There was a time, whilst embarking upon the search for the perfect career, I thought I would never find a job I enjoy. Luckily for me my first glimpse of the events industry has been lovingly tailored by Harbour & Jones.
From the start, Harbour & Jones have ensured that I have had the correct training and enough opportunities to really bond with my colleagues both within my office and within the entire company. Part of this induction involved Harbour & Jones sending their trusty new employees (ranging from chefs to directors and waiters to events co-ordinators) on a magical tour around London’s best gastro eateries.
After a brisk walk from Marylebone tube station on the hunt for the specified meeting place, I eventually found a group of people huddled around a chocolate shop window. After 10 minutes or so of small talk and introductions we were welcomed into our first shop ‘Rococo’ by our host Jenny linford.
Rococo is a small, chocolate boutique founded by Chantal Coady in 1983, As we settled into the shop, the friendly staff gave us a talk on the different types of cocoa bean and allowed us to sample a whole range of chocolates. My personal favourite was the salted milk chocolate although the handmade truffles melted in my mouth. You can find the contact details for Rococo here.
With a packed itinerary to get though we briskly walked to our second venue ‘La Fromagerie’.
La Fromagerie was founded by Patricia Michelson and is London’s most exciting cheese shop. The handpicked cheeses from all around Britain and Europe are preserved in their very own walk-in refrigerator, with busy shop assistants buzzing about spreading their knowledge.
Cheese being a huge weakness of mine, I was in utter heaven as I was asked to select a cheese for the group to taste. I chose a Welsh goat’s cheese which was beautifully dusted with toasted rosemary.
Cheese can be incredibly expensive in large supermarkets however, by shopping at smaller retailers you can make a huge saving. This little block only cost me £2.00.You can find the contact details for La Fromagerie here.
As if we were back in the day appropriately next door to the cheese shop was the butchers.
The Ginger Pig owned by Tim Wilson showcases meat from his very own Yorkshire farm. The shop offers a range of longhorn cattle beef, pork from rare breed pigs and lamb from his free range sheep.
As you enter the shop you are somewhat taken back by the traditional approach to the butchers techniques with carcass’s hanging from the back room and slabs of meat being chopped by large meat cleavers however it was extremely refreshing to see meat being served in such a way opposed to the usual vacuum pack.
The Ginger Pig also serves a range of in house pies, pates and terrines. We sampled two of their homemade sausage rolls- which I must say were the highlight of my day. Absolutely mouth watering! You can find the contact details for The Ginger Pig here.
Next we moved on to Soho and to the home of some of London’s oldest food shops. First on our list was ‘Lina stores’, A veteran Italian deli that has recently been rewarded with a facelift - despite the new look, Lina stores still retains its gentle pace of service and provides Londoners with a little taste of Italy. Here we sampled Italy’s finest parmesan cheese.
Lina stores is a great little find in the centre of Soho that I will 100% be adding to my list of delis. You can find the contact details for Lina stores here.
Just opposite we wondered into Princi - a glamorous Italian bakery come cafe, producing high quality sweet and savoury baked goods from brioche and biscotti to pizza and focaccia. Being a huge olive fan I plumped for the olive bread and Oh my was it a great choice. The BEST olive bread I have ever tasted- I purchased 3 to take home with me. You can find the contact details for Princi here.
With a tummy full of olive bread we sluggishly strolled to our final gastro eatery on the tour before lunch. (Yes lunch!)
I Camisa is a tiny little Italian deli but don’t let the size deceive you. I Camisait is one of London’s most popular delis with a huge following of loyal customers. Having only lived in London for 8 months even I had heard the hype around this little gem.
The olives are a personal favourite of mine but be sure to sample the Parma ham.
You can find the contact details for I Camisa here.
Although full and tired from exploring London’s best independent retailers next we wondered to St Pauls cathedral to sample Harbour & Jones offerings in the ‘St Pauls restaurant’
For starters we sampled a range from all of the starters on offer from the menu. My personal favourite was the French onion soup which was served in tall shot glasses the perfect size for a tasting platter.
For main I plumped for the chunky lamb burger which was served on rustic wooden boards accompanied by tiny frying baskets for the chunky homemade chips. The lamb was seasoned to perfection and even though extremely full from my day of ‘snacking’ I couldn’t bear to leave a crumb.
You can book a table at St Pauls here.
The afternoon was filled with fine wine, story swapping from our various venues and foodie discussions from what we had sampled throughout the day.
All in all another fabulous treat from Harbour & Jones.
