Bonham Bubbles

friday afternoon is a pretty good time in general, i mean it’s almost the weekend with only a few hours to get through at work. however, this past friday i was skipping out of work at noon sharp to make my way over to the Bonham Hotel for an afternoon of lunch and champange hosted by the hotel and Piper-​Heidsieck to help launch their new Bonham Bubbles lunch and afternoon tea.
on arrival we were warmly greeted by both Fiona and Emma, from the Bonham, and Helen from Piper-​Heidsieck and then handed a glass of champange. after a bit of time chatting and being introduced to the others joining us from lunch we were taked outside for a sabrage demonstration. i’ve never seen sabrage before and to be honest i wasn’t actually sure what it was before Helen explained it to us. after watching her swiftly opening the champange with a saber a few of us got to try it as well. i was happy to watch as i’m not sure that opening champange bottles with a saber is safe for someone that is quite as clumsy as me haha…
after numerous bottles of champagne were de-​headed we were taken back inside for an amazing three course lunch from the Bonham Hotel. i started with the goats cheese salad and followed with the lamb. both courses were absolutely delicious and i probably would have licked my plate clean if i hadn’t been in polite company!!! the lamb was super tender and i really enjoyed the jus and tomato salsa it came with. the heirloom tomatoes on with my goats cheese salad were tasty and fresh and a real treat as i never see them in the shops here. even though my first two courses were delicious, the true star of the meal was my dessert. a chocolate praline brownie (warmed through) with vanilla ice cream. it was quite simply the best brownie i’ve ever eaten and if i could have bought a full tray of them i very happily would have. throughout the meal our glasses were continually topped up with champagne that was light and delicate and really suited each course. in fact for most of the lunch many of us had two glasses of champagne sat in front of us, so generosity was very much at the forefront of this event.
after teas and coffees i very sadly had to depart, afterall i had a transatlantic flight the next day and still had yet to pack for my two week holiday. but overall this was one of the best afternoons i’ve had and easily one of the most enjoyable Unilocal events i’ve been invited to between the delicious food, non stop flow of champagne, and the absolutely lovely company i had throughout the afternoon. many thanks go to the Bonham Hotel and Piper-​Heidsieck for my invite and i would highly recommend that new Bonham Bubbles afternoon to everyone! a true treat of luxury :)

What an absolute treat it was to be invited to this event! Double treat that Piper happens to be my favourite champagne!
Greeted with a glass of bubbly on arrival we then proceeded out to the garden for some sabrage. There’s something so delightful about ‘opening’ a bottle with a sword!
Lunch was absolutely faaantastic, The Bonham really pulled out all the stops. The non vintage Piper really did pair well with each and every course.
Many thanks to the Bonham for being such gracious hosts and to Helen for bringing enough bubbles to hydrate a small army!
I look forward to coming in for bubbly afternoon tea sometime over the Summer!

This was a wonderful Elite event, delightful in every way. From the free-​flowing champagne to the creative cuisine, our tastebuds remained fully engaged. The company was bubbly as well. My new sabrage skills will come in handy for decades to come.

Piper-​Heidsieck and the Bonham exude glamour in equal amounts and I can’t think of a better pairing for a luxurious afternoon of lunch or afternoon tea. Bonham Bubbles is an excellent collaboration of the two and consists of either a 3 course lunch or afternoon tea with unlimited champagne for the duration (!) for £50. Today, I was lucky enough to have sampled the lunch with champagne and left feeling spoilt from the whirlwind of endless champagne and the delicious dishes on offer. Considering the quality of the food and champagne along with the beautiful Bonham surroundings, I’d say that it’d be worth every penny for a special treat.
Welcomed by the lovely staff and into the dream-​worthy Bonham, we were led to our private dining room. Just being in the Bonham is an exciting prospect; it sure is one beautiful building and was a real delight from start to finish. With Piper-​Heidsieck and the Bonham in charge, this was one truly classy affair. — With champagne on arrival, of course!
Lunch? Not before getting hands-​on with a champagne bottle and a sword! That’s right, we head on out for sabrage; ceremoniously opening the bottle by sliding the sword along the body and breaking the bottle neck clean off! After many laughs and successful sabrage, we had well and truly earned more champagne and so headed in for lunch. No doubt after some bemused looks from passersby! It is certainly an impressive feat and it was a delight to see enthusiastic brand ambassador, Helen, show us the ropes after wowing us with her own skilled sabrage! I must get myself a sword this instant. Cue some very interesting dinner parties at my place!
Lunch was perfect in every sense of the word. From the carrot and star anise soup with ricotta and coriander gnocchi to the chicken with summer truffles, wild asparagus and girolles mushroom. — Delectable! Finally, a lick-​your-​lips praline chocolate brownie that I wish I could savour for an eternity. Served with a scoop of Madagascan vanilla ice cream, this was a one-​way trip to dessert heaven and a truly delicious way to end the afternoon. All in all, a memorable lunch that’ll be hanging on my tastebuds for a while yet.
Piper-​Heidsieck are infamous within the champagne industry and their achievements reflect this. Appearing in Laurel and Hardy’s debut film; proudly quenching the Cannes film festival’s thirst for champagne for 21 years; the seven times winner of best sparkling winemaker; and to top it all off, PH was none other than Marilyn Monroe’s beverage of choice. Wow! These accolades along with the company’s bodacious history and heritage brought the brand to life and Helen did a marvellous job of portraying the passion behind the brand with genuine infectious excitement.
Piper-​Heidsieck made for a smooth, delicious wonder that would make any champagne-​lover smile. You best believe that when I’m next thirsty for the fizz, it’ll be Piper that’s on my mind.
Thank you, Bonham for the drool-​worthy bites and, of course, Piper-​Heidsieck for those luscious, dreamy bubbles! You sure know how to make a girl smile.