- SUMMER DAYS IN THE WORLD OF CRICHTON
The long warm days of June and July finds Crichton’s kitchens full of the noise and sounds of a busy summer. Great baskets of Scottish strawberries are delivered to join wonderful South Kent lamb, Shetland cod and huge bunches of mint, coriander and English thyme, as our fridges and store cupboards are filled.
Dozens of talented chefs poach, grill, bake and roast to create superb seasonal dishes for our clients and their guests.
The food pages of our website profile our newest menu collection, with featured dishes including: Roast Leg of South Kent Lamb with Orange glazed Fennel, herbed Potato Soufflé and a salad of summer Leaves and Herbs, Roast Breast of Chicken stuffed with summer herbs with a hot salad of peas, their shoots and broad beans and a Lemon and Thyme risotto cake with molten Fontina Cheese.
These dishes are all prepared with the flair and talent for which are chefs are so famous and this summer we have cooked for thousands of guests in dozens of locations, a trend which is continuing into the honeyed days of Autumn.
Our unique liaison with Tom Aikens is proving incredibly successful. As one of London’s finest chefs and most talented restaurateurs, we are delighted to be able to offer his great food style to our clients. Tom will design menus specially for our clients and will come to cook for them himself.
- New Faces
We are delighted and excited that Sarah McNeill has been appointed as our new Managing Director. Sarah comes to us from the internationally renowned drinks company Diageo and for the last 8 years has been the Managing Director of several companies including Diageo in the Canaries. As a company we have grown 50% within the last year, our turnover is just under £16m, and with this growth one of Sarah’s first tasks has been to look at how we can run more efficiently and thus deliver an even higher standard of customer care to our clients.
- The Feast of Albion
Held at the Guildhall, this event to raise money for the Soil Association put all our chefs culinary expertise to the test. One of the criteria for the event was that all food was sourced within 50 miles of Tower Bridge and arrived in the most sustainable methods possible. Luckily we have so many wonderful producers in the London area that we had quite a choice, however getting the food to us was another issue!
The menu consisted of Windsor Great Park Venison that was transported by barge along the river Thames, 160kg of organic vegetables were brought to our kitchens on bicycles from North London and nettles for the nettle soup were picked from parks all over London.
Working in collaboration with two chefs who are passionate about local and seasonal food, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Mark Hix – have helped us to develop relationships with many local suppliers who we intend to keep on our books for future events.
- With Royal Approval
By Command of The Prince Of Wales The Admirable Crichton has again been appointed into the place and quality of Caterers to His Royal Highness. Awarded for another five year period The Royal Warrant empowers The Admirable Crichton to display the Three Feathers Badge.
We are delighted to have had our Royal Warrant renewed. Not only is it a great honour but it demonstrates to our customers that we have a sustainable environmental policy and have a commitment to using regional, ethically sourced produce wherever possible. However we are most proud of it as it illustrates the values that we hold dear: impeccable standards, creativity and exceptional service.
- The AC wins at The Royal Courts of Justice
Continuing with our good news, we have just heard that we have won our tender process to work at The Royal Courts of Justice. This means we are now one of their accredited suppliers. We are delighted with this news, we love working at the royal courts so much so we held our own promotional event there a few years ago!
- Superb new venues join AC Places
In the last couple of months we’ve had 4 venues join our top ranked venues website – AC Places.
Forter Castle – built in 1560, sits in the stunning scenery of Glenisla, just over an hour away from Edinburgh. It has recently been restored to its former glory using traditional materials – transforming it into a haven of tranquillity and comfort. Housing its own Chapel, the castle is perfect for small weddings or celebrations.
Village Underground – is a restored Victorian warehouse in the heart of Shoreditch, a few minutes away from the City. It is a fantastic blank canvas set in a building with many architectural features, from its glass atrium ceiling to the brickwork walls of the 19th Century vaults. It is perfect for any type of event as it can accommodate up to 500 people.
Heathfield Park – is a 17th Century Manor house, surrounded by 350 acre walled deer park. Situated in East Sussex, the stunning views from the terrace which runs along the back of the house are over the grounds of the estate, towards the glorious South Downs. The house has 12 bedrooms, so is ideal if you are looking for somewhere to call your own for a weekend!
Café de Paris – opened in 1924 and has since been called ‘the jewel of London’s Piccadilly’. It is a place for indulgence, glamour and style. Grade II listed, the building retains many of its original features from the breathtaking sweeping staircase, to the stunning chandelier, under which Princess Margaret celebrated her 21st birthday. Perfect for a celebration, the Café de Paris can hold up to 700 people.
We are always on the hunt for great new spaces all over the world, and we are often the first people to hear about new venues, so if you are looking for a venue to host your next party visit www.acplaces.com
- Ark Dinner
In June we catered for the hugely prestigious ARK dinner at The Royal Naval College, Greenwich. 1200 guests enjoyed a delicious dinner designed in collaboration with Tom Aikens, which included poached ray wing, black cod and truffle ice cream.
After dinner an astonishing £25.7m was raised for this hugely worthwhile charity.
- At Home
The Admirable Crichton has continued to deliver wonderful food, immaculate design and our usual high level of service to thousands of guests during the Spring and Summer. Our unique brand has been stamped on literally hundreds of great events.
- Abroad
As usual, we have travelled all over the world in the last six months - organising the launch party for one of Europe’s most prestigious new hotels, The Dolder Grand in Zurich, a glamorous wedding in Tuscany, fabulous parties in Venice, the South of France, Monte Carlo and St Petersburg and we are about to embark on a very exciting project in North America.
- The Autumn
It seems extraordinary that the Autumn, early Winter and that special period of Christmas and the Holiday season are almost upon us. Our chefs and designers are busy planning new creative ideas to keep us at the forefront of party organising and catering over the coming months.