DELIVERY VENUES: THE WOW FACTOR
Among the vintages on offer is the Grand Cru, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1998, at £6,750 a bottle.
17,000 bottles. One dining table. Is this the ultimate in spoiled for choice?
EventsBase gains access to the Gleneagles wine cellar. Without a corkscrew
BY KEVIN O’SULLIVAN T
he wine cellar at Glenea- gles has a solitary dining table. And even though the surrounds are austere rather than showy that is
essentially the point. Tis is a private, privileged world. We are guided there through the service quarters of the hotel, along a corridor throng- ing with staff dashing off in every direction. It’s Upstairs, Downstairs made real. Te basement is reached down
a narrow staircase, where you can spend an evening surrounded by 17,000 bottles of some of the finest drops you’ll find anywhere, includ- ing the Grand Cru, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1998, a snip at £6,750 a bottle. If you fancy a digestif following supper, you can always plump for
the Remy Martin Louis XIII jeroboam for £25,000 from the ‘Stillroom’. Note: this is currently on sale, if your pockets are deep enough. A four-course meal typically
begins with canapés, and a starter might include seared scallops and Hebridean crab, although you can always opt for a bespoke menu. And why wouldn’t you? Open as a dining space since 2011
the cellar has proved popular with parties for many different types of occasions. But discretion is the watchword for this famous hotel so our probe for information is not met with any names. However we are told the venue has
been used for client entertaining, company celebrations (including the signing of a new deal) and retire- ments. It has been used by drinks com-
panies, financial clients and the construction industry; it has also hosted several groups of internation- al food and drink writers. Te venue has even been used as a backdrop for wedding photographs, but not the ceremony itself, as Kate Newton, the
hotel’s PR & Corporate Marketing Manager, is eager to point out. For history buffs, the cellar is decorated with artefacts and archive material. And if transportation is your thing,
the hotel first received its wines by rail from all over Europe – with the original railway bays visible as you
dine. Te cellars will no doubt offer that rare glimpse of living history and with a sommelier on hand to help you choose your carafe, what’s not to like? I only hope now my daytime tour
is followed by a more thorough din- ing experience in the post.
Sample menu - From £100 per person (accommodating parties of up to 12)
n CANAPÉS
Marrbury smoked salmon and creme fraiche blinis. Chicken parfait and apricot toasts. Peppered crowdie and mushroom parcels. Langoustine tempura, Summer Harvest Aioli. Mixed olives and Provencal herbs. Paprika and parmesan straws .
n DINNER
Seared scallop and Hebridean crab. Shredded radish, ruby grapefruit and basil cress.
Slow cooked neck and roast loin of Scotch lamb. Butter fondant with thyme, broad bean ragout, carrot puree and shallot jus.
Brioche crumb and roast banana pudding. Valrhona ice cream and butterscotch.
Slates of Scottish cheese. Clootie dumpling, oatcakes and Dalchonzie chutney.
Coffee, chocolates and madelaines.
EVENTSBASE | WINTER 2015 | 55
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