Stay Home, Stay Safe and cook up a storm!

Half way through week 4 of isolation in the UK and I have been amazed at how so many business and individuals have adapted to this incredibly unusual and unsettling situation.

Many in the events and hospitality industry have truly kept me motivated; there have been many live cooking demos, live chats and blogs to keep us trying new things, reading, learning and growing.

So I wanted to share with you a few pages that have encouraged me to try new things in the kitchen. I love food and cooking however I just don’t usually get time to cook as much as Id like so these past few weeks have given me the chance to rekindle that love. However I am looking forward to visiting all the lovely restaurant we have here in London & I will never take any of them for granted again!

The first live cooking class I joined was by @bigmamma.uk. Gloria’s is one of my favourite Italian Restaurants in London, so I was super excited to take part. We made gnocchi which is a family favourite so I was expecting a lot of constructive criticism, however to my surprise I did not receive much as they all loved the dish! It was my first time making it and I will defiantly do it again as it was much quicker than I thought it would be.

My second recommendation for inspiration would be the @originalflava instagram and cookbook. I have been following them for a while and have tried out a few of their recipes before, however I have had time to try a few of the more advance dishes and loved every one of them. They recently share a plantain and black bean burger recipe which I will be making next week.
While writing this I am wishing I took photographs of everything I have made! So I will share a few photos next week on our Instagram story.

My third and final recommendation has been one that I maybe should have avoided because now my sweet tooth is in full effect. I have been trying out a number of new Greek desert recipes from the amazing cookbook Traditional Greek Cooking from Cyprus and Beyond . This book is old but gold and honestly so easy to follow. It can be purchased on Amazon however there may not be many available. If you cannot get hold of one and there is a dish you would like to try out leave a comment below with your email address and the name of the dish and I would be happy to share the recipe with you.

A super short and sweet blog today as I hope you will all be promptly following the above pages and buying the books to get started.
If you do try out any recipes from the above recommendations please share your photos and tag us.
We can never see enough food photos!

Stay safe everyone!

S x

Steak in the City

Now this will be a shocking share for my friends and colleagues because they will all know I tend to avoid red meat. Mainly because I never really fancy it and I think it has to be cooked to perfection to taste delicious.

However I do have a favourite steak stop in London & every time I say in conversation it is one of the best steaks I have eaten I often get the response “Really”.

Flat Iron Soho! I choose you. The menu is small & there is likely to be a wait on a Friday or Saturday evening as you cannot book a table but it is worth it.

This week I visited the restaurant mid week with a friend; we was seated within seconds which was automatically a win & we ordered shortly after.

This was my friends first visit to Flat Iron which made the experience for me even better. I love introducing people to new places and seeing their reactions (I think this is why I entered the world of events).

We both ordered Flat Iron Steak & Sophie’s Salad (usually I cannot resists their chips however I was having a some what carb free day).

To my delight my friend loved it and agreed it was one of the best steaks she has tried.

So not to drag this on but for Steak lovers it’s a must, for those that’s like the occasional steak it’s a must!

It is not an overwhelming meat fulled place wether you know your cuts or not it really does not matter. All that you really have to know is how you like your steak cooked!

Flat Iron has other branches but I always return to Soho, have a look at their website for more info https://flatironsteak.co.uk or check out their Instagram @flatironsteak.

If you get a chance to visit let us know your thoughts.

S x

The Event Trend of 2019!

Hello and welcome to the Serenity Blog if this is your first time visiting us. We have been super quiet this year but it ends here. We are back like we never left and better than ever! The Serenity Blog is a space covering all things events, hospitality and lifestyle with honest opinions and findings and hopefully an easy read for you all.

Jumping straight into today’s blog, I am sure you are all expecting me to discuss a new design or decor trend that has developed over the last couple of months or even a type of event that everyone is hosting. For all of those who like to jump in on the trends this may disappoint you.
2019 has been the year of the 4 week turn around; yes your read correctly, we have had at least 70% of our clients this year enquiring for events within 3-5 weeks of their preferred event date.

Now we are not saying this is a terrible thing for us event planners although I can only speak on behalf of Serenity London however we thrive with working under pressure when we have clients who are ready to make decisions and get things done. The challenge we have found with short turn around clients is managing their expectations of availability.
We cannot express enough how busy our fantastic suppliers or London, Essex and Hertfordshire venue are throughout the year. The event season as it once was is no longer, venues are booked all year round for all types of events which means short turn around clients may not get their first venue of choice or the entertainment they hoped for due to the last minute enquiry.

Luckily this year we have always found a way to make our clients happy even if they did not get the venue they thought they wanted, we will always find a like for like or a better alternative.
Depending on the event we always suggest 7-12 months a great period of time to plan an event to ensure you get the Venue or Photographer of your choice.

We also strongly advise to those who are planning an event in a short turn around to follow these key points:

1. Avoid too many cooks in the kitchen.
   This applies to planning events in general, even more so when you are working in a short time frame. Having to many people involved without clear roles can cause more mayhem that results. We suggest hiring an event planner who will coordinate the mayhem and have direct contact with you.
   

2. Be open to suggestions
   This is key to get the ball rolling and the papers sign sealed and delivered.
   

3. Decisions Decisions
   Be prepared to make decisions promptly, time is everything. Taking 5 days to decide on the font of your invite is TIME WASTING when we have 3 weeks to plan an engagement party for 150 guests.
   

4. Is it too late?
   Although you may be planning an event in a short time, it is a waste of time messaging your event planner at 1am. We too tend to sleep and you may become anxious, concerned or frustrated waiting for a response.
   

5. Have a clear budget in mind
   This is important as it will help your event planner piece together your perfect event and minimise back and forth negotiations because elements are out of budget.

We hope this has been a little insightful read and prepares any readers planning an event to get their ducks in a row and check lists ready. Should you make the right decision and want to hire a reliable and trusted event planning we can be reached at events@serenitylondon.co.uk or weddings@serenitylondon.co.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you back her soon!

S xo