The Royal Hospital is home to the world-famous Chelsea Pensioners, retired soldiers who have come to live in this very special place in their later years. It is an excellent and novel venue for wedding celebrations, dinners and receptions, against a backdrop of this extraordinary history. You will also have the satisfaction of knowing that profits from venue hire at

What is Opera Holland Park? Based in Kensington, Opera Holland Park presents a yearly programme of fully staged productions and combines the best of English country house with urban opera. Prices are accessible and a full educational programme and family events aim to bring critically acclaimed work to the broadest possible audience. Once again The Admirable Crichton and OHP are

It’s more complicated than simply looking for a ‘fantastic’ venue ‘The most experienced planners and caterers know the venues best’ Start with people who know what they are doing The Admirable Crichton has been around since 1981 and we have never let the grass grow under our feet. Know for being much more than a traditional wedding planner and caterer,

The Admirable Crichton’s top pick of cocktails and mocktails for the Christmas season. Whether you are entertaining or cosying up in front of the fire, our selection of Christmas cocktails and mocktails will certainly help you get into the spirit of things. Here’s how you can make them at home: Welcome your guests in from the cold with the aroma

Simple, stylish ideas for decorating your home this Christmas A soft colour palette Rose gold, bronze and the use of geometric shapes has very much been on trend in people’s homes this year and is being carried into Christmas, offering a warm and relaxed interior. A dramatic look To add some drama, contrast metallics with dark colours such as a

Our tips for this year’s Christmas food and drink Whether you have family joining you for Christmas or you are inviting friends for a glass of bubbles and some tempting treats, at The AC we want to help you prepare for the festive season. In this blog you will find top tips from our in-house party planning experts and talented

Janet at her desk Taking the plunge On a cold November morning back in 2012 I remember standing in my garden with my new baby snuggled up in my arms making one of the hardest phone calls of my life. I had finally decided to resign from my position as Senior Events and Marketing Manager at the Natural History Museum.

The Home of the London Symphony Orchestra LSO St. Luke’s is a flexible contemporary space located in Old Street in the heart of central London. With its blend of 18th-century architecture and modern features, this Grade I-listed church creates a beautiful setting for any event. The AC is very excited to have recently joined the preferred supplier’s list at this

Our Favourite Kitchen Appliances I spend a lot of time in the kitchen with our chefs, mainly lurking around, taking their pictures and videoing them, but today I was asking Head Chef Andy Ritchie which kitchen appliances he and his team could not live without. This blog was the result. Chef’s Knives – This is Chef Alan with one of

Making the most of the last days of summer The Admirable Crichton’s top tips for hosting a sensational summer party. Here at the Admirable Crichton, we have been enjoying a busy summer of garden parties and sizzling BBQs. We wanted to share with you some of our favourite ideas and most popular client choices to give your party that special

How do I plan a Christening? A Christening is not only the start of a journey of faith for your child, it is also a wonderful opportunity to bring together family and friends. For many couples this is the first formal family celebration since their wedding day. Our party designer, Janet Clarke has put together a guide on planning a

Planning a wedding is both exciting and daunting, so we’ve devised this wedding planning checklist to help you keep track of tasks in a relevant timescale and to highlight the benefits of having an AC wedding planner. The AC can manage anything, from being your caterer to planning the whole wedding.Taskswe can help with are in bold italics – you

Here’s some inspiration on how to make your Dad feel appreciated and get what he wants this Father’s Day (This Sunday 18th June just in case you were wondering). Many Dads have everything they need, including fabulous children or children-in-law that are going to the trouble of reading this blog post, but how can we make sure they feel appreciated?

The AC at Westminster Abbey The AC became an accredited supplier at Westminster Abbey in 2016, and we hosted a dinner in the beautiful setting of Cheynegates in celebration. Here is a little about the celebration dinner and some ideas about using the venue to hold an event. The Chapter House Our dinner guests were enchanted by the architecture of

Why have a Wedding Tasting? A tasting is one of the most delicious and fun parts of planning a wedding. It’s the time when one gets to see, taste, discuss and decide on a whole range of aspects of the wedding with the wedding planner and other experienced members of the team, such as the Head Chef and Sommelier. Canapés–

A Marquee Wedding in the Hampshire Countryside With wedding season 2017 getting off to a flying start, Claire has kindly written this guest blog about her country wedding. She charted her experiences of working with an AC wedding planner for hera wedding catering and design. Claire’s Blog I love weddings and when it came to organising my own, I needed

Spring has sprung, Easter is almost here and AC director of food, Rolline Frewen has kindly penned this blog about scrambled eggs, hens and her life in the Yorkshire dales. I love watching the changing seasons; the different colours, light, birds and plants, but spring has to be the most exciting with so much to look forward to. One has

It’s not just about Dippy! Anyone who knows The AC knows we love the Natural History Museum. We adore the building, the fabulous spaces, the clients and most of all its events team. We are already missing Dippy the dinosaur, under whose shadow we have served thousands of hungry diners, are eagerly awaiting summer 2017 when Hintze Hall re-opens and

It’s that time of year when we think of everything our Mums do for us, and each year we have the conundrum of what to buy them. So what do they really want? I’ve polled my AC colleagues about their Mum’s favourite Mother’s Day treats and the results are in. Of course, the undisputed winner involved two of any Mother’s

Frank and Young’s Oat Cookies Ingredients 145g soft butter 50g caster sugar 45g honey Half teaspoon salt Half teaspoon bicarbonate of soda Vanilla essence 98g plain flour 83g finely ground oats Icing 100g egg white 420g icing sugar Juice of half a lemon or coloured ready rolled icing Method Heat the oven to 165 degrees C. Beat the sugar, butter,

With this year’s ski season in full flow, AC Party Planner Eva Berntsson spent many fun hours creating an après ski party for our client, Price Forbes at Westminster Boating Base. She told me, ‘This is such a brilliant location and a blank canvas to create something really fun. Being Swedish I love anything snow related and the client wanted

Like most Brits, as soon as March arrives we start to look forward to summertime. Better weather, hopefully, some sunshine and lots of great parties and events. Here we feature one of our favourites from 2016. HH SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM ENDURANCE CUP FESTIVAL Attentive AC staff looked after VVIP’s, VIP’s, international sponsors and jockeys, inside magnificent marquees

Early Spring Highlights Daffodils are in full bloom, spring is in the air and we are in full swing with an exciting programme of events, parties, weddings and dinnersfor this year and 2018 too! If you’d like to see highlights from 2016, take a look at our video and please do leave us your comments. Early Spring Highlights The Belmond

During 2016, as one of the leading event companies in London, AC party planners designed more than 376 amazing events, with our chefs preparing tens of thousands of outstanding dishes for 33,653 guests. If you’d like to see luxury party planning at its best, take a look at our video – AC Retrospective 2016 You will see fantastic venues available

Interior Trends for Events 2017 When it comes to styling, interior design trends are a major influence and in 2017 we think a few will feature heavily when clients want an up-to-the-minute look. The AC is famous for being different, so this blog discusses less obvious design trends; after all, it’s common knowledge that the Pantone colour of the year

The studios have been at the heart of the recording industry for 85 years and have been the location for some of the most famous music recordings of all time. This stunning heritage, coupled with the studios’ iconic status, make Abbey Road Studios one of London’s most unique venues, much loved by The AC and its group of companies. By

Perhaps you’ve seen this plaque, “A meal without wine is called breakfast”, but on Christmas Day it’s a rule to be broken. The big question is what to drink with breakfast. Read on to discover two alternative menus with suggestions from our AC wine and cocktail lists; the perfect quaffing for the big day. Why not leave a comment at

Are you a Christmas Foodie? Here’s your chance to find out. Grab a glass of something, put your feet up and play along. Or perhaps it’s a fun way to fill the time on the journey home. We’d love to know your score, so please leave a comment. Thanks for playing and enjoy! 1. Why would you cook your Christmas

What a week! (9th-15th October) It began on Friday with some of the team hopping on a plane to LA for a week of events to celebrate the Centenary of the BMW Group – The next 100 years. There were 20 fun-filled events for BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce as well as the BMW dealer network, The Wall Street Journal and

Now the colder weather is finally here, we can look back at a pretty nice summer of 2016. The pop of Champagne corks and flurries of confetti announced The AC’s wedding season for 2016. It proved to be one of our busiest yet and certainly the most miles were traveled. Beautiful brides and handsome grooms enjoyed romance and excitement as

The AC’s Fashion Edit Now that fashionistas are looking forward to Fashion week 2017, we are looking back to 2016 and before with an AC fashion show. Our cheery staff members take on many guises; formal yet elegant tunics give way to sassy little black cocktail dresses (only for the girls of course)! They’ve also been dressed as nymphs, soldiers,

January is such an exciting time for the couples who ‘said yes’ over the last couple of weeks, so now’s the time to share details of one of our celebrity weddings from 2016. Each AC couple is special to us; their weddings are often private, and always unique, however, the wedding of Jodie Henson to the Harlequins and England rugby

The Foundling Museum The Foundling Museum Conveniently located at 40 Brunswick Square, London, the beautiful Foundling Museum has both historic and contemporary spaces for private receptions, dinners, weddings, Christmas parties and meetings; clients of the AC and deWintons by The AC regularly enjoy events here. The Foundling Museum tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, the UK’s first children’s home

The Serpentine Gallery The Serpentine Galleries sit serenely inside the beautiful Royal Park of Kensington Gardens in central London. Comprising of two galleries, The Serpentine and The Sackler Gallery are both cultural landmark destinations in London. Both buildings are grade I listed and are available for both morning and evening events. Known for being home to some of London’s most

Let us help you find the perfect wedding venue Our first featured wedding venue is the last remaining building of the historic Palace of Whitehall, The Banqueting House. Designed by Inigo Jones for James I and completed in 1622, it was originally built for royal banquets, balls, plays and masques. The grandeur of the Main Hall creates a glittering backdrop

Colours are big! Did you know that each year Pantone creates its colours of the year to inspire designers everywhere? This year they are a dusky rose pink and clear sky blue, referred to as Rose Quartz and Serenity. Versatile and elegant, they work well throughout design schemes for crockery, linens, throws, seating, canapé trays and flowers. Make a colour

Meals to cook on lazy evenings 3 Tired, hungry and tempted to reach for the takeout menu or heat up a sad and sorry ready meal? Here’s what Kevin, one of our chefs, rustles up when his fridge and batteries are running low. A very quick stir fry. ‘I just add whatever I have in my fridge and wash it

Our very own Ruth Lawton Owen was named one of the UK’s best party planners. Innovative design, fabulous food, impeccable service and outstanding planning have always defined The AC and we are consistently at the fore front of the events industry. We were delighted that Country Life Magazine named one of our Directors Ruth Lawton-Owen amongst the top party planners

Welcome to our second blog giving ideas of what to cook on lazy evenings. Topically it involves eggs! After having eaten tons of the chocolate variety and following on from our Easter blog about various types of eggs, here’s how I turn a basic ingredient into a luxurious, eggstra ordinary instant meal. Lynn’s fluffy omelette, tested by Anis Asghar and

It’s that time of year when our thoughts turn to chocolate eggs, but how much do we actually know about the non-confectionery versions? Unlike their chocolaty counterparts, they are highly nutritious, versatile and cheap and come in their own unique packaging. There are so many varieties on the market that we thought a chat about which ones work best for

The Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection is a National Museum and perhaps one of London’s best kept secrets. Discretely situated off London’s busy Oxford Street, Hertford House is home to an unsurpassed display of French 18th-century art, furniture and porcelain. Amassed over the 18th and 19th centuries by the first four Marquises of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace; the collection

If only we all rushed home every evening brimming with enthusiasm for making dinner! After a long day of cooking and planning AC parties, we often find it easier to reach for a takeaway menu or ready meal. In an effort to avoid this, our chefs and staff will spill the beans on their favourite quick-fix meals over the next

AC Wedding Tips for 2016 Firstly can we say a huge CONGRATULATIONS? Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting and exhausting things ever, so we hope to make things a little easier for you, even if you are planning the wedding yourself. The AC has created some of the most beautiful wedding parties, handling every aspect from the

The AC’s Christmas Quiz If you have been following us on social media, you probably know by now that our excitement level for Christmas is “HIGH”. Ready for some festive fun to find out what kind of Christmas person are you? Grab a pen and paper and take our test to discover if you are Santa’s traditional elf or the

What’s Hot and What’s Not for Christmas 2015 We are often asked for our thoughts on trends throughout the year, but this is particularly true at Christmas. This festive season we have chosen two favourite and quite distinctive looks to consider when decorating your home or Christmas table. We have added a few hints and tips to make your life

Team AC are renowned for their love of parties and as we are gear up for Christmas, the excitement is fizzing! Christmas is the season that everyone loves to party – with the perfect excuse for glitz and glamour. It’s not too early or late to ask our boutique catering company deWintons by The AC to plan a show stopping

Venue of the Month Kensington Palace This stunning Palace has been a Royal home since the 17th century and continues to be so to this day. Set in the heart of Kensington Gardens the Palace offers vistas from The Orangery has views across its own gardens to the State Apartments. From the recently modernised Entrance Hall, the statue of one

With Halloween just around the corner, we’ve been busy planning a Halloween spooktacular and has some ghoulishly good tips to share. Top Halloween Themed Dishes Petrifying Pulled Pork Tartlet Using your own favourite recipes, fill short-crust pastry cases with delicious pulled pork, add lashings of gory red barbecue sauce and top with an olive spider – half an olive for

“Great wine is always enhanced by great food.” By Paige Norman (Party Designer) Great wine is always enhanced by great food and here at deWintons by The AC we provide both of those elements for every event we work at. I have always been interested in food and wine which is one of the many things that attracted me to

We are fortunate to work with so many fantastic venues! This month the AC has to showcase oldbillingsgate as our venue of the month! Take a look at these images to get a glimpse of how amazing it can be for your event. Our party designers turned this beautiful venue into a sparkling delight! Oldbillingsgate is one of London’s most

Each month we will be featuring one of our best loved London venues. Our venue of the month for September is the Natural History Museum. Any event held at The Natural History Museum is going to be spectacular; whether in the Earth or Hintze Halls, the Darwin Centre or a daytime conference in the Flett Events Theatre, the Museum offers

Whether you are planning a last minute get together or an elaborate feast, every good host has a secret dish that they know will be the talk of the party. Summer may be over but that doesn’t mean that hot dogs should be off the menu. Why not try making our delicious Lobster Dogs at home? It’s easier than you

The Admirable Crichton produces the most polished, contemporary or classically beautiful parties in London, the UK and around the world. With over 33 years of experience in luxury event catering and party design, and having held a Royal Warrant for The Prince of Wales since 2002, we have become a byword for entertaining luxury. The AC, as it is known