by Chrissy Iley
When it comes to our Not Staying In feature, we don’t rule our incredible parties organised by yourselves, whether in the comfort of your own home or at your favourite venues. And when it comes to throwing big bashes, we might have just found the king of all London based party planning companies.
The Admirable Crichton is at the cutting edge of cuisine. It does not just cater an event; it creates an event. The AC who takes its name from the resourceful butler in the J. M. Barrie play, The Admirable Crichton, who revealed his talent when the family who he worked for was stranded on a desert island. Crichton used his imagination and initiative to create a workable paradise.
The AC are at the heart of the high end London party scene. They have a Royal warrant through working regularly with Prince Charles and Princess Anne. They recently arrived in LA. To break into the LA catering market you have to be bringing something very special, and they are.
The parties are designed with not just precision but incredible artistry. Canapés coming out on misted plates and sometimes on helium balloons.
But perhaps most spectacular of all are the chefs that perhaps we should call artists who create desserts that are also an artwork. Some take on the form of a Picasso lookalike, others are more Jackson Pollock. The colour is not paint but actually a puree of fruit or melted chocolate or cream or mousse which is ‘painted’ on a canvas that is laid on top of the table you eat from.
You watch it being created layer by layer, colour by colour and when it is completed everyone dips in with a spoon. The taste is incredible and the sharing experience of eating art is incredibly bonding. You watch it happen; you look in amazement then take part eating it bit by bit. It is one of those better than sex experiences. Getting people talking and bonding at a party is the heart of making people happy.
Anna Clutton is at the helm of the LA operation and is incredibly excited to be bringing something so bespoke. Does she find LA is a minefield of attention seeking demands? Anna, for whom nothing is ever a problem says, “As long as you know what you are expecting it is easy to deal with.”
In LA she is dealing with a mountain of vegans and says diplomatically, “Our chefs are excited by new challenges.” The AC is the prince of the canapé. They can make something vegan and gluten free taste gorgeous and look beautiful.
The Admirable Crichton staff are all incredibly well-trained and security cleared. Food is from sustainable sources, always ethically farmed. You can taste the calibre in every bite.
Nigella Lawson says, “If I can`t get the cooking done for a party myself, I have to go to someone I can trust. So I ask the Admirable Crichton.”
Sting is also a fan and he has had many parties catered by them. Trudie Styler says, “Sting and I have used the services of The Admirable Crichton and will do so again. They are unfailingly and often dazzlingly original, meticulous in every detail, utterly professional and very charming.”
I met Anna when she organised a mini party for myself and some friends. Their tasting menu was divine. A tomato soup shooter – it’s in a shot glass. It was tasty and comforting without being heavy. It was served with a mini goat cheese sandwich (about the size of a large stamp) – dainty and delicate but it packed power and elevated the soup.
Next up was something that I literally scraped my plate for and have been dreaming of every since. It was roasted butternut squash with chick pea crumble, toasted hazelnuts with a cauliflower purée and pomegranate molasses. I don’t know where to start the description of this dish`s divinity. But lets just say I have been begging for the recipe of the cauliflower purée. Slightly sweet and slightly creamy but it is also light and can be made dairy free. If you put pomegranate and molasses together, obviously you are going to heaven. The chick pea crumble had the full-on effect of the comfort of a crumble, yet it was velvety and light.
We finished off with a layered dish, a café au lait panna cotta. At the bottom, French roasted espresso with chicory spice. In the middle the lightest, fluffiest salted caramel mousse, topped with a thin but compelling creamy layer and dusted in Belgian chocolate. Although there was no alcohol involved it had the pick me up of an espresso martini and the satiating effect of a trifle with none of the aftermath of bloating or hangover.
This is how you make a delicious dessert almost fat and sugar free. It felt decadent but tasted as light as a whisper, totally gorgeous and world class, ticking all the boxes.