Dine In A Hot Air Balloon At Royal Ascot This Summer
The Royal Ascot is getting a bit more whimsical.
Beaverbrook
Just when you thought Royal Ascot couldn't get any more extravagant, along comes Beaverbrook with an idea so delightfully over-the-top it makes the Royal Enclosure feel like a mere garden party. For the first time in its illustrious five-year history, Beaverbrook's famed hot air balloon dining experience is leaving the safe, rolling hills of its Surrey estate and floating—well, figuratively—into the lavender-lined heart of Britain's most glamorous week of horse racing.
From June 17 to 21, six gloriously striped hot air balloons—done up in raspberry red and rose pink and anchored like objets d'art in Ascot's Lavender Courtyard—will serve as intimate, private dining rooms for the very well-heeled (and very well-connected). It's a collision of old-school opulence and modern-day spectacle that feels, frankly, like it should have happened already. But no: this is the debut appearance of Beaverbrook at Ascot and the first time these balloons—normally seen wafting gently above plates of lobster and conversation in the Surrey countryside—have ever ventured off-property.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, the balloons are not actually airborne. (This is Britain, not Burning Man.) But what they lack in altitude they make up for in theater. Each balloon basket—authentic wicker, naturally—is transformed into a six-person alfresco salon dressed to the nines by luxury tableware doyennes Summerill & Bishop. Think Parisian floral prints with English eccentricity and more linen than a Venetian trousseau. The entire tableau is as if Peter Pan grew up and got into hospitality.
Diners will experience three seatings daily: brunch from 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., lunch from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., and afternoon tea from 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Each is a two-hour, full-service affair complete with dedicated waitstaff and a champagne service that flows faster than a racehorse at the starting gate. Prices range from £225 for afternoon tea to £250 for brunch or lunch. For the price of a modest pair of spectator shoes, you get a trackside table in the clouds—minus the motion sickness.
But let's talk food. The menus are curated by two men whose names you'd do well to remember if you ever want to host a dinner party that makes Tatler. Michelin-starred chef Tom Shepherd (of Upstairs fame) is helming brunch and lunch, bringing seasonal flair and a few audacious flourishes to classic British fare. Think: Native Lobster Cocktail Crumpet and Smoked Salmon with Potato Terrine, Cream Cheese, and Caviar.
Meanwhile, making his Royal Ascot debut is pâtisserie icon Benoit Blin, responsible for afternoon tea. His spread will offer elegant finger sandwiches, jewel-like pastries, and whatever confectionery magic it takes to make an aristocrat smile through losing bets.
'We are always trying to innovate and improve the offering across the venue,' said Jonathan Parker, Managing Director of 1711 by Ascot, with the type of polite understatement that suggests he knows exactly how fabulous this is. 'The Beaverbrook balloons will provide something new and exciting.'
'New and exciting' may be the understatement of the year. The Beaverbrook brand, after all, is not exactly known for subtlety. Named after the legendary press baron and wartime politician Lord Beaverbrook, the Surrey estate-turned-hotel is a riot of elegance, nostalgia, and finely tuned hospitality. With four distinctive venues, four restaurants, a wellness spa, and interiors that would make Nancy Mitford weep, the place has become a countryside playground for London's tastefully moneyed set.
'Bringing our signature summer balloons to the Royal Enclosure is a wonderful opportunity to share the charm and excellence of Beaverbrook's hospitality with racegoers,' said Jorge De Jesus, Group GM at Beaverbrook. 'We're excited to contribute to the unforgettable atmosphere of Royal Ascot.' In other words, they're here to make a splash—and not just with champagne.
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