The Admirable Crichton was tasked with creating a Secret Garden themed post Chelsea Flower Show party for 500 guests at Chelsea Physic Garden. Taking inspiration from the novel but also from the garden itself they created a menu that revealed many of the garden’s own secrets.

Influenced by the world’s most northerly growing grapefruit and agave plants found in the garden, guests enjoyed Palomas or a non-alcoholic version on arrival as well as Champagne, Pimm’s and their acclaimed Ring for Gin Bar, where guests could select their own botanicals to garnish their drink.

An array of canapes delighted hungry guests, all of which contained herbs from the gardens of edible and useful plants. The clam shells, now residing in the pond, brought back by Captain Cook from his voyage to Tahiti inspired a roasted cod and clam with chive beurre blanc bowl food dish while herbs from the garden of medicinal plants or the garden’s own honey could be found in other bowls food dishes.

The pudding bar captivated guests and transported them into the novel with “cottage bread” pain perdu with jam and cream, marshmallow and rice crispy “porridge” and of course a mountain of sticky currant buns amongst many other treats.

The garden itself was styled in a rustic fashion with a wooden bar and poseur tables draped with ivy and ferns with accents from the novel in the form of old keys, with colours drawn from the flowers that burst into bloom and of course a trusty robin keeping an eye on proceedings.

The Admirable Crichton