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A range of event planners were invited to the evening, which was held among rare specimens in the Spirit Collection of the museum. Guests enjoyed an inspirational talk from Blumenthal and a guided tour of the venue’s Tank Rooms.

Rhubarb themed the evening around its quirky setting, with a clinical-style reception featuring white cocktails presented in laboratory glassware and Petri dishes held in the Darwin Centre. The dining experience saw oversized test tubes suspended over guests’ heads, as well as geometrical glassware displaying carnivorous neon plants.

Other suppliers at the event included production and lighting company Banana Split, Mary Jane Vaughan floristry and Great Hire. Cocktails were created by Ginlabtm in conjunction with Sipsmith and The Gin Garden.

Glen Sutton, director of events at Rhubarb, said: "We have been an accredited caterer for the Natural History Museum for more than 15 years, so naturally we know the museum’s unusual venue spaces. When we decided to host a high-level, exclusive dining event, we were looking for a space that could give us inspiration for the menu and the Darwin Centre was our first choice."

Simon Kershaw, head of events and catering at the Natural History Museum, added: "This was a fantastic event to have been a part of, with the setting and the theming dramatically contradicting the image that many people might have of the museum. The Darwin Centre is our newest space which presents a blank canvas for organisers, perfectly utilised by Rhubarb and its team."

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