TIMELESS ELEGANCE at the Signet Library 23rd September 2021
In past years the annual Champagne Academy Scottish dinner has been held at some of Edinburgh’s most exquisite venues like The National Museum of Scotland, Preston Field House, Royal Yacht Britannia and The Balmoral to mention a few.
This year the Champagne Academy is delighted to announce the venue for this year’s Scottish Dinner will be the Signet Library. The Signet Library is home to one of Edinburgh’s most elegant Afternoon Tea destinations, The Colonnades, and offers superior dining experiences with catering partner Heritage Portfolio who also hold a Royal Warrant for catering services to the Her Majesty the Queen.
'The Champagne Academy spoke to Mark Miller, Executive Director, of Heritage Portfolio and the planning of this years Scottish Dinner'
Heritage Portfolio are delighted to be welcoming the Champagne Academy back to Edinburgh to celebrate all that is special about Champagne but also to hold one of the first events in 2021 as we come out of what has been one of the more challenging years we have all faced. In 2018 we took you to the beautiful vaulted basement at the National Museum of Scotland and relished in the challenge of creating a menu worthy of the Champagnes that were being poured that evening and created a savoury dessert matched with champagne, just to prove it could be done!
This year we are taking you to another of our exquisite venues, The Signet Library, in the centre of Edinburgh’s Old Town, synonymous with prestige and Georgian elegance. Steeped in history, the building was completed in 1822 in time for the celebrated visit to Edinburgh of King George IV, who described the upper library as “the finest drawing room in Europe”.
The library is home to the prestigious Society of Writers to her Majesty’s Signet (also known as the WS Society), an association of Scottish lawyers and one of the oldest professional bodies in the world. The Society’s origins lie in the 15th century as the ‘writers’ of documents sealed with ‘the Signet’, the private seal of the Scottish kings – members are known as ‘Writers to the Signet’ or ‘WS’.
Stillness at 136HZ with Pommery Champagne
For several years with the help of our friend Sara Hicks from Vranken Pommery, we hosted the Pommery Champagne bar here during the world renowned Edinburgh International Festival and in 2018 we, with the help of Pommery and Saatchi Gallery, were able to bring Chris Levine, (famous for painting the Queen with her eyes closed,) with his laser installation entitled “Stillness at 136HZ” to the Signet Library – a contrast of styles the gained significant media attention.
This year the welcome reception will be held in the Lower Library before moving to the Upper Library for dinner, where: an inspirational setting with soaring ceilings and classical architectural will be the backdrop.
Paul Hood our Development Chef who appeared on the 2020 “Master Chef the Professional” is working on this years menu that we will hope will delight and surprise in equal measure.
Our team at Heritage Portfolio are looking forward to delivering what we hope is another special experience headed by our very own Frans Mortengren ( Image to right ) who is our General Manager and Champagne Academy Academician 2018 for good measure – so he is very excited to welcome you all to his special venue.
David Ramsey
After twenty years of planning the Scottish Champagne Academy dinner David has decided to step down as the Scottish Organiser – David has offered to support Craig Bonner in organising the Scottish dinner and to support the Champagne Academy at future events.
Tickets are now available to book for this year’s Scottish dinner at the Signet Library for Academicians and Houses.
Please contact Val or Craig below
Craig Bonner Craig.bonner@heritageportfolio.co.uk
Val Simpson info@champagneacademy.co.uk
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