A Summer of Events at the Royal Academy
Over the last decade, Rocket has become the go-to caterer for events at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. We take pride in our distinguished reputation for designing a variety of events that seamlessly complement the diversity of the exhibition and the vibrant spaces within the gallery.
Throughout the last two months, the team at Rocket have had the pleasure of organising and running a variety of events with the backdrop of the Summer Exhibition, each with their own distinct angle and approach. Running annually for over 250 years, this celebrated annual exhibition sees a variety of mediums and genres decorate the gallery walls, providing an exhilarating setting for a plethora of events and parties. Read on to discover three highlights from this summer.
Taking Inspiration from Third Culture Cuisine
For one of the first parties taking place against the backdrop of the Summer Exhibition, we worked with our client to design a truly unique event celebrating cuisine from the “third culture”, a rapidly growing food trend which combines elements of different cultures to create new flavours and experiences. In addition to a variety of circulating canapés and bowls, three food stalls took centre stage throughout the exhibition. The Nordic Native seafood and cocktail bar offered guests an array of delicacies including Carlingford oysters with a selection of dressings, crispy tamaki tacos, and small plates such as lobster with wild garlic sauce, pickled chillies, and kelp, wakame and citrus salt. As guests progressed through the exhibition, they were greeted by the Wafu Pasta & Steak bar which featured a variety of Italian and Japanese inspired dishes, including carbonara with miso and guanciale finished in a parmesan wheel, carved tomahawk steak with black bean sauce, and Kikkoman meatballs with Thai basil and polenta. Lastly, there was a Balearic Tapas inspired stall, featuring a large Jamon Iberico, and a variety of tostadas and grilled meats.
The evening finished with myriad fruit tarts, artfully arranged on bespoke trays and passed throughout the galleries. Intricately detailed, the tarts featured unique flavour combinations including white peach and jasmine, black sesame and yuzu, calamansi lemon and blueberry, and milk and salted caramel.
Making Space: Presenting Food Through Lines and Shapes
“As co-ordinator for the 2024 Summer Exhibition, I plan to explore the idea of making space, whether giving space or taking space.” – Ann Christopher RA
Inspired by the words of Ann Christopher RA, this event focused on presenting food through lines and shapes, and exploring how colour can play a part in enhancing space. The evening began with passed canapés on uniquely designed artistic trays, followed by two distinctive food stalls, one composed of concentric circles and another focusing on grids and lines. The circular food stall showcased beautiful cured and smoked fish, meat and vegetable carpaccios, and pyramids of summer vegetables arranged in spirals on circular plates. The grids and lines food stall featured a variety of cicchetti presented on beautiful Nina Campbell rectangular plates positioned on angles to give the overall design a geometric pattern. To further add to the theme of “making space”, the plates were elevated at varying heights, becoming a kind of sculptural installation in themselves. To conclude the evening, there were dessert gardens on plinths, showcasing an assortment of macarons, tarts, pops and decadent brownies artfully arranged among British foliage and flowers.
Sustainability-Focused Food Stalls
Another highlight this month was a beautiful and classically styled evening for a prominent insurance company and their 700 guests. In addition to an array of classic Rocket canapés and various food stalls, a standout feature was the sustainable steak bar. Featuring a variety of sustainably sourced beef including grilled tomahawk steak and ex-dairy cow (grass fed and aged over 7 years), this food stall put the spotlight on sourcing and serving the hero protein in a more environmentally-friendly way. Served with miso and blood orange beurre blanc, red wine jus, and a zesty chimichurri, it was accompanied by an assortment of classic steak sides, including pommes anna, horseradish mash, grilled tender stem with tahini, and asparagus with pecorino, truffle and lemon. The stall was designed to complement the artworks in the gallery, featuring racing green with a brushed gold top and the best seasonal English flowers, slightly herbaceous and subtly fragranced.
