An Evening of Exceptional Taste promised at GREY GOOSE Winter Ball

Written by Hanna-May White // October 07, 2011 // Events

headlined this year by

El Bulli, Christian Louboutin, Jonathan Saunders, Marc Quinn

29 October 2011

On 29 October, GREY GOOSE®, the World’s Best Tasting Vodka, will be partnering with the Elton John AIDS Foundation for the fifth consecutive year to host what is indisputably one of the greatest highlights of the international social calendar.

The GREY GOOSE Winter Ball to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation – the  sister event to the White Tie & Tiara Summer Ball – will be an evening of  exceptional taste that will be hosted by David Furnish, Sir Elton John and GREY
GOOSE in Battersea Park, London.

In celebration of its position as the World’s Best Tasting vodka, GREY GOOSE is  this year working with the world renowned El Bulli to create a menu for the GREY GOOSE Winter Ball that will excite, challenge and delight the evening’s guests in
equal measures.

The night of 29 October 2011 will be the first time in El Bulli’s 50-year history that its cuisine has been cooked in the UK. Credited with having re-written the rulebook on taste, El Bulli is renowned for having constantly pushed the boundaries of
gastronomy.

Opening for only six months of the year, El Bulli received two million requests from diners hoping to experience the restaurant’s exquisite cuisine. As only eight thousand could be seated in any one year, many have been left disappointed by the news that El Bulli closed its doors for the final time in July 2011.

Now, the incredible food for which El Bulli was so revered will be served at the GREY GOOSE Winter Ball by Paco Roncero, who studied for twelve years at El Bulli under the watchful eye of Ferran Adria. Paco will be designing and executing
a ground breaking menu that will offer culinary enthusiasts a rare opportunity to taste what has been described by most, simply, as “Magic”.

This follows last year’s creation of the dinner menu by two Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing.

In addition to what promises to be a world-class dinner, the GREY GOOSE Winter Ball will combine spectacular bespoke cocktails, dazzling entertainment, a glittering guest list and creations by character icons to raise funds for the Elton
John AIDS Foundation at an evening of exceptional taste.

Over the years, GREY GOOSE has worked with characters including Jean Paul Gaultier, Sam Taylor-Wood, Dinos Chapman, Gavin Turk, Elizabeth Hurley, Lily Allen, Roland Mouret, Eva Herzigova, Christopher Bailey, Giles Deacon, Theo Fennell, Patrick Cox and David Furnish, to create a cocktail bar that is auctioned on the night.

This year illustrious shoe designer Christian Louboutin will be designing a cocktail bar for auction.  Fashion designer Jonathan Saunders will be creating a one-off cocktail dress for the highest bidder, as well as designing the uniforms to be worn by the evening’s staff, and ‘Young British Artist’ Marc Quinn will be donating an auction lot.

Past years’ GREY GOOSE Cocktail Bars by Lily Allen, Patrick Cox and Giles Deacon

Working with some of GREY GOOSE’s top mixologists, the event’s celebrity partners have conjured up some truly wonderful cocktails in past years, from Christopher Bailey’s GREY GOOSE Flaming Black Stud in 2007, which cleverly combined the distinctive flavours of balsamic and blackberry, to Roland Mouret’s origami-inspired and shiso-infused GREY GOOSE Miracle in 2009.  This year, GREY
GOOSE Brand Ambassador Joe McCanta looks forward to working with El Bulli, Christian Louboutin, Marc Quinn and Jonathan Saunders to help them each create a cocktail that perfectly captures their character and that will be sipped by guests
on the night.

Almost as talked-about as the people involved in the event is the event space itself. The GREY GOOSE Winter Ball venue exists for just one night a year and is often considered to be the most spellbinding aspect of all.  Whether it takes place in a rustic, French inspired Dairy House, a top five star London hotel or former post sorting office, the GREY GOOSE Winter Ball is renowned for pushing the
boundaries of design, and for being in every way unforgettable.  This year, the Ball will take place in a space in Battersea Park, which will be totally transformed to reveal another spectacular experience, this year celebrating The Architecture of Taste.

To date, the GREY GOOSE Winter Ball has raised more than £1.8M for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and is becoming one of the charity’s biggest fundraisers.  This year’s Winter Ball aims to raise awareness and funds for projects in the UK and abroad, such as the Cambodia Habitat for Humanity scheme building housing for families with children suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Tickets are available to purchase in benefit of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, by
contacting the charity on 020 7603 9996