A trip up to town today to visit the Frieze Art Fair – being held in a series of vast marquees (more than tents, these are buildings!) within Regent’s Park – and to see the floral installations created by the very talented team at Petersham Nurseries (and have lunch, let’s not forget a very excellent lunch).
The centrepiece of the Petersham Nurseries Restaurant – three vast panels encrusted – bejewelled – with dried flowers – Helichrysum (strawflower), amaranth, nigella seedheads and so much more – that adorned the back wall of the first floor space, with a white roof soaring above and over the balustrade into the middle distance (with a bar and cafe below, equally crowned with vast floral displays and an avenue of full height Prunus cerasifera Pissardii trees to welcome you).
Talented folk, this crowd, the florists, in the kitchens, front of house and in the putting together of it all in very short order.
To whet our appetite for lunch, we had a full couple of hours to roam through the halls – and thereafter had a wander through the parkland, which had been transformed into a sculpture park.
To give you an idea of the scale of the event and the vast kaleidoscope of Art on display (and for sale, at a price), here’s a gallery for your delight and delectation. Enjoy! Some artists you might recognise – and art you might not, there was something, I should think, for everybody.
For completeness, I should make a note of the menu – I’ve tweeted/instagrammed some pictures that you can probably find from the links somewhere in the margins of these pages.
On arrival – Spiced chickpea Hummus and Bagna cauda with Autumn Vegetables
Starters
- Beetroot and Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter
- Carpaccio of Bream, Rosemary Lemon, Chilli, Nasturtium Leaves and Blossoms (my companion’s choice)
- Mozzarella di Bufala with Pickled Delica Pumpkin, Oregano, Chilli and Radiccio (my choice)
- Roast Partridge Salad with Fig, Kentish Cobnuts & Prosciutto di Parma
Mains
- Autumn Vegetable Tagine with Apricots & Cobnuts, Flat Bread and Labneh
- grilled Spatchcock Poussin with Autumn Salad, Kohlrabi, Pomegranate & Toasted Buckwheat (we both had this … great choice)
- Marinated & Baked Fillet of Monkfish, Coco di Paimpol Beans, Fennel, Tomatoe and Marjoram
- Roast cutlets of Lamb with Casteluccion Lentils, Kale and Salsa Verde
Dessert
- Spiced Honey & Custart Tar with Creme Fraiche (my lunch companion had this)
- Victoria Plum, Thyme and Grappa Sorbet (my choice)
- Tunworth Cheese, Rhubarb Chutney & oat Biscuits.
Peckish, again …
The Teddington Gardener 