Despite the rather chilly temperatures, the start of summer is officially under-way if this year’s Portman Square Garden Party was anything to go by! On Thursday 2nd June, for the 11th consecutive year, this incredibly popular ticketed event was attended by the great and the good of the Marylebone area and supported by Seddons, Savills, Eliska, The Portman Estate (who own the square), and The Baker Street Quarter Partnership who organise and promote a terrific summer season of events in the square and the vicinity.
Other key sponsors included the exclusive private member’s club, Home House, who greeted guests with a glass of Prosecco, while an orderly queue formed behind The Grazing Goat’s Pimms bar and the Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill’s food stalls served guests with an array of delicious hot and cold snacks throughout the evening. A £40 ticket included all food and drink, from hearty steak ciabatta rolls and home-made pastrami sandwiches to vegetable curry and good old fashioned fish and chips, while The Churchill’s patisserie team came up trumps with a tempting array of cakes and desserts including mini treacle tarts, red velvet cake and brownies.
The theme of this year’s event was in celebration of the Queen’s 90th birthday and made for a royally fine knees-up to kick-start summer in London. Entertainment included a vintage jazz quartet, garden games, a photo booth with novelty props and last, but by no means least, the legendary raffle which boasted an array of luxury prizes generously donated by local businesses, such as an overnight stay at the nearby Zetter Townhouse, a £50 gift voucher for The Dog House, the new basement bar at Bernadi’s, and a case of Rogers and Peterson Pinot Noir courtesy of Philglas and Swiggot.
All proceedings from ticket and raffle sales will be donated to The Marylebone Project, a partnership between Church Army and the Portman House Trust working with vulnerable homeless women to empower them towards independent living. Last year’s event raised a whopping £15,000 for the More Smiles Appeal, showing how events like these benefit the local community, not to mention provide a lot of fun besides!
For forthcoming events in Portman Square, including the Wimbledon Summer Festival on 6, 7 & 8th July which features live televised games (free entry), please visit the Baker Street Quarter’s website.
