Tuesday 16 May 2023.

Tuesday 16 May 2023...6.45pm to 11pm... 20 BERKELEY - launch party - 20 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London W1. What they are saying... It's taking over a space on the corner of Berkeley Street and being billed as offering "a sophisticated dining experience with a menu that changes seasonally to showcase the freshest and most exceptional ingredients from all four corners of the British Isles" and "a celebration of British craft, produce and design". What that means in practice is a seasonal British menu with a big focus on local sourcing. To that note, they've brought in Executive Chef Ben Orpwood (ex Gordon Ramsay Group, Caprice Holdings and recently back from Australia) who has built up relationships with local UK suppliers. Here's a taste of the menu: Black pudding agnolotti, cauliflower, wild garlic velouté Dressed Portland bill crab, apple & foraged sea herbs Coronation chicken pie, kohlrabi remoulade, mango piccalilli Overnight braised Herdwick lamb shoulder, pommes mousseline Double baked Ogleshield soufflé Baron Bigod cheese stuffed with last winters truffles, served with port jelly & crumpets Seasonality will be tight too. For example, they'll be using Cornish Mylor prawns which will only be available for a few weeks. Other produce includes La Latteria burrata, Welsh sea buckthorn juice and venison from Ledbury chef Brett Graham's deer farm. As for the restaurant itself, they're saying it will be like an English manor house and it will have a separate bar, The Nipperkin, which should be a good addition to Mayfair's bar scene. ------- Around 150 nicely dressed folks in this upmarket restaurant & bar. A small discreet entrance leads to a few different rooms. Plenty of seating , so we found a good table as our base. Lots of complimentary drinks and food , including Billicart champers, rum cocktails, whiskey cocktails, margaritas, vodka mouthfuls via the ice-sculpture tube and wines. A cheeses and hams buffet , and canapes including king prawns in cocktail sauce, caviar, salmon, etc. Guests got a goodie bag with a few items inside on departure. An excellent evening. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This launch party was also on , but i got stuck at the above event. STETSON - new store launch party. The Stetson store in London is situated within Seven Dials on Covent Garden’s Neal Street. This new 1,165 sq. ft space showcases a wide range of the brand’s signature styles from outdoor lifestyle and authentic Western hats to timeless classics and streetwear styles, for both men and women. The thoughtfully designed store pays homage to Stetson’s roots taking inspiration from ‘The Great Outdoors‘ with elevated details reflecting the brand’s heritage. -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Monday 15 May 2023. GLEN MATLOCK live at Rough Trade East, London E1. Sex Pistols bass playing legend is doing record store appearances alongside his gigs and media work to promote his new album 'Consequences Coming'. Around 150 folks in this massive record store , with 50 or so seats. Lots of folks here that i know. From 8pm to 8.45pm Glen is being interviewed by his good mate Gary Crowley. They both live near each other in Maida Vale, and Gary has his own DJ career. Glen is looking healthy and tanned from his recent stint with Blondie across the pond. Topics include Glens fave bands before he joined The Sex Pistols (Humble Pie and The Faces), getting a job in the Kings Road store owned by Malcolm McLaren and Viv Westwood. Early gigs with The Sex Pistols, and his stints The Rich Kids, Iggy Pop ,The Faces and Blondie. Overall it was a very entertaining chat. From 8.45pm to 9.10pm , we get a really good six song acoustic set by Glen Matlock. Four songs from the new album, and two cover versions. Consequences Coming Magic Carpet Ride Blank Generation (Richard Hell & The Voidoids cover) This Ship Head On A Stick If I Had A Hammer (Pete Seeger cover) At 9.10pm - More than half the crowd, including me, who have bought the vinyl album or cd album queue up to get it signed by Glen.

Posted 16th May 2023