For almost 175 years, Harrods in London’s upmarket Knightsbridge district have been leaders in luxury. Always one step ahead, the iconic British establishment is soon to unite a collection of the globe’s leading culinary talents to host perhaps the most luxurious dining experience ever seen.
Taking place on Thursday September 22 in celebration of London’s vibrant culinary scene, this never seen before gathering will see six culinary pioneers come together in one kitchen. Each partners with current or upcoming restaurants at Harrods, the renowned chefs are Bjorn Frantzen, Jason Atherton, Tom Kerridge, Dave Pynt, Angelo Musa and Phil Khoury. On the evening they will develop and personally prepare a once-in-a-lifetime banquet for their guests at the Harrods Table which will embody the global culinary stage offered by Harrods as a world-leading dining destination.
A place that currently hosts more Michelin starred restaurants under one roof than any other location in London, they will create an incredible 12 Michelin starred meal, with proceeds going towards Felix Refettorio at St. Cuthbert’s Centre. A part of Massimo Bottura’s Food for Soul network, the charity is dedicated to relieving poverty and supporting vulnerable Londoners through the power of a shared meal.
Hosted in a specially designed space inside Harrods, 25 guests will enjoy six courses personally prepared and served by the chefs, paired with acclaimed vintages from the Harrods cellars. Each a pioneer and leading visionary in their own specialist form of cuisine, each will prepare the exclusive menu within the Harrods kitchens, to be personally served in the Harrods Table dining room with specially chosen wine pairings.
With a champagne reception of 2002 Vintage Moet et Chandon, Frantzen, head chef and owner of Frantzen (three Michelin stars), Zen Frantzen (three Michelin stars), and the upcoming Frantzen at Harrods, will serve a starter of tuna tartare with red deer, caviar, cultured cream, wasabi, and fermented apricots and a warm ginger butter. This will be thoughtfully paired with a Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth rosé from 2008.
Next up Atherton, head chef and owner of Pollen St Social (one Michelin Star), City Social (one Michelin star) and Harrods Social will serve the first fish course. Paired with a 2010 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc he has mastered up a dish of line caught Norwegian turbot with a roe butter sauce and Wye Valley white asparagus.
This is followed by none other than Kerridge himself – head chef and owner of Hand and Flowers (two Michelin Stars), The Coach (one Michelin Star) and Kerridge’s Fish and Chips at Harrods. Kerridge will serve deep fried native lobster with triple cooked chips and Oscietra caviar paired with a glass of 2010 Bonneau du Martray, Corton Charlemagne. Pynt, head chef of Burnt Ends in Singapore (one Michelin star) and the upcoming Burnt Ends Harrods, is responsible for the main course of the evening. Featuring Blackmore’s Wagyu Striploin served with a Bourginon sauce, his dish will also feature a smoked potato puree, and a bone marrow tarte tatin paired with an Australian Penfolds Grance wine.
The pre-desert will be created by Khoury, Harrod’s very own head patisserie chef, which will be a blend of aromatic wine and grape sorbets, granita and a vanilla bean fool alongside a Chateau d’Yquem, Sauternes from 1986. And to wrap up the incredible evening, Musa, executive pastry chef at the Michelin-starred Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, will present a Costa d’Amalfi vanilla-lemon souffle with a lemon-almond sorbet, lemon marmalade and Italian lemon Sablé. Notably World Pastry Champion 2003, and Best Pastry Craftsman of France 2007, Musa will expertly pair his world-class desert with a Louis XIII cognac served from the Methuselah Trolley.
Ashley Saxton, director of restaurants at Harrods, who has launched each chef’s restaurant proposition in Harrods, is spearheading the event. He said: “Gathering these six visionaries – who are at the absolute top of the culinary world – together for one night, was no easy feat. However, they were happy to come and celebrate their style of cooking and to prepare a meal together in London’s most iconic setting, and in aid of a fantastic cause.
“I am excited not only to see the once-in-a-lifetime banquet that they prepare, but also to raise as much as we can for charity. To see these chefs together in one place, to see how they inspire and challenge each other to create the world’s most exclusive meal, will a dream come true for the lucky gourmands who join us on the night.”
The Harrods Table is being held as a charity fundraiser with just 25 covers at £2,500 per seat available to Harrods clients. Ensuring the most exclusive dining experience, proceeds will go towards Refettorio Felix at St Cuthbert’s Centre, which is a 30-year-old charity in collaboration with chef Bottura’s non-profit organisation Food for Soul.
The centre supporting vulnerable people in the local London area, they provide therapeutic services and relieving poverty through the power of a shared meal of outstanding quality made with 100 per cent surplus food. The not-for-profit organisation Food for Soul was founded in 2016 with the aim of encouraging those from different fields, including chefs, artists, designers, and food suppliers, to collaborate in building and sustaining community projects. Aside from Refettorio Felix, its other global projects include Refettorio Ambrosiano in Milan, Refettorio Gastromotiva in Rio de Janeiro and Refettorio Paris.
This exclusive banquet takes place as part of the wider Harrods Restaurants Festival, a celebration of dining experiences and in-house talent at Harrods throughout this week. For this, Harrods is offering guests added value when dining in selected Harrods restaurants, with a complimentary half bottle of wine per guest during dinner sittings after 5pm, an exclusive offer in the newly launched Moet and Chandon Champagne Bar, along with cocktail masterclasses in the Baccarat Bar. Harrods will also be celebrating the breadth of talent and the excellence they hold under one roof in addition to the executive chefs who run the restaurants.
Harrods began as a wholesale grocer and tea merchant in east London, first opening its doors in 1834. Since then, it has grown to become the world’s most famous department store, known for its unrivalled range of luxury merchandise. As well as exclusive brands and myriad departments, one of Harrods’ most renowned attributes is its unparalleled service. Harrods continues to be guided by its philosophy of ‘anything is possible’ and, to this day, their customers remain at the heart of everything they do.
Ticket enquiries for this event can be made via Harrods.com.
