Presenting the East of the Meridian afternoon tea, from InterContinental London - The O2 and The East India Company
Two iconic businesses with roots in the historic Docklands trading area of London - InterContinental London – The O2 and The East India Company - are uniting to create an afternoon tea to celebrate the exotic ingredients that would have arrived into London's docks during the 18th century.
The ‘East of the Meridian’ afternoon tea will run from April 3rd until June 30th in Meridian Lounge at InterContinental London – The O2, situated on the Greenwich Peninsula. It will feature ingredients such as cardamom, Araguani chocolate and tea with speciality pastries created by the hotel’s Executive Pastry Chef, Amit Kumar.
The East India Company boasts an almost 400-year history of mapping and discovering trade and commercial routes across the world. It is credited with inventing the gin and tonic in the 1800s and launched its first gin in 2016. As part of the collaboration, it will also host a one-night bar takeover at the hotel’s Clipper Bar, on 26th July, featuring speciality East India Company Gin cocktails such as‘The Spice Merchant’ with Creme de Cacao Blanc, Frangelico, hazelnut syrup, cream, nutmeg and ‘Barrel Aged Chocolate Negroni’ with Punt et Mes, cocoa bean infused Campari and chocolate bitters.
Tim Reynolds, Director of Food & Beverage, InterContinental London – The O2, said: “We are very excited to be working with The East India Company to tell the story of how the British table and palate has been transformed through centuries of trade and travel. InterContinental London – The O2’s enviable position on the Greenwich Peninsula, right on the Thames and close to Royal Victoria Dock means that we have always been influenced by the area’s rich trading history. Together with The East India Company, we’ve created a unique menu that showcases some of the amazing ingredients discovered and introduced to this country all those years ago.”
Inger Cessford, Head of Communications for The East India Company, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with InterContinental London – The O2 on this special project. The hotel’s location and nautical design influences make it the perfect setting for these special events, and we are really excited to share our expertise in combining exotic ingredients with remarkable connections to support the hotel’s talented catering team in the creation of such innovative and appealing menus.”
The special afternoon tea is priced at £35 per person, or £48 for a Champagne or cocktail afternoon tea. The Clipper Bar takeover is open to the public on a booking the only basis. For more information on the afternoon tea and bar takeover please contact 02084636868.
InterContinental London – The O2 boasts 453 guestrooms and suites, a luxury spa with 17m pool and 8 treatment rooms, as well as some of London’s finest destination-inspired restaurants and bars, including the 3 AA Rosette Peninsula Restaurant and the rooftop Eighteen Sky Bar. InterContinental London – The O2 is managed and operated by Arora Hotels.
-Ends-
davies tanner - +44 (0)1892 619100
Becca Krug | Nancy Cremore | Nicole Moor
InterConO2@daviestanner.co.uk
For images and further information on the East India Company please contact Jennifer Sutcliffe at JAMS PR jennifer@jamspr.com
Notes to Editors
InterContinental® London – The O2 is an 18-storey luxury hotel featuring 453 spacious guest rooms - including 59 suites - as well as a 4,500sqm+ dedicated conference centre with a 3,100sqm pillar-free ballroom and a 1,600sqm pre-function space overlooking the river Thames. Situated only 400m from North Greenwich Tube Station on the Jubilee Line and only a 5-minute walk from Greenwich Pier, InterContinental London – The O2 is perfectly connected to London’s West End. The famous entertainment venue, The O2, adjoins the hotel via a covered walkway, as well as being minutes from ExCeL London on the Emirates Air Line cable car. InterContinental London - The O2 is managed and operated by The Arora Group under a franchise agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®). www.iclondon-theo2.com | @InterConTheO2 | info@iclondon-theo2.com
The Arora Group
The Arora Group is a successful UK-focused private group of companies, which leverages synergies across its specialist property, construction and hotel divisions to its strategic advantage. Since 1999, the Group has built its standing through meticulously managing projects from inception to delivery and beyond. Today, it owns and manages a diverse portfolio of flagship assets across the nation’s key business locations, partnering with some of the world’s most recognised brands to deliver consistently high service levels and sustainable growth. www.thearoragroup.com. @Arora_Group
The East India Company
Since its creation in 1600 by The Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I, the influence of The East India Company has been extensive. It influenced Britain’s dining tables through the introduction of tea, coffee, chocolate, and spices, but more fundamentally, it changed the world's tastes, it's thinking, and its people. It created new communities, trading places, cities and shaped countries and commercial routes.
The East India Company’s Fine Foods range today includes over 140 teas, rare coffees, artisan biscuits, jams and marmalades, mustards, sweets, chocolate bars and selection boxes, gift sets, luxury hampers and accessories.
The East India Company’s UK stores are; Conduit St, Covent Garden Piazza and Westfield in London, George St in Edinburgh as well as stores in the Middle East; Kuwait and Qatar. The Company is also the tea supplier to The Royal Albert Hall, London and is represented globally through Duty Free (including destinations such as Vienna, Frankfurt, Doha and Dubai), major retailers including Selfridges in the UK, Neiman Marcus in the US, Bijenkorf in Amsterdam, Dean & Deluca South Korea, Takashimaya (Singapore & Japan), and Queen’s Isetan, Mitsukoshi and Meida-ya in Japan.
www.eicfinefoods.com
The East India Company Gin
The East India Company Gin is a luxury gin with an unparalleled heritage, inspired by its journeys between East and West.
This London Dry Gin is a celebration of their pioneering spirit of adventure, diversity and collaboration with an intrinsic connection to the highest-quality botanicals from around the world.
From the legacy that delivered the London Dry style as well as the ubiquitous G&T, The East India Company has been re-invented for today. A gin that embodies the spirit of pioneers, inventors, explorers – all steeped in history and the exotic.
Discover their remarkable connections between the East and West with spices and botanicals from The East India Company’s old trade journeys -- brought to your glass today.
To learn more:
Visit www.theeastindiacompany.com
Follow the journey -- instagram.com/eastindiacompanygin and facebook.com/eastindiacompanygin
Connect directly at gin@theeastindiacompany.com
