I was invited to visit FBC London’s showroom for an evening infused with delicious cuisine and meticulous design. Two of my greatest loves.
FBC London is founded by interior designer Fiona Barratt, well known for her timeless elegant furniture presented in an awesome collection of unique materials.
I arrived to the effortlessly slick showroom offering fierce pieces that dominated the space, and ultimately promoting attention to detail.
I moseyed around the space with a flute of bubbles checking out some of the iconic furniture items FBC London demonstrate.
First up Haberdashery Ltd Leaf installation, the components were made using fine bone china and finished in a pure white glaze with some elements having a 14 karat gold finish.
The installation cleverly combines nature with luxurious materiality creating a tranquil lighting feature that has a majestic quality.
The stunning City Cabinet is a total head turner, crafted using chipped oak, which was applied by hand and then finished in a seductive bronze patina.
The ironmongery adds a layer of richness with polished copper working beautifully against the other materials.
The Armour Chair is well and truly a piece of art with the base being hand carved and produced in resin before being completed in bronze.
There is a distinctive pattern to the base, which was created using traditional methods to cast it in bronze. To add additional drama to the piece it has been upholstered in sumptuous turquoise suede.
As part of the Roman inspired collection was the Oswald side table, the concept was based on a Roman shield playing with rough bronze legs and strong statement lines used in the top surface.
A very familiar design feature was Lindsey Adelman’s hand blown lighting that floats in the space mixing clean cut finishes with raw metals.
Gabriel Scott’s geometric formed lighting caught my eye, as it’s a unique design with the metallic forms creating a structured shape but it still has an organic feel.
Lighting by Christopher Boots consisted of a mixture of masculine solid brass links interlocking cleverly contrasted with delicate sculptural hand blown glass elements.
There are countless interior treasures to see, so I recommend visiting FBC London’s showroom on Pimlico Road to check out the rest of the furniture offerings.
After absorbing the beautiful surroundings it was time for the incredibly talented Michelin stared chef Paolo Pettenuzzo to demonstrate the uses of the professional kitchen.
FBC London have cleverly teamed up with Grand Cuisine to create a seamless kitchen filling a niche on the market.
Grand Cuisine prides their professional products as being able to offer the true art of fine dining encased in an equally impressive interior shell.
Our chef Paulo cooked up a storm starting with a rice cake topped with oozing quails egg, pesto and camembert. As you know anything that combines cheese has me weak at the knees.
Paolo took us on a journey showing us the technical wonders of the striking kitchen.
The kitchen is catered for high-end residential users that may have an in house chef but also like to dabble with their own culinary skills when they can.
We watched scallops being cooked on the Sear Hob a chrome metal plate that was boiling hot but to touch with your hand felt cool. The scallops were drizzled in a creamy potato mash and melted in your mouth in a dreamy manner.
The Blast Chiller equipment is so efficient it can set a Pana Cotta in 25 mins to the perfect setting. Those who watch The Great British Bake Off know that’s a skill that’s hard to achieve (normally would take four hours) – this system takes the guessing out of cooking meaning great results every time. Winner.
The Precision Vacuum Sealer cleverly packs food away and then can be popped into the blast chiller, this cools food to a temperature without accumulating any time for bacteria to grow. Perfect for packing away leftovers that can become packed lunches for the next day.
One of the most exciting facts, the appliances are so advance they have settings for almost anything including self-cleaning. The machine has it’s own washing facility so the oven is always left sparkling inside. No excuse not to have a shinny new kitchen inside and out.
I felt a little like I’d stepped into the future where restaurant quality food was at the snap of your fingertips in your own home. After all I’m sure most of you foodies wouldn’t mind this dream becoming a reality, budget willing.
To make the all singing all dancing kitchen even more impressive it wasn’t finished in your standard chrome elements that you’d expect from a professional standard. The kitchen mixed timber veneers with brass metal inlay and an incredibly chunky marble top presenting the finest level of detail to the design.
Back to the cuisine, Paulo then served risotto topped with edible petals, delicate fish and chopped spring onions.
Lastly another plate of heaven; seared tuna, new potatoes and quinoa.
The final icing to the evening was the Pana Cotta infused with lavender and dusted with an iced raspberry topping. It was so exquisite I could of gobbled another few, and wouldn’t have felt guilty seeing as they can be rustled up in 25 mins in this fast paced power kitchen.
Such a fabulous evening seeing the wonders of a sexy high-end design used to produce some seriously mouthwatering dishes. No doubt I’ll be recommending this kitchen to all my clients.
I hope I’ve convinced you/your clients that you need this new range in your life. Plus just make sure I’m available for the chef’s test run!
