On Tuesday 19th September our London team organized an amazing Champagne tasting for Matthew Clark customers and prospects. We welcomed hundreds of guests to taste over 90 Champagnes!
Our annual Champagne social has always been a favourite amongst many of our customers but this year it was better than ever before! Upon entrance, customers received a glass and a tasting sheet and were ready to start tasting the stars! A competition was set up for our customers and prospects to find the 5 ‘stars’ of the evening while tasting the extensive Champagne range on show. These twinkling stars were - in no particular order – Taittinger Folies, Doyard Blanc de Blanc, Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle, Perrier Jouet Blanc de Blanc and the new addition to the list Tsarine Cuvee Brut.
Come quickly, I’m tasting the stars!
By Dom Perignon
Customer feedback on the event from the likes of the Lensbury Club, G-A-Y, The Connaught Hotel and Bills Restaurants was great. Georgia Furness, Beverage Buyer for Hilton Hotels said, “Matthew Clark's Champagne Social event was hugely enjoyable with a relaxed atmosphere and a great line-up of Champagnes. The venue was one of the best that I've seen and it was a great opportunity to taste and compare so many champagnes in one place”. Julien Angot, Assistant F&B Director at the Royal Lancaster Hotel attended the event for the first time this year and thought it was a great event, “There was a great atmosphere and it was nice to taste so many different Champagnes next to each other. A fantastic selection was available to taste and there were many houses represented, all and all a great evening!”
Our suppliers greatly enjoyed the event as well. Alex Gamble from Moet Hennessey UK said, “The Champagne Summer Social was a fantastic and valuable event for us. It was a great opportunity to discuss with them ways that they might add focus to their Champagne selection, whether it is improving the quality of Champagnes on the list, adding more premium by the glass offerings or by including one of the new innovations in Champagne, everyone seemed really engaged and open to trying new ideas”.
John Ferguson-Smith from Hatch Mansfield, the agency behind Taittinger said, “This years tasting was another great success, and we are always delighted to be involved. From our perspective, the event was a great opportunity for us to catch up with friends, discuss plans and aspirations for the category, and to meet potential new partners to share what we do. For customers, having your very comprehensive range on offer to taste in one space, highlights to them the amazing diversity the Champagne region boasts, enabling them to benchmark the style and personality of each house, and in turn, helps them find the right cuvee and partner for their business".
We would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who attended the event. The day was a great success and a big thank you to Lucy Tedstone and the operations and sales teams in the London area for all their help and support to make this event happen!
You can find more information on our Champagne range click here. If you want to stock any of the products mentioned, click here to place an order online now, or here to request an account with us; and don’t forget we’re here to support you with everything you need to ensure that your wine range is a success, from free menu design and print services to staff training.
About the author
Jacqueline de Leeuw
After working in the Hospitality industry in various roles in the Netherlands and China I now work in the London Wine Development team. I am very passionate about wine and am undertaking the challenge of the Master of Wine programme in South Africa.
