Tag Archives: pop up

London Fashion Week: Where To Go

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London Fashion Week is nearly here and we are super excited. Here is a round up of great places to go to eat, drink and have a break from the fast pace.

Josh Wood To Launch Breakfast Pop-up Salon At sketch During London Fashion Week
Sketch on Conduit Street in Mayfair has collaborated with world-renowned salon Josh Wood Atelier to open an exclusive pop-up breakfast blow-dry and nail bar in the Glade at sketch. The salon will offer guests a dry-style blow dry and a file and polish together with an express breakfast for £25.00, ensuring they will look impeccably groomed before a busy day of shows, whether gracing the FROW or simply soaking up the atmosphere at Somerset House. Open from 8.00am until 10.30am, the beauty bar will run throughout London Fashion Week, from 13th-17th September. www.sketch.uk.com

London fashion week, where to go
Babbo
To celebrate this autumn’s London Fashion Week, discreet Mayfair restaurant Babbo has devised a special menu packed with superfoods. Known for being favoured by royalty and celebrities alike, it is frequented by A-listers including Stella McCartney, Kate Beckinsale, Princess Beatrice, Colin Firth and Claudia Schiffer. Head chef Carlo Scotto has created dishes such as Salad of handpicked crab meat with avocado and hazelnuts , Tuna carpaccio with wild asparagus and aubergine puree and John Dory with fresh peas, broad beans, dry tomato and beetroot puree. The menu will be available for the duration of London Fashion Week and is priced at £45 for three courses
39 Albemarle Street, W1S 4JQ – www.babborestaurant.co.uk

Fornata
Between 13-17th September, relaxed Italian restaurant Fornata – located on Soho’s bustling Kingly Street – will offer an express three course meal with a glass of wine for just £25. The vibrant and informal restaurant will offer low-carb dishes such as Grilled courgettes with ricotta, mint and pine nuts or Beef Carpaccio with fresh Porcini mushroom salad to start. These will be followed by a choice of either Sicilian style char-grilled swordfish, Char-grilled ginger baby chicken with rocket and parmesan or Grilled lamb cutlet with aubergine puree and pecorino cheese for main. To finish, guests can choose between Panna cotta with mixed berries or Lemon crostata pie. The menu, which is available throughout London Fashion Week, can be best enjoyed al fresco on Fornata’s lively terrace.
15 Kingly Street, W1B 5PS – www.fornata.com

Ping
PING, West London’s renowned ping-pong rooms will be giving pizza’s a fresh twist for London Fashion Week with the introduction of its ‘Skinny Bitches’ pizza menu. Challenging the perception of what it is that makes a great and nutritious pizza, head chef Bruno Elias has created three low calorie pizzas, that are sure to keep you feeling chic throughout fashion week. The ‘Skinny Bitches’ menu at Ping features pizza made from wholewheat crusts, light cheeses, fresh and healthy toppings, which are all under 600 calories. Pizza’s include the ‘Kate’ made up of ricotta, fresh spinach, roasted apple, walnuts, the ‘Naomi’ with fresh mozzarella, sun blushed tomatoes, raisins, anchovies and pine nuts on a rich tomato base, and the ‘Giselle’ with roasted aubergines, peppers, onions, fresh basil on a rich tomato base.
180-184 Kingly Road, SW59GG – www.weloveping.com

STK
To celebrate this September’s London Fashion Weekend, contemporary steakhouse STK will be opening its doors at the earlier time of noon, on both the Saturday and Sunday, to offer the cities fash pack an exclusive STK’OVER lunch menu. Located minutes from Somerset House STK is the perfect pit stop for post or pre show entertaining, and diners with a pass for London Fashion Weekend will also be offered a complimentary signature STK cocktail. Dishes on the STK’OVER menu include scallop ceviche, feather steak and STK salad.
STK, 336-337 Strand, London, WC2R 1HA – www.togrp.com/togrp-stk-london/about

Villandry 
To mark London Fashion, Villandry, located on Great Portland Street has created a perfect, exclusive menu for die-hard fashionishtas to enjoy throughout September, with each dish no more than 150 calories. Each dish has been carefully devised to follow Villandry’s philosophy of offering lighter Mediterranean dishes, where by bad fats are kept to a minimum. Dishes on the menu include tomato and green bean tartare with avocado salsa, grilled salmon on a bed of pea puree, roasted diced beetroot and horseradish, and for those with a sweet tooth there is the frozen yogurt summer berry trio.
170 Great Portland St, London, W1W 5QB – www.villandry.com
Where do you like to go during London Fashion Week?

Guilty Pleasures Pop Up at Mary Janes Bar

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MARY JANESThis autumn will see the arrival of the global phenomenon that is Guilty Pleasures at stylish City bar, Mary Janes. Every Thursday night guests can enjoy a glorious all-singing, all-dancing pop-up spectacle from DJs, dancers and performers bringing a razzle-dazzle tour de force to London’s traditionally conservative financial district.

From the moment they arrive, city workers will leave their consciences at their desks and walk into a sinner’s paradise. Throughout the course of the evening, Guilty Pleasures’ unique blend of entertainment will be popping up with DJs, singers, cabaret performers, dancers, acrobats and a whole troupe of kitsch characters guaranteed to start a party unlike anything ever seen before in the City.

In the eight years since it was founded, Guilty Pleasures has become a musical institution, embracing the full scope of the pop spectrum, from the 70s to the present day. Founded by the charismatic broadcaster and lifelong music fan, Sean Rowley on his cult BBC London radio show, it has now evolved into a sell-out club night, a compilation album series and a television show. Alongside Sean, Guilty Pleasures eclectic cast create an unforgettable heart stopping, disco dancing, pop spectacular!

To celebrate the arrival of Guilty Pleasures, Mary Janes have created a bespoke food and cocktail menu with a Guilty Pleasures theme which will truly be the answer to guests’ prayers. Guests can enjoy Naughty Hot Dogs, a platter of mini hot dogs with different toppings such as Chilli con Carne, American Mustard, Fried Onions and Melted Cheese, or can go to the dark side with Dirty Burgers; a selection of burger sliders with fillings including Pulled Pork, Chorizo, Chilli and Cheese. Diners will be singing the praises of the sinfully sweet Dunkin’ Donuts, a homemade selection of sugared Cinnamon Donuts with Chocolate Sauce, Toffee Sauce and Warm Apricot Marmalade.

Drinkers will be confessing their sins after delving into the Guilty Pleasures themed cocktails which include the Chocolate Mint Pleasure, a playful blend of Vanilla Stolichnaya Vodka, Cacao White, Crème de Menthe, Milk and Chocolate Sprinkles. Pop princesses can opt for the Sassy Spritz, a zingy mix of Aperol, Prosecco, and Soda. The Retro Mai Tai will transport guests back to the last days of disco and will combine Santa Teresa Rum, Triple Sec, Captain Morgan, Pineapple, Orange Juice and Grenadine

Owned and operated by The Mint Group, Mary Janes is a chic bar with an interior combining a touch of the baroque with modern elegance. Plush Louis XVI style chairs, crystal chandeliers and red drapes lend a sense of theatre to the venue, whilst downstairs exposed brickwork, leather banquettes and a long wooden and zinc-topped bar create a more contemporary space. The bar has several intimate spaces perfect for group bookings, as well as the ever-popular karaoke room which can take bookings for up to 12 people.

Mary Janes
124-127 Minories
London
EC3 1NT
Tel: 020 7481 8195
W: www.maryjanesbar.com/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/maryjanesbar/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Janes-Bar/

Opening Hours
Monday-Wednesday 12pm – 11pm
Thursday & Friday 12pm – 1am
Available for private hire on weekends

Pop Up Business For Dummies | Book Review

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thPop up businesses are big news. Their popularity has really grown in the past few years. I have been to some amazing pop up art shows and food launches. They are the new trendy thing and can be a great foundation for future business success. And with property prices rising rapidly it can seem like a financial black hole to tie yourself into a long lease.

You can start a pop up business for a number of reasons. To test a company out or just to see if the business world is really for you. Pop Up Business For Dummies lets you know exactly what a pop up is, how to find out if a pop up is right for you and where you can get help to start your pop up business. The contacts it has in it are worth the price alone.

This book makes you think with your head and not just get excited by an idea. You can write a business plan and research your market. It has handy tables and great tips in checklist form.

One of the best things about the book is that it gives you information on things you would not have thought about otherwise. Whilst reading it I had quite a few ‘ah’ moments. It also covers marketing, something that is always useful, and designing. If you do not want to do the designing yourself it has good advice on working with a designer. Of course the book also covers social media. It even has it’s own chapter.

It’s advice on writing a press release I found invaluable and it even gives an example. I read a lot of press releases and I know that writing a good one can make all the difference.

I think this book is a must for people starting a pop up business. From it’s checklists to it’s well researched business facts and detailed plans it is a handy guide. Dan Thompson really knows his stuff.

Pop Up Business For Dummies