmon, tuna and crab displayed dramatically and combined in alluring fashion.
My favourites were the Prawn Cocktail shots and the beetroot cured salmon pictured below.
Then onto something savoury, trying desperately to avoid the stunning purple lit parade of hanging baubles offering sweet mouthfuls distracting you from entering the second room, naughty sweeties!
On arrival in the second room of my adventure was the Chefs Against Toast station. An array of savoury morsels such as Lamb with a chickpea pancake, topped with mint jelly.
Goats cheese mousse, olive powder and a basil sponge presented themselves in a Jackson Pollock style. It was truly food art.
After trying all the doughnut flavours, the spinach and goats cheese being my favourite, and just one more bloody mary sphere with celery foam, off to the third Room I go.
In the distance lay a huge table of sweet temptations, accompanied by the super-quick freeze anti-griddle. The nitrous mini-milk ice-creams and the blackcurrant sorbet lollipops caught my eye immediately, making me wish I wasn’t wearing slim-fit jeans or hadn’t eaten so many doughnuts.
After putting the camera to bed, I found myself at the Gin Bar, with the Harbour & Jones team rightly celebrating the success of the evening. I’m not normally a gin girl but I just had to say hello to the hand-made rhubarb syrup gin combo.
After a great night, atmosphere, products and company, it felt like the lights came on far too soon. When I recently reviewed Tonic’s experiential catering at The Science Museum and finished my review saying ‘I enjoyed being involved, experiencing and observing experiential catering’. My latest experience of visiting Prince Philip House simply underlines Harbour & Jones’ experiential credentials.
Thanks all involved for another great night.
Majella
Restaurant Openings and Reviews Editor, Majella O’Connell