Kensington Roof Gardens is one of many venues that perches on the edge of central London. From its position six floors above the shops, visitors can barely hear the hustle and bustle of the busy high street which it overlooks.
The venue offers an acre and a half of outdoor space, including the Spanish Garden - based on the Alhambra in Granada, Andalucia - which often hosts the Spanish band Andalus. The English Woodland Garden includes full-grown oaks, limes and fruit trees, with a bridge over a stream where two flamingos called Bill and Ben live.
The Tudor Courtyard features vine-covered redbrick walls where lilies, roses, lavender and wisteria grow in the summer months. The expansive exterior space is complemented by its restaurant Babylon, which, as well as providing impressive views of the London skyline, has a private dining area able to accommodate 12 people and a private members' club.
Last June the venue housed the Sony Ericsson Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour's pre-Wimbledon party, hosted by Sir Richard Branson. It celebrated the women's tennis industry and used all of the Roof Gardens' event space.
Roof Gardens and Babylon events manager Caroline Harms says: "The Tudor Garden was used for the barbeque, and the English Garden for additional seating and the photoshoot. The Babylon restaurant and the private dining room was used as a drinks reception for up to 100 guests."
Harms believes that barbeques will always be popular for summer events as "there aren't that many places you can do them in the heart of London". She has also noticed that the demand for masseuses has increased as organisers use them within its Moroccan hideaway space, used as a chill-out area at the back of the Spanish Garden.
At the WTA event, representatives from Virgin Touch were on hand to pamper guests. In keeping with the tennis theme, agency Watermark also used fake grass to carpet the entire venue, with large butterfly-topped flowers sprouting from the floor. Tabletops were also grass-covered, with centrepieces made up of giant champagne flutes with tennis balls and strawberries.
Tennis whites
Trays offering drinks and food were also edged with tennis balls. Dressed in tennis whites, Virgin Atlantic staff greeted the guests with Grey Goose Grass Stain Martinis and Grey Goose Perfect Serve cocktails. The event was the venue's most high-profile to date and entertained 500 people. VIP guests included Wimbledon women's champion Maria Sharapova, model Claudia Schiffer and Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton.
Spanish band Andalus entertained in the Spanish Garden - and there was Caribbean music from the venue's in-house steel band, wearing tennis whites, headbands and wristbands.
Harms adds that 2006 was the first year the event was held at the Roof Gardens. "We are currently in the process of planning the second year of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event. Summer bookings are on the increase and this year it is busier. I think corporate companies choose the venue as it offers something different. People feel like they've found a paradise in London, and since not everyone knows about it, it has an exclusivity about it."
FACT FILE
Client: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour
Date: 22 June 2006
Event: A pre-Wimbledon party celebrating women's tennis, hosted by Richard Branson
Guests: 500
Theming agency: Watermark
Food and drink: In-house head chef Vincent Hiss's barbeque included four suckling pigs and salmon-and-shitake brochettes. There was a chocolate fountain, and 2,000 cocktails were served.