Advertorial: Have a Priceless London experience with MasterCard

MasterCard’s Priceless Cities campaign is an epic and extraordinary way to explore London and other cultural hotspots across the globe. Perfect for curious spirits like Harden’s readers who love to venture out, Priceless Cities is now available in more than 40 destinations accessible from over 70 countries.

And you can explore the capital with Priceless London experiences today. All you need to do is choose one of the exciting wining and dining opportunities below. All experiences are valid until 31 July 2016 and MUST be booked via Priceless London to secure the experience.

Cannon’s Meat School, London Bridge

Meat School exists to promote the British cured meat industry. We’re based at Cannon & Cannon’s HQ in London’s Borough Market, and we run a selection of courses and events from hands-on courses, which teach butchery and curing skills through to short tasting sessions and talks. Think cured meat and beer or wine matching, pickles and pork, and meet the producer events. They’re mostly run on weekday evenings, and they’re all educational, entertaining and, above all, meaty. Attend Meat School, and we promise you’ll never look at supermarket salami or a packet of air dried ham in the same way again.

The Meat School run a series of fun and exciting tasting evenings every month, showcasing the best of British cured meat paired with superb wines, beers and spirits. Our extremely popular Meat & Wine evenings, on the first Thursday of every month, are hosted by Christophe from Borough Wines and Sean Cannon. Both are passionate about drinking and eating well, and during the course of the evening they’ll pass on their passion and knowledge whilst matching four different wines with a range of British cured meats and artisanal foods. The formal part of the evening lasts about an hour and a half, after which there’ll be an opportunity to indulge in more of that wine and platters of the finest British cured meat. MasterCard’s Priceless customers will enhance their experience with a complimentary drink on arrival, a platter of Borough Market’s best cured meats, cheeses and pickles and an individual meet and greet with Sean and Christophe.

We love cured meat. And we love beer. Put them together and it’s a wonderful, wonderful thing. We run Beer + Meat School with emerging craft breweries every month. These evenings are held at our Borough Market HQ and are hosted by ourselves and a beer expert of the month. Topics include beers to match with Wild Meat; Smoked Meat; Beefy Meats; and London Produced cured meat. There are tasters of at least five craft beers, each paired with brilliant meats. MasterCard’s Priceless London customers will be welcomed with a bottle of craft beer on arrival, a complimentary platter of Cannon & Cannon cured meats along with fine cheeses and pickles and an individual meet and greet with Sean and Christophe.

Dates (sessions last approx. 1.5 hrs)

Meat + Wine School: Learn about a range of four different wines selected by our friends at Borough Wines and taste eight different cuts of British cured meat to match.

Thursday 7 July

Thursday 4 August **SOLD OUT**

Thursday 1 September

Beer + Meat School:

Wednesday 13 July – with Five Points Brewing

An evening of beer and meat with one of the most exciting, small, independent breweries in London, Five Points Brewing, paired with some of the finest cured meats that Britain has to offer.

Join us here at our global HQ in Borough Market.

Doors open at 6.30 pm for a prompt 7 pm start.

Hotbox, Shoreditch

HotBox Meat Feast. Mouthwatering smoked meats, sides and drinks from the Shoreditch barbecue masters.

“Smoke and spice and everything nice…”

As part of the Priceless London campaign, HotBox is proud to offer MasterCard’s customers our unique “Meat Feast” platter – A special selection of house-smoked HotBox meats (Scotch Bonnet Pork Ribs, Slow-Smoked Beef Short Rib, Mutton Shank Barbecoa, Wood-fired BBQ Chicken, Spiced Hot-Link Sausages), alongside a sampler of signature side-dishes (such as Charred Green Salad, Smoked Mac & Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries and Pickled Jalapeño Slaw). All that, washed down with a delicious a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, both from the Buitenverwatching esatate in Constantia, South Africa will be added to the meal per person.

Hotbox also has an in-house production of special hot sauces and two bottles of will be given to each MC holder at the end of the meal. The hot souces could be a choice of :

1) Fermented Birdseye Chilli Catsup (Ketchup)

2) Tomatillo, Black Walnut and Beer Chilli Sauce

3) Scotch Bonnet and Pineapple

“But what comes next?”

How about an after-dinner cocktail (on the house!) in Banksy’s old workshop and private gallery?

Following your meal together, head downstairs to find our basement’s experimental cocktail bar – 46 & Mercy – and enjoy another drink surrounded by original pieces from the biggest names in urban art.

The meal will be followed by a special cocktail, especially designed for the MC holders: Tommy’s Margarita made with Scotch Bonnet infused Olmeca Tequilla, Quiquiqui Mezcal with a hint of Agave syrup muddled with lime.

A sizzling night of carnivore’s delight… Book here now and make ends meat!

HotBox is the brainchild of husband and wife team, Basit and Preeya Nasim and Exec Chef, Lewis Spencer.

After returning from a month-long barbecue ‘pilgrimage’ to Austin, Texas, the trio began their own story as nomadic BBQ street food traders in East London. A loyal following grew quickly and meant it was soon time for more permanent digs. In 2014, Basit and Preeya gave up their professional careers and took over a Grade-II listed former street art gallery in the heart of vibrant Spitalfields.

The dark industrial interior and communal seating is inspired by the old school Texan barns that formed the original smoke houses and provides the perfect spot to ‘get to know’ your fellow diners. Meats are cooked the traditional low and slow way, in our hickory-fuelled rotisserie smoker or flame grilled on a custom, log-burning Asado grill.

A strong beer menu consists of some of the best microbrewery offerings from London and the US, and if you want something with a little more kick, choose from a great selection of the bourbon, scotch and rye whiskies.

Inamo, Soho

One for the kids – Inamo Sushi lessons for budding chefs

Inspire the next generation of young chefs with this hands on experience at Inamo Soho.

Inamo are extending their exclusive masterclasses to younger fans! Don’t let the summer holidays pass without entering the dojo of their expert Sashimi Senseis for a session of hands-on sushi making and fun, and begin your training as a Nigiri Ninja!

Kids get to go behind the scenes and learn to make two maki rolls with Inamo’s sushi master (10 pieces of sushi to eat or take home). Master the skills from the experts and dazzle new found skills to school friends in the playground!

To add to this thrilling experience, following the class kick back and enjoy a family meal at Inamo. As an exclusive, any child booked via MasterCard for the sushi making class will receive a complimentary three course meal and drink (menu here: www.inamo-restaurant.com/kidsmenu) for each adult dining. There will also be an appearance from the elusive and secretive inamo chef costume character. The perfect photo opportunity and memento of your time with Inamo.

Complimentary tea & coffee on arrival for adults.

Sessions priced at £17.50 for one child, £15 per child when booking for 2+ children.

Spaces left for the following sessions:

30 July; 6, 13, 20, 27 August; & 24 September 2016

T&Pre-booking is required for Mastercard holders.

Arrival time for each class is 11.30 am, finishing by 1.15 pm.

For children aged seven-16.

Children must be accompanied whilst in the restaurant by a responsible adult.

Advance payment must be made for classes, so it is essential that accurate contact details are provided.

One child receives a complimentary three course meal & a drink (usually priced at £9.95) following the class, per adult dining Ã la carte and spending £17.50.

The Ultimate M Experience exclusively for MasterCard holders

Visit winner of ‘Best New Restaurant 2015’ for an Al Fresco Wine Tasting with ‘UK’s Best Sommelier’, Wagyu & Kobe Masterclass with M Head Chef, four course menu and Digestif Cocktail in M DEN private members lounge.

The multifaceted venue M, has been hailed as one of the most exciting openings of the year and won ‘Best New Restaurant 2015’ in the Harpers Awards.

Created by Martin Williams, M Threadneedle Street was the first restaurant to open in the group and boasts an all-star line-up. Head Chef Jarad McCarroll joined from Chiltern Firehouse, is overseen by Exec Chef Michael Reid, previously the right hand man to Melbourne’s ‘Rock star Chef’, Shannon Bennett. The restaurant is headed up by Francesco Cappucci, (formerly Cecconi’s).

Returning from Melbourne to the London restaurant scene and opening M Victoria St is Executive Chef Michael Reid, who trained at both Le Gavroche and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. The past two years has seen Michael work closely with celebrity chef Shannon Bennet in his award winning Vue de Monde restaurant and in opening Jardin Tan. All at the same time as working with some of Australia’s finest chefs, including George Calombaris and Peter Gilmore. He also cooked alongside Heston Blumenthal at The Skinny Duck, Melbourne.

The Venues:

M Threadneedle Street; our award winning, multifaceted venue, houses two 100-cover restaurants, a destination cocktail bar, a wine-tasting room and a secret den, in addition to flexible private dining and event spaces.

M Victoria Street, our second venue is now open. Our Victoria site is home to a 120 oval, two-tiered, Grill Room, 60 cover Raw Bar, both Public and Private Members Bars, a wine tasting room, private dining and event spaces, all of which one enters via M Wine Store.

Key Details:

The Ultimate M Experience is available exclusively for Priceless London and is available at M Threadneedle St and M Victoria.

Begin with a journey through the perfect wines for summer.

M has the largest selection of wines by the glass in London – be guided by our award winning M sommelier as you play with cutting edge electronic wine machines and enjoy a flight of 6 wines accompanied by a selection of matching canapes on our terrace.

Kobe and Wagyu Tasting Menu and Masterclass.
Enjoy a masterclass with our Head Chef as he explains the origins of some of the finest, rarest cattle in the world and the how to cook the perfect steak, before tasting the highest grades of both Wagyu and Kobe Beef found in Europe in a special 4 course Menu

Private Members Bar Access for a post dinner cocktail

Finish your experience in the exclusive MDEN private members lounge where you can enjoy a Johnny Walker Blue Label Old Fashioned cocktail, paired with blue cheese ice cream designed by ‘World Class’ judges and our Executive Chef, Michael Reid.

Royal Afternoon Tea, Rubens at The Palace

Fit for a Queen – enjoy a Royal Afternoon Tea with Rubens at The Palace

To commemorate The Queen’s 90^th birthday, celebrate this quintessentially British tradition with a guaranteed window table overlooking the Royal Mews and a complimentary glass of Champagne.

There is no better place to enjoy this traditional English occasion than sitting back in our Palace Lounge overlooking the Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace.

The Rubens offers a delicious afternoon tea features mouth-watering pastries that were heavily influenced by Royal events and dining trends throughout the centuries. From Her Majesty the Queen’s much-loved jam pennies, the red velvet cupcakes influenced by the House of Stuart or the chocolate biscuit cake, a favourite of Prince William and Prince Harry of the House of Windsor The Royal Afternoon Tea at the Rubens will leave you feeling like royalty.

As a MasterCard holder The Rubens would like to additional luxury to your experience. Secure a guaranteed window table with views of The Royal Mews together with a complimentary glass of Champagne.

Royal Tea at The Rubens

32 per person

Sandwiches

Coronation chicken bridge roll

Fillet of beef Castle of Mey, horseradish cream

Arbroath Smokie, chive mayonnaise

Cucumber and cream cheese

Egg and cress

Freshly Baked Scones

Orange-scented and plain scones

Jam penny

Served with a choice of

Devonshire clotted cream, homemade

preserves and citrus curd

Homemade Pastries

Plum posset, blood orange caviar

Orange mascarpone

Coronation tart, pistachio, raspberry

Cherry éclair

Diamond chocolate biscuit cake, chocolate mousse

Red velvet cupcake

Prince and Princess Royal Tea

We also offer a special children’s Afternoon Tea menu

for those under the age of 12 years.

Indigo, Covent Garden

Enjoy an exclusive three-course dining experience at Indigo

Entirely gluten and dairy-free, bursting with incredible flavours and created using only the finest seasonal British produce- it has to be Indigo at One Aldwych in Covent Garden. Now you can see what all the foodie fuss is about – with a glass of Champagne in the private guest lounge on arrival, followed by a three-course dinner designed and prepared by celebrated Executive Chef, Dominic Teague. Following dinner, enjoy your coffee in the relaxed and refined setting, whilst you thumb through your complimentary set of Indigo recipe cards – yours to take home to help you recreate that authentic Indigo taste. Heavenly food that’s both hearty and healthy and all for just £47 per person. What more could you need? This offer is only available to MasterCard holders, and ends 30 September 2016.

The Distillery, Bankside

The Distillery Cocktail Masterclass Experience

Here at The Distillery, you will find yourself in what used to be a renowned essence factory; the Stevenson & Howell’s Standard Works which distilled essential oils and manufactured essences, flavourings and garnishes during 1800s. Proud of our heritage and inspired by its fragrant history, our experienced bartenders are passionate about researching, studying and experimenting to execute what we like to call ‘Liquid Cuisine’. Every cocktail is carefully blended with perfect skill, conjuring glorious concoctions from spirits, bitters, home-made syrups and aromatics.

Join us every Saturday from 4pm to take part in our Cocktail Masterclass where our friendly bartenders will show you how to make classic cocktails from the Prohibition Era and explain the sensations, nuances and subtleties of the tonics, fusions and fruits we use across our menus.

The class will last 2 hours including a glass of bubbles on arrival, sharing plates from our bar menu and five cocktails for only £39 per person. Booking need to be made by phone or by emailing info@thedistillerybankside.co.uk or call 020 7593 3901.

A neighbourhood bar on the ground floor of the London Hilton Bankside, The Distillery pays homage to the hotel’s heritage through its mix of gins, local craft beers and signature cocktails. Lightly spiced sharing platters and relaxed finger food are on hand to complement the array of drinks options.

A spectacular Penny Wall art installation alongside sumptuous fabrics and comfortable seating make for a unique contrast of industrial and vintage style.

The Goring, Belgravia

Lunch or dinner at The Goring Dining Room with an Exclusive Book Gift

Enjoy a three-course lunch or dinner with wine in the Michelin-starred Dining Room at The Goring and a copy of the hotel’s book, ‘A Very Special Place’.

Visit The Goring, the five-star family-run hotel nestled in Belgravia, and enjoy an exceptional three-course lunch or dinner in The Dining Room. Under the helm of Chef, Shay Cooper, the elegant restaurant recently won a Michelin Star with a menu underpinned by Shay’s deep understanding of provenance and produce.

With this offer, guests are invited to enjoy a three-course menu for lunch or dinner with two glasses of wine per person. Each table will be given a copy of ‘A Very Special Place’, The Goring’s fun book which is brimming with stories, insights and anecdotes about the highly revered hotel.

The offer is available for lunch and dinner daily, excluding Saturday lunchtime, and is subject to availability with some seasonal restrictions.

The Goring Dining Room – Celebrating the best in British food

In the luxurious setting of a five-star London hotel, The Dining Room is beautifully elegant – a place where traditional and delicious British food triumphs. The holder of its first Michelin star and three AA Rosettes, The Dining Room offers an impeccable yet fun dining experience, under the direction of Executive Chef Shay Cooper.

The Goring sources fresh, high-quality ingredients from suppliers across the British Isles, from Romney Marsh lamb to fish from the Cornish coast, as part of its commitment to serving the finest British food.

Chef Cooper and his team make fabulous use of the revered Clarence Court hens’ eggs – essential for The Dining Room’s legendary breakfast, mouth-watering Eggs Drumkilbo and indulgent lobster omelette. The Goring’s forager provides a selection of truffles and wild herbs to perfectly complement each dish, and it remains one of the last London restaurants to serve roast rib of beef that’s impeccably carved from a silver trolley.

Designed by David Linley, The Dining Room is bathed in natural light by day and sumptuously aglow with Swarovski chandeliers at night.