London Archives

Celebrating summer with Royal Museums Greenwich

Posted on: May 13th, 2016 by chandco

With summer right around the corner we’re getting in the mood to celebrate and where better to do it than on the bank of the River Thames at the Royal Museums Greenwich venues.

We’ve put together some summer packages to whet your appetite, including offers for events at the world’s last surviving tea clipper, Cutty Sark. Enjoy a cold glass of fizz with some fine food as you soak up the sun on the ship’s deck. What better way to bring in the summer months…

Check out our packages here.

We’ve also included some Christmas offers…don’t be shy, it’s never too soon to plan ahead.

Harbour & Jones Events celebrates the life of chef Sam Sommerville

Posted on: March 3rd, 2016 by chandco

On Monday 29th February 2016, Harbour & Jones Events held a fundraising dinner for the family of chef Sam Sommerville. Sam worked at H&J from May 2014 until his sad death in an accident whilst on holiday in August last year. During his time with H&J he taught his colleagues and peers around him to really love life.

One hundred and sixty guests attended our dinner at The Royal Institute of British Architects to help raise money to support Sam’s children Eva and Charlie over the coming years. Tables were decorated with hula girls, leis, rubber ducks and plastic chickens and a blow up palm tree accompanied guests at the bar. The menu was made up of the H&J awards finalist dishes, the main course being Sam’s own buttermilk chicken and cauliflower, which he named ‘The bird & white curd’.

A cabaret performance by alumni from The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art played Sam’s favourite songs by the Arctic Monkeys and Oasis, whilst a fundraising auction saw guests purchase lots including dinner for eight at home cooked by H&J chefs and a Mercedes Formula 1 cap signed by Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

We were delighted to have the auction further supported by renowned chefs Ollie Dabbous and Jeff Galvin who generously donated lots, including signed cookbooks and tasting menus, with matched wines, at their establishments Dabbous and Galvin La Chapelle. H&J also received huge support from their suppliers with prizes and sponsorship. A special thanks goes to Jascots Wine Merchants whose Ben Scott performed auctioneer duties.

The dinner surpassed our original fundraising target, raising just over £18,000 in total. This money will help support Eva and Charlie during the coming years and the family are hugely appreciative of the effort made towards this.

We would like to thank everyone who attended the dinner and supported this cause.

Good news for Harbour & Jones

Posted on: December 17th, 2015 by chandco

Harbour & Jones acquires Principals Catering Consultants

We would like to share with you the exciting news that the Harbour & Jones family is expanding.

On 15th December 2015 we acquired Principals Catering Consultants Ltd, which trades in both the events and business and industry fields as Fare of London, a prestigious contract catering and venue management business, and Principals Catering, a prominent education caterer.

This exciting initiative forms a part of our next five-year strategy and will allow us to remain both independent and a leader in our field. Harbour & Jones, Harbour & Jones Events and H&J Upfront, along with Fare and Principals, will all continue to trade in each respective market and as separate and distinct brands. Each company is an expert in its field and it would be foolhardy to change what we believe is already a winning approach.

Fare of London and Principals Catering were founded over 25 years ago and are well-established companies, run by respected managers and operators, who we know will add a great deal to our portfolio and experience.

There is also a personal connection with PCC. In his early career Nathan Jones worked for the owner, John Durden, at Principals Catering and later, Fare of London. As John was looking to plan his retirement he wanted to hand on his company to people he knew and trusted, so this agreement seemed the next logical step for both Durden and Harbour & Jones, and an opportunity not to be missed.

“We may be bigger but our values will stay the same: our pursuit of innovation and creativity; our commitment to good nourishing food; our focus on quality and service and our verve.” Patrick Harbour

We have made a video that explains more about our acquisition. You can view this at www.greatcombination.co.uk.

Dîner en blanc hits London

Posted on: August 20th, 2015 by chandco

Imagine a picnic in a secret location with thousands of diners dressed in white, seated at white clothed tables, surrounded by friends old and new. A mass flourish of white napkins signals the start of the feast and then as night falls, sparklers twinkle in the darkening skies as the music and dancing start.

Dreamt up in Paris over 27 years ago, Le Dîner en Blanc has grown from a handful of friends to a worldwide phenomenon, with thousands attending events in cities as diverse as Kilgali and Tokyo.

As appointed caterer for this year’s event, to be held on Thursday September 3^rd, Harbour & Jones Events is preparing gourmet picnics to delight the diners. Our Italian Feast, British Picnic and Vegetarian Feast hampers are packed with homemade treats from our Events Kitchen and are selling fast. If you are lucky enough to have a ticket for this chicest of picnics, don’t forget to order yours soon.

Four venues shortlisted for London Venue Awards

Posted on: August 3rd, 2015 by chandco

Last week brought us the fantastic news that four venues within the Harbour & Jones Events collection have been shortlisted in the London Venue Awards.

The awards were launched this year with the aim of recognising the excellence and exceptional quality offered at different types of venues in London. 20 categories focus on venue distinction, customer service, catering and technology.

We’re extremely proud that RSA House is shortlisted for best conference venue for up to 300, RIBA for best venue 300-600, The O2 for best venue over 1600 capacity and Cutty Sark for best corporate party venue.

The awards ceremony will be held on Friday 16 October at the Emirates Stadium. Very best of luck to the teams at each venue, and hopefully we’ll be reporting back in October with more good news.

In pictures: Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts

Posted on: July 7th, 2015 by chandco

Our first Summer Exhibition event for JM Finn & Co at the Royal Academy of Arts took place in June 2012, with 350 guests. Every year the popularity of the event increases, and this year 7,800 canapes and bowls were circulated to more than 750 guests across all the main galleries.

Inspired by the images in the main galleries, our team created an evening event filled with colour and creativity. Bold coloured bars, painted oil drums with vibrant ombre tipped branches and a feature tree display floated atop golden plinths as a centrepiece to the proceedings.

Our bespoke food stations featured freshly prepared sushi by Rosa, our Harbour & Jones Events sushi chef, Peruvian ceviche, and British meats and cheeses.

Art-themed usherette trays and mini painter’s canvasses were created specifically for this event to showcase a feast of marshmallows, macarons, chocolate-dipped iced fudge and custom-made shortbread paintbrushes.

The Science Museum unveils new events space for limited time only

Posted on: July 6th, 2015 by chandco

The Science Museum in South Kensington is further enhancing its corporate events offer with a new space available for a limited time only. The Wellcome Wing Gallery is available to hire until the end of October and can be used to host conferences, product launches, fashion shows, exhibitions and experiential events.

The new conference and events space has capacity for 450 guests standing and is situated in the same section as the IMAX theatre. The two spaces can be used in conjunction with each other offering a separate area for break outs, exhibitions and drinks receptions alongside a main conference.

Jodie Guilford, Event Sales Manager at The Science Museum, said: “The Wellcome Wing Gallery is an exciting new space for events that we are pleased to now be able to offer clients. It is very much a blank canvas space and the fact that it is only available until October, means it is perfect for exclusive, one-of-a-kind events. The space will be available for dry hire and the events team will be on hand to help create bespoke and unique events that are guaranteed to wow guests.”

With just a limited time to experience the newest events space at the Science Museum, contact Lucy Mears, Sales & Marketing Manager: [email protected] to find out more.

Lipton Ice Tea Summer Stories launch at 41 Portland Place

Posted on: June 15th, 2015 by chandco

50 of the UK’s press were welcomed to 41 Portland Place on 2^nd June for the Lipton Ice Tea Summer Stories screening.

The creative team from The Persuaders transformed the Ann Rylands Room and Terrace into a summer oasis and guests were treated to Lipton Ice Tea ice lollies and ice cream, a summer barbecue and cocktails created to showcase the refreshing summer drink.

A series of short films were shown to launch Britvic and Pepsi Lipton International’s summer campaign for Lipton Ice Tea.

Targeting the brand’s core audience of busy 18-34 year olds, the campaign is centred on a series of London-based events which aim to get Londoners to break from their normal routine and experience their city in a different way. As you may have already seen, the events are supported by advertising, social media activity and experiential sampling.

For more information on Lipton Ice Tea summer events see www.beadaybreaker.co.uk

41 Portland place is the ideal setting for product launches and creative brand events. For more information, drop Maddie a line on [email protected]

Three is the magic number…

Posted on: June 8th, 2015 by chandco

Thursday 4 June proved to be quite the night for Harbour & Jones Events as we hosted three extraordinary events spanning across London. Usually this wouldn’t be such big news, but this time around our teams took to the floors of St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Borough Market for three very different but equally exceptional occasions.

Westminster Abbey took on a Midsummer Night’s Dream theme as the cloisters were transformed with costumed characters, a harpist and magicians to welcome 250 guests. Rhubarb bellinis circled the room along with tempting canapes such as scallop and pancetta lollipops, and smoked aubergine caviar with paprika yoghurt. And as the early evening light faded, our waiters unveiled our trademark pudding walls, filled to the brim with sweet treats including summer berry marshmallows and white chocolate macarons.

Meanwhile, at St Paul’s Cathedral, our teams were busy setting the Cathedral floor for the bi-annual gala dinner. This prestigious banquet pays tribute to 270 distinguished supporters of St Paul’s Cathedral with a spectacular five-course feast. Guests dined on Hereford beef Carpaccio, Pan-seared Scottish cod and a risotto of summer peas before sampling delicate pistachio madeleine’s and finally indulging in vast platters of traditional English cheeses.

 Across the city, under the canopy of the historic Borough Market, revellers took to the floor at Event Magazine’s 18th birthday bash. Our signature street food stalls featured authentic Mexican tapas, Korean steamed buns and a ‘best of British’ picnic stall. Partygoers enjoyed craft beers and pomegranate fizz served by waiters dressed in checked shirts, jeans and wellington boots, embracing the festival-feel of the evening.

Our teams were thrilled to have been involved in three very special events in three unique venues – all in one evening.

Find out more about the iconic venues in the Harbour & Jones Events collection and make an enquiry for your next event by contacting Lucy Mears, Sales & Marketing Manager on [email protected]

Harbour & Jones Events appointed sole caterer at IET London: Savoy Place

Posted on: June 2nd, 2015 by chandco

We are delighted to announce that IET London: Savoy Place is appointing Harbour & Jones Events as their sole caterer.

Providing an enticing range of bespoke day delegate packages, fine dining and event menus to the backdrop of panoramic views of London, we will be serving up to 330 delegates at a time at the IET London’s flagship venue. The announcement comes as IET London moves into the final months of its £30 million refurbishment, which sees the development of a brand new roof terrace that will be available for meetings and private events from October.

Our Director of Food, Gary Mckechnie, will work closely with the soon-to-be appointed Head Chef. They will ensure that menus are carefully tailored to reflect both the venue, and our established credentials for renowned first-class customer service, all-inclusive pricing and innovative event catering.

IET London: Savoy Place has been closed since July 2013 and the major project aims to position IET London: Savoy Place as a first-class event facility and a ‘Global Engineering Hub ‘to IET members and the engineering community.

Sean Spencer, Head of IET Venues and Facilities, says: “Appointing Harbour & Jones puts into place one of the final pieces before we launch this new fantastic product for meeting and event organisers. With the highly innovative and creative approach Harbour & Jones takes to catering we are confident we will have built a first class venue that the industry will enjoy immensely.”

Patrick Harbour, Director of Harbour & Jones Events, says: “We are delighted to be bringing our expertise and experience in the event catering industry to the fore at the stunning new IET London: Savoy Place. Creating innovative and ethically sound menu options with the best that British produce has to offer, we’re excited to find a like-minded partner in IET Venues and Events.”

IET London: Savoy Place will open its doors for internal events on October 16, with the venue fully opening on 1 November 2015.

Be one of the first to hear about this fantastic new event venue by subscribing to our newsletter or making an enquiry.

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