The Sweet Smell (and Taste) of Success

As you can probably tell, the chefs and I adore any opportunity to work with a client with exacting standards, impeccable taste and high expectations. A challenging (or even impossible sounding) brief fires my imagination, as does the chance to transform a brand into a dish or distil its message into a bite.

Last week we served the result of a really great brief for the private launch of a new scent collection at Leighton House. We had been asked to create a menu to satisfy the tastes of eminent fashion, beauty and lifestyle editors as well as present food that would be a perfect representation of the well-known fragrance brand. Every item served needed to reflect the values of the company and entice the busy journalists to linger on and learn about their fabulous new product.

This bespoke breakfast and brunch menu was served during two separate morning and afternoon sessions. Each item was designed to be especially petite, smaller than a typical bite sized canape. Perfectly cooked, carefully prepared morsels to suit our client's perfectly tailored guest.

(If you are curious about the launch, click here to read a full report)

Breakfast

Tiny crisp new potato filled with sausage, bacon, tomato and mushrooms

Mini waffle cones with creamed eggs and smoked salmon with chives

Fresh blinis with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers

Quails egg Royale

Brioche French toast with orange infused rhubarb

Ricotta cakes with fresh blueberry compote

Prism skewers of morsels of fresh fruit

Shot glass of light granola and yoghurt

Brunch

Seared fillet of beef on watermelon cubes with pickled ginger

Sultana bread croute with Dolcelatté, caramelised fresh fig and pomegranate

Julienne vegetables wrapped in Bovingdons cured salmon

Asparagus bundles tied with chives with a vanilla pomegranate mayonnaise

Cucumber cups of lemon, tarragon chicken

Herb blini with Crayfish tails and mirin spaghetti of cucumber

Ricotta cakes with oven roasted plum tomatoes and basil

Herb ficelle of lime cured cerviche of sea bream

Chilled Juices

Blood orange and grapefruit

Cranberry and watermelon

Fresh pear and vanilla

Refreshing Pressè

Watermelon, cranberry and rose water

Apple juice, elderflower, lime and mint

Pomegranate pressè with sparkling mineral water

Hot Beverages

Espresso shots

Fresh sweet mint tea