When Harbour & Jones were asked to create the menu for the JM Finn Summer event, we took the idea of the artist as inspiration, creating a themed array of dishes; from colourful sushi & canapés presented on palettes to an actual pudding paintbox filled with meringues, honeycomb and topped with a shortbread logo.

On arrival, guests were greeted with Champagne & elderflower cordial accompanied by cold & hot summer canapés such as brioche topped with foie gras, strawberries, grapes & ginger and cured Borough Market ham with compressed watermelon.  Introducing the artist theme with canapé spoons of tuna ceviche with cucumber & tomato jelly on stylish slate palettes, the tone was set for an evening of very good food, beautifully presented.

H&J have always promoted smaller, independent local suppliers.  By working with family run farms, artisanal cheesemakers, and fish smokers who roll up their sleeves to prepare the finest smoked salmon by hand, we get first pick of fresh, regional food. The food stalls we created for JM Finn were a showcase of the very best of British food. From the assorted hues of the seafood stall with beetroot & apple cured gravadlax & Chalk Farm 24-hour smoked salmon, to the wonderful Montgomery cheddar and ash coated Golden Cross presenting the best in British cheesemaking, the colours, shapes & textures were a real picture.

A real hit with everyone, displaying visual perfection and fabulous flavours, was the sushi stall where H&J chef Rosa created authentic Japanese delicacies using the very freshest ingredients, including fish certified by the Marine Conservation Society and, to top it all, wasabi ice cream, a taste sensation not to be forgotten.

The masterpiece though was by far and away the Pudding Paintbox; a wooden frame filled with tempting delights from coconut ice, candy floss, real fruit jellies, hand-made lollipops and exquisite colourful macaroons. A triumph for the H&J pastry chefs, it all looked good enough to eat & many a guest left clutching their very own too-good-to-eat shortbread paintbrush!