We’ve been wearing our hearts on our chefs whites here at Zaff HQ this month, creating show-stopping and heartwarming events for not one but two landmark London charity fundraisers.
mothers2mothers and Zafferano go way back, so we were honoured to be tasked to create a suitably celebratory dinner to mark this incredible African-based organisation’s 15th anniversary.
Whilst our menu concentrated on sublime seasonal comfort food,
Slow braised ox cheek with hazelnut persillade anyone?
our table designs at One Marylebone were inspired by the African plain with textured sandstone linen, bold leopard-print glassware and glowing tortoise shell lanterns.
A-Listers, including Victoria Beckham, Mollie King, Jodie Kidd and what looked like the entire Downton cast, began the evening grazing on delicate canapés such as Lobster cone with spiced avocado and kimchi mayo, and our signature Tomato and goat’s cheese macaron.
The evening’s highlight was a mesmerising performance of “Sweet Dreams” by charity patron Annie Lennox. Annie’s grand finale was closely followed by our own, in the form of an unctuously sticky Treacle Tart.
The following week saw us channelling our inner “baroque chick” for the British Heart Foundation’s 4th annual
“Tunnel of Love Ball” at the iconic V&A.
This year’s theme “Baroque and Roll”, enticed the great and the good of the London fashion scene (including Amber Le Bon, Pixie Lott and Millie Mackintosh) to dust off their Manolos, step through the heart shaped tunnel installation and immerse themselves in a fashionista’s funfair. Our own catwalk queen waitresses slipped on their own “LBDs” with red rose hair corsages to serve edible works of art including Baroque jewelled quails eggs, and Roasted quail with bergamot pearls on potato rösti, whilst guests hoopla’d for handbags.
While the V&A were rolling out the red carpet for guests, our equally sartorial brigade of chefs were rolling out delicious buttery puff pastry for 350 Venison Wellingtons ready to be served with spiced parsnip purée, winter cabbage and silky smoked potato. 
Once again our pastry chef stole the show with an exquisite hand decorated
Golden chocolate sphere, encasing a hidden black forest centre.
Savvy fashionistas could have been forgiven for thinking it was one of the jewellery auction lots!
Two phenomenal events; two spectacular Zafferano performances with two show-stopping desserts.
“Sweet Dreams” indeed!
Photo credits: Vianney Le Caer (Annie Lennox), Holly Clark