A diary of the Events Team

Conference Roehampton, with the support of Chartwells, were proud to host the Association of University Directors of Estate conference in April 2014.

As part of this event we created the Members Dinner held in the stunning Manresa Hall, Parkstead House. The brief to Chartwells was clear; this evening was the culmination of the event and so we needed to go out with a bang! After months of preparation by Chartwells Chefs Academy under the auspices of Chartwells Executive Chef, Andrew Walker we created a concept “first to the future an eclectic journey of trending foods” and gave our guests  “an experience of a lifetime!”

The mouth-watering menu is below:

Pink grapefruit and champagne espuma

A forager’s plate

Potted Morecambe bay shrimps with a north sea fish broth

Smoked new season lamb with a carrot gastric

Chucky egg and soliders

Flaming tonka bean crème brulee

Classic British heritage cheese

Iced petit fours

To create such an evening we needed a host, a ringmaster, someone who would in fact create an evening like no other and Chef Andrew Walker was our man. Having 26 years experience and a strong leader in developing the food experience that is at the forefront of trends seen in the hospitality sector, Andrew is now using his menus across ou r University partners in student dining rooms and in fine dining.

Assisting with this event were a group of chefs who have trained and worked in the UK’s leading restaurants. These include Le Manoir aux Quatre Saisons, The Fat Duck, La Gavroche and the Summer House. This mix has seen them work with stars of the restaurant world such as Heston Blumenthal, Joel Robuchon and Raymond Blanc.

Their skill and expertise combined to deliver an evening of exciting flavour sensations and the latest trends in the culinary world. The dinner was billed as First to the Future and was a showcase for both the University and Chartwells.

The chefs came from the following Universities: Tom Barker – Bournemouth University, Tony Murphy - University of East London, Luca Nervi – University of Sussex, Yousseff Kaidi – Oxford Brookes University, Doug Carter – Univers ity of Roehampton, James Hart – Group Executive Chef Midlands Universities and Paul Smith – Chartwells Development Chef. The evening was delivered by our hospitality manager Lindsay Reeves.

At the end of the evening as the Chefs carried in the petit fours, served on toques made of ice, they received a standing ovation. Completely justified; the food was truly delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed the chucky egg dessert!

A Diary of the Events Team

New Years’ Resolutions; we all make them and we all break them. If you’ve made a resolution to eat healthier or more environmentally-friendly food, these tips and predictions for 2014, might make keeping your resolutions  easier then you first thought!

After tempting your taste buds late last year with our various Christmas menus, we’ve asked our caterers for their take on healthy eating and trends that they believe will make 2014 a fabulous year for food!

found that 2013 was a year where we wanted to know a lot more about our food, particularly where it is sourced from, and they anticipate that this will gather more attention in 2014. To comply with their values of sourcing food locally, and the produce being seasonal and  sustainable, Penni Black have created four seasonal dinner menus - delicious and delicate dishes for spring; light and fresh for summer; robust and wholesome for autumn; and hearty dishes for winter. Dishes include mini parmesan crumbled kiev with roasted tomato compote and rosemary scented squash.

also believe that 2014 is the year where suppliers will need to be even more environmentally aware, both regarding the ingredients that are being used and the eco-friendly practices that they commit to. Bubble have always been about making eating not just an experience for the palate but one for all the senses and they predict that this year will see a move towards sensory experiences, where smells and sounds are used to create drama.

our in-house caterer are a big believer in kick-starting your day with healthy option breakfasts. Schmoose your guests with smoothies- banana and summer berry are among some of the favourites. Or if you have a full day ahead of you, keep going with slow release carbs from a muesli and yogurt bar or porridge, topped with fruits, seeds and nuts.

Chartwells strive to use the highest quality, freshest ingredients, incorporating seasonal, local, sustainable produce where possible. They are committed to reducing the fat, salt and sugar levels in our food whilst minimising and eliminating, where possible, the use of artificial additives. 

So avoid the peaks and troughs of the caffeine curve and sugar rush brigade, stay focussed for longer and deliver better results.

Food is fuel. Fill up with the right stuff and enjoy your day ahead.

believe healthy food doesn’t have to mean bland food.  Check out the  recipe below to see if they’re  right!

This month they’ve used seasonal ingredients to create a healthy salad, that’s bursting with flavour. The blood orange isn’t in season for very long but it is packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Calcium, Folic Acid and Anthocyanins so get your hands on it while you still can and make a delicious blood orange, fennel and prawn salad.

Serves 4

Prawns Marinade                                Dressing                                                                                                         Salad     

2 blood oranges - zest only                  ½ medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped                                           2 blood oranges

1 tbsp fennel seeds - toasted               80g palm sugar (use honey or Agave Nector if you don't have any palm sugar)       1 large bulb fennel – very finely shaved

Pinch saffron                                     60ml fish sauce                                                                                               ½ cucumber peeled and finely shaved

2 tbsp. olive oil                                 ¼ cup fresh blood orange juice (about 1 orange)                                                ¼ red onion, peeled and finely shaved

16 Tiger prawns – peeled & deveined   ½ tbsp. fresh lemon juice                                                                                2 large handfuls wild rocket & watercress

                                                        Salt and freshly ground black pepper                                                                Chopped green fennel tops                                                                                                                                                                                                      4 tsp. shredded mint leaves

Method

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Marinate the raw prawns overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing.

Fry the prawns in a pan until cooked – approx. 1 minute on each side. Set aside.

Peel and segment the oranges from the pith.

Slice the fennel, cucumber and red onion using a mandolin if you have one. Otherwise carefully slice to slithers with a sharp knife. Toss with half of the dressing and reserve the rest for garnish.

Add the orange segments and all the leaves to the fennel salad just before serving.

Arrange 4 prawns on each plate with the fennel salad. 

Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Notes:

You can replace the prawns with 125g soft curd or goat’s cheese for a different option.

When blood oranges are out of season, you can replace with regular oranges which are a little larger or seeds from 1 pomegranate and use 2 tbsp. cider vinegar instead of the juice.

We hope the above have been an encouragement to your healthy eating resolutions. If you make the Blue Strawberry recipe, please tweet us pictures of your efforts @parksteadhouse.

To book your healthy, sustainable and all-round tasty catering and events, please call the Conference Office on 020 8392 3505 or email conferences@roehampton.ac.uk. 

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