Must Read Hints and Tips For Planning a Private Dining Event!

There is a lot of tiny details to plan for when hosting a private dining experience for your guests that are often forgotten about, don't worry, we are here to help, with our hints and tips from our planning experts that will make your dinner unforgettable.

What time to dine and how long should reception drinks last?
How long should your guests be kept schmoozing and enjoying reception drinks before they get to eat? We would recommend having a short reception with a glass of fizz or cocktail and then go straight into the dinner or a longer reception with some delicate canapés to keep guests from getting hungry before they are seated.

What are the dietary requirements? Are children attending?
Dietary requirements are very common. Check if any of your guests are coeliac, vegan, vegetarian, allergic to seafood or nuts. Choose your menu, then a few other dishes for those with special requirements. Our menu has a thought of everyone section that has dishes suitable for all requirements to make sure every guest is catered for and doesn't miss out. Don't forget if children are attending you will need a suitable main and dessert for them.

What drinks for the reception?
From Prosecco to champagne to sparkling wine to cocktails it can be difficult to decide on a reception drink that is a crowd pleaser. The best way to decide is to do a tasting and choose something that is easily drinkable. If your event has a special theme it is a nice idea to do a cocktail that represents that theme. For example, if you were having a 1970's party it might be nice to serve a retro Rob Roy on arrival.

Which wines to serve with your meal? red or white?
In your tasting of food and drinks choose a white and red wine, you will always need both. Choose something that is popular with a majority of people, not a really sweet flavoured wine or overly dry something that will please the crowd. It is also good to choose your wines based on what goes well with the main course dish of your menu. We can give great recommendations of wines from our wine list that pair perfectly with our catering.

What seating plan do you want?
There is the layout of the tables, rounds, squares, one long table to think about and who will sit next to who. It is usually better to have people sit with familiar people at social events, it allows them to relax and enjoy easy conversation. At corporate dinners, it is nice to get like-minded people to sit next to each other so they can network in a new or the same industry.

The Top Summer Event Planning Tips You Need To Read

The summer is a wonderful time of year to throw a bash, with longer evenings and the warmer temperature your guests will be in high spirits to let their hair down, enjoy cocktails and celebrate.

Create atmosphere with lighting
Clever lighting makes a party more enjoyable, think about your home and how you use lighting and candles to create different moods, playing with lighting is key to a successful event. Whether you choose to inject drama into your event using bold colours or create a magical ambience with fairy lights and candles, lighting effect's the mood and environment of your party. Our Bermondsey venue Tanner Warehouse has a terrace lit with coloured bulbs, making it a perfect addition to summer parties, especially when the sun falls, it is a lovely place for guests to take a break from the warehouse and get lost in the warm summer evenings.
 

Food suggestions and cooling cocktails
Casual style menus are popular for summer events, try a BBQ, a spit-fire roast or fish and chips to feed your guests, informal canapés such as mini burgers, sausages on sticks and summer fruit cups are also perfect light bites for when it's warm. For the booze, Infused gin and jugs of Sip Smith Summer's Cup on a hot summers day or simply filling a container with ice and cold beers and ciders are ultimate crowd pleasers. Our brand new Spring Summer Menu has an additional BBQ package perfect for summer events, with grilled sausages, burgers, chicken or prawns, delicious potato and pasta salad sides, all the baps and wraps, sauces and smashed avocado, it is the ultimate summer event feast.
 

Spice up your event with a theme
Themed summer parties are engaging and memorable. They can be bright, colourful and extravagant or simply a colour theme that reflects a brands logo, themes create an exciting atmosphere for your guests to get lost in the event. Our City venue Banking Hall hosted the London Summer Events Show in February, the place was decked out in a summer theme using the best of London's suppliers. The environment was colourful and memorable, reflected in everything from the entertainment, colours, catering and drinks. 
 

Wet weather and heating
It may be Summertime but in the UK we can never be sure that rain won't hit. Especially if your event is outside, getting a heated marquee or arranging some sort of shelter is important to keep your guests warm and dry when Summer rain hits. Make sure you book a venue or arrange shelter and heaters incase of the typical British weather hitting unexpectedly.
 

Top 5 Ways to Spoil Your Mum This Mother's Day

Every year we feel that Mother's Day springs upon us out of nowhere. Year after year there is always a guilty rush to your local M&S for another bunch of flowers and the biggest chocolate selection box you can find. Want to really show your Mum how much you appreciate her this year? We have put together our top 5 ways to spoil your mum this Mother's Day. Whatever your budget and whatever her taste, show her how much you love her with these simple ideas.

If you are away for Mother's Day create a little I-owe-you coupon for one of the below and treat your mother to it later on in the month.

1) Let there be Brunch
 

What better way to celebrate your mum than taking her for a boozy brunch? Treat her to burgers, buns and booze at our lively Tanner & Co. A great idea to get all the siblings together for an afternoon of sharing funny stories about Mum, indulging in delicious Tanner grub and not knowing when to stop with the bottomless booze. See our brunch menu here.

2) Get the little ones involved
 

Got little ones in the family? Help them cook a delicious breakfast for Mum, serve it to her in bed with a good cuppa tea. Children get so excited about treating their Mum or Granny and it's a great way to start a lovely day of pampering. How about flipping up some of our best pancake recipes. Fun for the kids and a delicious treat for your Mum.
 
3) Tea-riffic day
 

Take your Mum for afternoon tea at Six Storeys on Soho, available for Mother's Day only! Let her experience an afternoon tea like no other. With a menu full of English favourites with a unique twist. Indulge in Scotch eggs, mac 'n' cheese balls, Bakewell tarts and more whilst also enjoying a coupé of prosecco. One not enough? upgrade to Bottomless fizz, wine and punches.

4) Mix it up
 

Leave the I-heart-Mum mug to one of your less imaginative siblings, give her something she really wants to drink with, one of our in-house infused spirits. Available to purchase from Six Storeys on Soho and Tanner & Co, take home a small bottle of one of our spirit infusions for your Mum to try at home. Get her to mix it up with tonic or bitter lemon for a fancy tipple or pour it pure for to give her a kick... let the Monday morning hangover commence.

5) Feast your eyes on this
 

Happiness is quite literally a home-cooked roast by your Mum, but it's time to give her a Sunday off. Treat her and bring the whole family down to Tanner and Co for a Sunday Roast with a glass of fizz, book in advance for a table of four and Mum dines feee.. Indulge in prime cuts of British meats, Yorkshire puddings, goose fat roasties that might even top Mums, seasonal veg and jugs of proper homemade gravy!

For all booking enquiries for Tanner & Co and Six Storeys on Soho please contact
hello@camm-hooper.co.uk or call our reservations team on 020 3763 7429

Are You Sweet or Savoury? Pancake Day Recipes You Will Love!

Pancake Day is just round the corner. The one day a year nobody can say anything if you have pancakes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. However, here at Camm and Hooper, pancakes aren't just for a day, we recommend you get this page bookmarked and start flipping all year round. We've got irresistable crêpe recipes from our head Chef Alan Lucas.

Will you be sweet or savoury? Tag @cammandhooper to show us your creations!

Butternut squash, goat's cheese and rosemary pancakes

Ingredients
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 rosemary sprig finely chopped
1 egg
300ml milk
25g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
250g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small cubes
100g vegetarian goat's cheese, crumbled into small pieces
Handful pumpkin seeds

Method

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, rosemary and a good pinch of salt in a large bowl. Beat the egg with the milk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and whisk in the milk mixture and melted butter to make a thick, smooth batter. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Over a medium heat, add a knob of butter and 1 tsp oil to a large pan, then add the butternut squash and cook for 10 mins until tender, turning the heat up for the final few mins to brown a little. Remove batter from the fridge, add the goat's cheese and squash, then carefully fold everything together.

3. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan, then, in batches, add a ladleful of batter per pancake. Allow to cook for 3 mins until bubbles cover the surface, then flip over and cook the other side until golden.

Pancakes with roasted rhubarb and vanilla crème fraîche

Ingredients

For the pancakes
55g/2oz plain flour
Pinch salt
1 free-range egg
140ml/5fl oz milk
Oil for frying

For the Rhubarb
450g pink rhubarb cut into 4cm pieces
85g caster sugar
3 tbsp honey
Finely grated zest and juice 1 orange
2 vanilla pods
4 pieces of stem ginger, cut into thin shards

For the vanilla crème fraîche
1 tsp icing sugar
200ml crème fraîche

Method

For the pancakes

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together the egg and milk in another bowl the. slowly pouring the liquid into the dry ingredients, whisk together until the batter is smooth. Set aside and leave 20 minutes.

2. To make the pancakes, heat a 20cm/8in crêpe or omelette pan until very hot, drizzle in a small amount of oil and tip the pan to swirl the oil around. Ladle in about two tablespoons of batter mix and immediately tilt the pan from side to side to get a thin, even layer of batter to cover the base of the pan. Cook for around 30 seconds until the underside is golden then flip or turn with a pallet knife.

For the rhubarb and crème fraîche

1. Heat over to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Put the rhubarb pieces into a bowl and add the sugar, honey, a squeeze of orange juice and 3 tbsp water. Mix well, then lay the pieces flat in a roasting tray. Split the vanilla pods in half, then scrape out the seeds and reserve for the vanilla crème fraîche. Add the vanilla pods to the rhubarb, then bake in the oven for 30 mins.

2. Meanwhile, stir the vanilla seeds and icing sugar into the crème fraîche. When the rhubarb is cooked, drain the juices into a pan, then boil to thicken slightly. Mix the rhubarb with the stem ginger and juices, then spoon over pancakes. Top with a spoonful of vanilla crème fraîche and a sprinkling of orange zest.

3. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together the egg and milk in another bowl then, slowly pouring the liquid into the dry ingredients, whisk together until the batter is smooth. Set aside and leave for 20 minutes.

4. To make the pancakes, heat a 20cm/8in crêpe or omelette pan until very hot, drizzle in a small amount of oil and tip the pan to swirl the oil around. Ladle in about two tablespoons of batter mix and immediately tilt the pan from side to side to get a thin, even layer of batter to cover the base of the pan. Cook for around 30 seconds until the underside is golden then flip or turn with a pallet knife.

Don't have time to make your own this Shrove Tuesday? Pop into Six Storeys on Soho lobby bar all day for fresh crepes to go.

5 Things Your Wedding Guests Actually Care About

We all know that your big day is all about you and your partner's new life together... but let's admit, impressing our guests is all part of the fuss when planning to tie the knot. Want to know what really wows your guests and has them talking about the wedding for weeks? We've put together a list of how to exceed the expectations of what really matters to your guests.

1) The order of the day

Avoid the confusion and stress of what's happening next by letting your guests know how the day is going to unfold. There are a couple of special ways you can display this, our favourite are both beautifully designed A5 card sheets to hand to guests when they arrive or by using a chalkboard to write down the timings and happenings. Guests relax more when they know how the day will run, so make sure you add the order of the day to that never-ending checklist.

2) Fun speeches

Everyone loves the speech part of the wedding reception. Whether they are heartfelt and tear-jerking or comedian worthy good, any more than 30 minutes will start to bore your guests. Get those doing the speeches to keep them short and sweet. Make the speeches that one step better by getting the guests to play a drinking game, try the words, love, family, friends and watch your guests get boozier as the speeches go on.

3) Music through the ages

When booking your DJ and choosing the playlist include all types of music, start with older classics and then turn to songs from the charts and party hits later on in the evening. This gives all the older guests like your beloved grandparents the chance to have a jiggy to some Whitney or MJ and enjoy the night as much as everyone else. A variety of music also means that everybody will have a few songs they really love to dance to, getting all those bottoms up of those seats.

 4) Menu options

The majority of your guests will be happy with any food you choose for them. However, some of your guests will be fussy eaters, have allergies or special dietary requirements and this is why menu options should be available in the pre-order. Our catering team have an events menu that can be adapted to suit any dietary and a Thought of Everyone selection of dishes for whatever serving style you choose. We recommend putting on the RSVP cards a meat or veggie check box, and a space to write any special requirements or allergies so we can sort out everyone from the gluten-free to the vegans.

5) The seating plan

Yes, your guests really do care about who they are next to. We all remember that friends episode where Ross changes table cards and ends up on the children's table don't we? Don't play cupid and seat people together so they can 'get to know each other', don't seat your Auntie who is arch nemesis with your cousin at the same table, don't put one adult as a supervisor on the children's table. Place people fairly so everyone fully enjoys the day, otherwise, it could cause unnecessary drama. To keep the day running smoothly, place people next to their nearest and dearest in the room. Our venues are flexible - if you're struggling to seat everyone just give us a shout and we'll help jiggle the seating plan for you.

Christmas Gifts With No Need To Wrap

With Christmas quickly approaching, forget the badly wrapped candles and books that never get read, have a look at our top selection of hassle-free gifts. This guide has something for everyone on your list, naughty or nice!

"Wow Socks", said no one ever

Our Chief Booze Engineer, Patrick Hobbs, encourages you to get that special person something they really want for Christmas this year. "Purchase a Ginspiration Masterclass for a truly unique gift and save yourself the shopping hassle. Gin. Much better than socks." No matter whether it's a treat for your Mum, Dad, Grandma, Grandad, Sister, Uncle or your partner it's sure to impress. Explore our blending masterclasses here. Contact our reservations team now to get you and that special someone booked in.

You booze or you lose

Want something truly unique? Our take away spirits are crafted by our very own Chief Booze Engineer. The strawberry and basil Vodka is always a crowd pleaser or gift them with our quince and blue cheese gin, they will be shocked at how much they love it! With loads of different infusion flavours to choose from they make the perfect surprise for the whole family. For a little fun open them on Christmas Day and play a 'guess the flavour' game.

Festive memories at Tanner & Co

Save yourself the hassle of a perfectly wrapped gift and treat that special someone to a slap up a meal instead. Experience an evening full of memories you can remember for years to come "Tanner & Co is the perfect place to embrace Christmas over bottles of fizz and our delicious menu, nothing says I love you like wine and delicious food." - Andrew, General Manager at Tanner & Co.

To explore our menus and book the gift of good food and good company click here.

Darling, it wouldn't be a party without you...

Skip the gifts this year and invest in an unforgettable New Year's Eve at our Soho Townhouse, Six Storeys on Soho. Celebrate good times with good friends in a private room or area full of wines, beers and bottomless cocktails without the hassle of queuing and hidden entry fees. Check out our packages here.

Don't like New Year's Eve? We have a gift for you too

Save yourself for New Year's Day and treat someone to an unforgettable Bottomless Brunch at Six Storeys on Soho. Enjoy delicious brunch food alongside your chosen weapon - flowing fizz, Bloody Mary's, espresso martinis and more. It's sure to get that special person very merry!

With these great wrapping-paper free treats to choose from you will be saving yourself a lot of shopping hassle and giving that special somebody something they really want - you can thank us later! Contact us to discuss any of the above, hello@camm-hooper.co.uk, 020 3869 7009.

Camm and Hooper Announce Sixth Venue.

INDEPENDENT EVENT & HOSPITALITY GROUP CAMM & HOOPER SET TO LAUNCH ITS SIXTH EVENT VENUE WITH £2M INVESTMENT

Event and hospitality group Camm & Hooper is thrilled to unveil the site of its sixth event space ‘Grace Hall’ on London’s Leadenhall Street.

Grace Hall, which is set to launch in Autumn 2017, will undergo an extensive overhaul, overseen by interior specialist, Russell Sage Studios. The project aims to embrace the venue’s art deco heritage with a nod to its past as Grace and Co Bank.

As with each of Camm & Hooper’s venues, Grace Hall will be designed to ensure the utmost flexibility. It comprises four event spaces able to accommodate up to 200 theatre style, 170 seated and up to 600 standing across the whole venue. Each of the four rooms will be ideal for dinners, receptions, weddings and conferences, as well as working perfectly as additional breakout spaces.

The venue complements Camm & Hooper’s existing City portfolio that includes Banking Hall, Cornhill and Victorian Bath House, Bishopsgate. Within walking distance of both of these venues, Grace Hall provides clients with the ability to host a daytime event at one venue and the after party at another, offering a consistent, first-class service from the same dedicated sales and operations teams.

Managing Director, Claire Lawson said ‘We are delighted to acquire this stunning venue, which neatly fits our portfolio and gives our clients the flexibility of a third iconic Camm & Hooper space in the heart of the city. We’re already taking bookings for the space and look forward to providing both new and existing clients with the service and setting that they have come to expect from us. We are working with Russell Sage Studio to celebrate the art deco origins of the site, while also bringing a new twist to this lovely building. We can’t wait to open the doors’.

Camm & Hooper has evolved the events industry model, taking inspiration from the relaxed, contemporary setting provided by bars and restaurants and transitioning it into an events environment. Its approach is innovative, creative and unrivalled. You will find Camm & Hooper in some of the most unique and historic buildings across London. Its first two locations, Tanner and Co and Tanner Warehouse opened in 2012, followed by Banking Hall, Cornhill in May 2014. The Victorian Bath House, Bishopsgate opened in December 2015 and Six Storeys on Soho launched in Autumn 2016.

Ends.

NOTES TO EDITOR

About Camm & Hooper

Grace Hall is scheduled to open in Autumn 2017 and is now open for enquiries.

It is the sixth site for the award-winning team, following its current venues:

http://tannerandco.co.uk 
http://tannerwarehouse.co.uk
http://bankinghall.com 
http://www.victorianbathhouse.co.uk
http://www.sixstoreys.com 
https://cammhooper.com

Camm & Hooper was established in 2012 by Claire Lawson with a very modern vision of the events and hospitality industry. Camm & Hooper is funded by specialist investor The Imbiba Partnership whose current business projects include Darwin & Wallace, Albion and East, Wright & Bell and Casper and Cole.  Imbiba has been recognised for its successful ‘buy, build and exit’ business model, having been awarded the Best EIS Investment Exit at the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA) Annual awards for excellence at the House of Lords. Imbiba has achieved an average compound rate of return, for all of its realised EIS projects, in excess of 35% per annum (in the case of Drake & Morgan 5.7 times money invested.) http://www.imbiba.com

Grace Hall contact details
Tel no: 02039097980
Email: events@gracehalllondon.com

For further information please contact:

REBECCA HADLEY
Rebecca Hadley
Marketing Manager
rebecca@camm-hooper.co.uk

Suite 150-153
3-7 Temple Avenue
London
EC4Y 0DT