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The venue, run by Harbour & Jones Events, set up different food experiences, including ceviche and fine dinings. Guests, which included representatives from Barclays, National Grid and HSBC, feasted on serrano ham with cornichons and bread and duck done three ways with cauliflower puree.
The first floor of the venue was opened into one flowing space to enable guests to set out on their sensory exploration. Kicking off with the ‘hearing’ stall, company chef Leo Rodley served up soft textured food and encouraged guests to don wireless headphones and listen to crunching noises, as well as eating chocolate while listening to high and low pitches.
Guest speaker Peter Barham, who is an advisor to Heston Blumenthal and who also wrote the acclaimed book Science of Cooking, explained: "Our senses are a very vital part of our eating experience. Eating something soft while listening to crunching noises confuses our brain because it is expecting to feel a different texture.
"Not only that, but listening to a low pitch while eating chocolate engages our brain and forces our mouth to taste the bitterness of chocolate, switch to a high pitch and the very same chocolate tastes sweet."
A smell area was also one of the event's centrepieces, with the pungent scent of basil filling the area. Guests inhaled the scent while eating tomato consommé, creating the unusual sensation of eating the basil.
Continuing the tour, guests could take part in a wine tasting session, challenging them to distinguish between white and red wine, the region and the grape, with the wine served in darkened glasses.
Showcasing some of the food stalls that are available as event add-ons at the venue, Brindi, the supplier arm of restaurant Brindisa, provided ibérico ham that was cut to order, while a cerviche stall served everything from drunk scallops to Japanese salmon and seabass.
Adding even more theatre to the event, a liquid nitrogen ice cream stall took centre stage transforming liquid raspberry and strawberry cream into ice cream in front of guests.
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