I’m supposed to be blogging two Gwyneth Paltrow recipes today but I thought you might be more interested to hear about the jolly exciting Waitrose Summer Party at the V&A on Wednesday night.
It was a cut above the usual bun fights I get invited to as a food blogger; there was a glamorous setting and a guest list peppered with celebrity chefs and top food writers. Quite why I was there I’m not sure but thank god I brought my “car to bar” shoes in my handbag.
Waitrose aproned staff darted through the crowd with trays of canapes including barbecued hunks of meat on long wooden skewers and shot glasses of lobster bisque. We also had something best described as a Terry’s chocolate orange segment stuffed with chocolate crispy – way better than it sounds. A lot of prosecco was drunk and the daring/stupid amongst us moved onto prosecco cocktails with tequila.
Gizzi Erskine played DJ with sixties soul music in the grand domed lobby of the museum. It was the closest I’ve been to a nightclub in fifteen years and the closest I’ve been to an art gallery for five.
Talk of the night amongst my circle of friends was how surprisingly hot a tanned t-shirted Heston Blumenthal was in real life compared to the plastic airbrushed publicity shots in chefs’ whites we’re more familiar with. I also have it on good authority: “mmm he smelled nice.”
I wish I’d taken pictures now while he was posing in front of an ice cream gondola to launch his new Waitrose ice cream range. The flavours we tried were popcorn brittle and my favourite, chocolate and rosemary – fabulous combination!
It somehow seemed uncool to get your camera out. Everywhere we looked it was oooh is that so and so?
No Nigella sadly!
PS I’m sure it’s not remotely connected but I blogged ice cream using popcorn from Waitrose back in December at the bottom of this post here. Presumably Heston does not read my blog (although I understand Raymond Blanc has) so it must be a coincidence.
PPS the Gwyneth recipe post for those of you who cannot contain yourselves will appear later today after this vignette.
Do I sense a bit of a new Heston crush? 😉 Still, good choice. I mean, the man can cook, I gather. Useful, y’know.
That sounds a really fun event! Am impressed with your restraint upon seeing Heston- if I ever come within a few metres of a famous person I want to poke them with a stick to see if they are real! (NB: I try my best not to, as I think it may constitute harassment in this country no?)
ure sooooo lucky sarah..heston…sigh! 🙂
It was fun wasn’t it?
Although my head was sore the next day and I did not knowingly drink one of those cocktails!
Ooh, jealous! That sounds like a fabulous party.
This sounds like so much fun, I’m massively jealous! I love my local Waitrose and am always a sucker for the Heston ranges so am sure I’ll be heading out to buy his ice cream. I think it’s inspired by that TV programme he did where he tried to get cinema goers to eat popcorn ice cream instead of the giant tubs of popcorn, but I’m sure he was in part influenced by your blog recipe too 🙂
Of course he reads your blog! Sounds like a good bash.
Sounds like a truly fab evening, and the ice creams sound wonderful. Lucky you. Jude x
I’m unbelievable jealous. Well done for not getting your camera out. I should have been shameless unfortunately (probably why I don’t go to posh parties!) x
Oh dear – that comment didnt read well at all (that’s what wine before 6pm does to you!)- let me start again – I’m unbelievably jealous. Well done for not getting your camera out. I would have been shameless unfortunately!(probably why I don’t go to posh parties!) x
Popcorn brittle flavour sounds right up my alley!
The UK has such a boring selection of ice cream flavours, so well done to Waitrose for expanding their range.
I can’t find any mention via Google about when these products are going on sale, was it mentioned?
Come to think of it, no there wasn’t…
Commented the other day but it ate it. Sounds like a very classy affair (and I harbour a little crush on Heston myself). As I was reading this, I was consoling myself with eating the winning dessert of the Design a Dessert competition – Waitrose of course – Chocolate, Raspberry and Rose mousse. Lovely. You are definitely getting a better class of invitation!