INSEAD x Somerset House

Somerset House hosted a celebratory reception and dinner for INSEAD’s alumni in our Embankment Galleries for their ‘Global Insead Day,’ an annual event to mark the 1959 inauguration of this leading, international business school.

20 Sep 2024

INSEAD is a not-for-profit international business school, equipping a global community with the tools, skills and pioneering knowledge to face today’s challenges to build a better world via revolutionary research and ambitious teaching. A leader in boundary pushing business education that prepares graduates to lead in business and government offices, INSEAD are trailblazers in boundary pushing business education with a global presence, with campus locations in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi) and North America (San Francisco), and alliances with prominent institutions worldwide. To celebrate the ongoing work of this cutting-edge, progressive and forward-thinking organisation, Somerset House hosted a celebratory reception and dinner for INSEAD’s alumni in our Embankment Galleries for their ‘Global Insead Day,’ an annual event to mark the 1959 inauguration of the school.

A black-tie event with an international assembly of attendees, our accredited suppliers Clement Worrall provided the commensurate standards of service and production, menu design and delivery. Canape and dinner service were spread across the ground floor and mezzanine levels of the Embankment Galleries – showcasing the adaptability and atmosphere of this unique space – with a view to accommodating over 200 guests, with 150 seated for a three-course dinner.

As a business school for the world celebrating over sixty years of excellence, our standards of hospitality needed to be proportionate to INSEAD’s reputation – ranking first-place in the Financial Times 2024 list of European Business Schools – and correspond with the school’s brand and core values: championing diversity, independence, collaboration and entrepreneurial spirit. For this truly global gathering of guests and accommodating a very wide range of dietary requirements and demands, our team worked closely with INSEAD. Both in advance communication and via a pre-event food tasting, with INSEAD we worked to ensure delivery of a high-end and modern food experience that would mirror what was ‘hot’ and on-trend in the contemporary London dining culture. Focusing on sustainability and seasonality in menu design – teamed with a paired-back, elegant simplicity and an ‘unfussiness’ to reflect lauded London restaurants of the day and in tribute to the city’s innovative restaurant scene, the menu reflected the internationalism key to INSEAD’s project.

Staff were recruited and trained in-house at Clement Worrall and, in consultation with the client, service-ware for all courses was deliberately unfussy – almost utilitarian in style – with clean, simplistic, straight-cut glassware and crockery comprising on-trend white porcelain, Scandinavian stoneware and natural woods. This was complemented by neutral table dressings in a modern teal, reflecting the brand identity and colour palette of the event lighting.

Canapes included the last of the season’s sustainably-sourced sea trout tacos – with wasabi tobiko, jalapeño and lime – and parmesan cromesqui with Autumn truffle, pickled cucumber and aioli. The first course was a celebration of Autumnal produce – a vegan and contemporary take on seasonal cooking – with celery root cooked in Cornish seaweed, green apple, date, sweet onion and English truffle, served alongside a lattice Cornish seaweed wafer.

For the main course, a sustainably raised, dry-aged ex-dairy beef was served, complemented by savoury almond praline, miso, English girolles and black cabbage. For dessert, to close the dining experience, a light and refreshing lemon verbena granita was brought to the table, served with Tahitian white chocolate and a stem ginger gelato to balance this Autumn-centred menu.

For such a dining experience, paired wines were given their equal and due attention and included the incomparable English ‘Hush Heath’ sparkling, with reds and whites sourced from smaller, niche ‘boutique’ producers to both celebrate INSEAD’s dedication to independence and entrepreneurship, and to give a more intimate and considered feel to the evening.