Downstairs, in the main space, the JustSeventy team ensured no detail had been overlooked. The carousel bar was an immediate attraction, with more creativity to follow, such as a candy floss room fragrance to put the guests in a suitably nostalgic mood. JustSeventy sourced fairground props, from vintage bumper cars to neon signs to distorting mirrors. Table designs followed the theme, with hook-a-duck, carousel horses, colourful candlesticks and a coconut shy among them. The level of detail on the tables even extended to the place “cards” — Coca-Cola bottles with bespoke-printed names for each one.
“Working with Andrew Morrow and the team from One Events, who manage the space, made it very easy for us to achieve what we set out to achieve from the beginning,” says Laurie Weitzkorn director at JustSeventy. “We love the drama of a venue with high ceilings, as it allows you to build stage sets,” says Stas Anastasiou, creative director.
The menu emphasised the fairground theme — there was even a Swim & Tonic (gin and tonic served in a bag with a plastic goldfish). Catering was by Food Story, with adults’ and kids’ menus in the style of chalk boards. For the adults, there was sesame “Caesar” salad with seared salmon and crispy won tons, followed by Steak and Dog (slow-cooked duck with Asian slaw, steak with fried onions and French fries with rosemary salt). Dessert was Fairground Surprise (popcorn parfait, tipsy milkshake, sugared doughnut, chocolate cremeaux, fresh berries, marshmallow and candyfloss).
The kids feasted on nachos topped with chilli con carne and mini tubs of mild salsa and guacamole, followed by plain crispy coated chicken with French fries, coleslaw and corn on the cob, chocolate and Oreo milkshakes served in mini glass bottles. Barbecue sauce, ketchup and mayo were provided, in miniature bottles.
Entertainment came from a bespoke DJLive group — JustSeventy flew in hand-picked musicians and singers from Europe. There was also a photo booth to capture the happy memories. The family put together a video showing their musical theatre skills and this was used during the speeches on the giant stage screen.
