A Diary of The Events Team

We are forever planning a few months in advance here at Conference Roehampton. It only seems like yesterday our clients were enjoying the sunshine and fun days at Parkstead House and now it is well and truly coat and scarf weather. With less than two months to go until Christmas Day we thought we’d find out our caterers’ favourite item from their Christmas menu and their recommendations for the upcoming festive season. Feast your eyes on this!

For a fabulous festive feast, Chartwells’ Christmas menu includes roasted haunch of wild boar with a toasted nut, apple and stilton stuffing and a ball of hot Christmas pudding topped with rum sauce, brown bread ice cream and whipped cream to really finish you off! 

Penni Black decided to do something a little different this year. "As a company we got a bit bored of turkey and cranberry burgers (still tasty just had too many) so we really wanted to create something special.  We also got fed up that the food got seen as an afterthought and that it was just there to stop people getting too drunk. The 12 Plates of Christmas is what Christmas deserves! One word of warning, make sure you leave some space for the cheese!”

Along with their fine dining Christmas menu, Bubble Food have created some delicious festive cocktails; this Mince Pie Soda Trio would be a great arrival drink to kick start your Christmas party.

Blue Strawberry have some tasty items on their Christmas menu. Beetroot macaroons with soft goat’s cheese and beetroot curd, smoked trout parfait with dill jelly, horseradish mousse, burnt cucumber and rye crumbs, fillet of Scottish venison on toasted brioche, sautéed chestnut mushrooms, honeyed parsnip purée, potato wafer and rich Burgundy jus and to finish prune and Armagnac soufflé with Tahitian vanilla ice cream (which is too good to leave even the smallest scraping) are to name but a few. 

Their top tips for Christmas 2013 are:

• Serve deliciously unusual winter warmers like spiced warm cider.

• Choose Christmas colours with a twist; why not go for turquoise and red gingham print for a fun and modern take on Christmas!

• Add some festivity to your table by dressing it with small touches like ribbon, seasonal flowers, pine cones and dried berries. 

Of course, a Christmas party isn't complete without theming and entertainment. From pretty Poinsettia displays to glimmering candles and live bands to dance all night DJ’s, our fabulous florists and excellent entertainment suppliers would be more than happy to discuss your wants and needs.

If the above has tickled your taste buds and left you craving festivity, give us a call on 0208 392 3505 to book your Christmas Party. 

A Diary of The Events Team

At Conference Roehampton we are passionate about our heritage as our venues are steeped in history . With a little help from the university’s wonderful archivist, Gilly King we thought we’d  take this opportunity to share some of our unique events spaces with you. If you’re looking for a room with character look no further!

 

The Adam Room (circa 1790), was given its name because of its a close resemblance to the style of a Scottish neoclassical architect Robert Adam. As you enter the room your eyes are drawn in particular to the ceiling with its delicate wreaths and scrolls. The splendid double mahogany doors are noteworthy and the chimney piece (which I must add is taller than some of our Conference team!) has a fantastic scene of Hercules choosing the path of duty rather than pleasure, not inappropriate to a room where we hold corporate meetings and high brow discussions!

 

The Richmond Room was once the entrance Hall and ballroom to Parkstead House, and its original purpose still remains very intact as an ideal room for private dinners, events and drinks receptions .The frieze of vases, drapes and lions’ heads reflects the neo-Palladian ideals first seen in Venice. The plasterwork is carried onto the walls which are divided into a series of sunken panels separated by sunken laurel torus mouldings. The neo-classical motifs are only present in the ceiling but the stone chimney piece gives the whole room a neo-classical impact. This chimney piece is the earliest datable example of its type designed by Chambers and carved by Joseph Wilton.

 

 

 

Manresa Hall (1864) previously called the Jesuit Chapel was designed by the architect J.J.Scoles and completed after his death, in 1864, by his pupil S.I. Nicholl. The chapel is described by Pevsner as “... elaborate Italian Renaissance, with marble pilasters, barrel-vaults penetrated by clerestory windows, and arches with top-lit domes decorated by bizarre coffering in different patterns.” (Cherry & Pevsner, p.694). On the outside, the niches were for statues of Saints Ignatius, Francis Xavier, Aloysius and Stanislaus. In the 1870s Henry Clutton designed the north aisle which was added to increase the capacity of the Chapel. The Chapel was deconsecrated in the early 1960s and makes a beautiful setting for civil ceremonies as well as conferences and award dinners. A room we believe is definitely one of Roehampton best kept secrets and that takes your breath away.

 

 

The Ponsonby Room, originally the Library, has a flat-banded ceiling with low relief trophies of the arts and sciences, and owls of Athena and sphinxes. The ceiling was restored during in 2004 and now offers an intimate space for meetings and networking events. It connects through to the Hopkins room which is an ideal syndicate room but was originally a bedchamber!

 

 

 

 

The Bessborough Room was used as the Drawing Room and the ceiling are decorated with reliefs of vases, scrolls and bucrania (ox skulls) often found in classical decorations. The Bessborough makes an exceptional meeting space for small board meetings or intimate dinner parties, with the views overlooking Richmond Park. We just hope your guests don’t spend too long staring out of the windows!

If you would like to hold an event at one of our beautiful, historical venues we’d love to hear from you. Call the office today on 020 8392 3505 to find out more and come visit us!        

www.parksteadhouse.co.uk 

www.grovehouseroehampton.co.uk