From Kew to Knightsbridge: A Rather Busy Week at Promised Cask

It's been quite a week at Promised Cask.

In the space of two days, Daniel and I found ourselves attending and sponsoring a black-tie gala dinner at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, followed by an art salon in a rather spectacular Vatican-owned house in Knightsbridge. Two very different occasions, both wonderful opportunities to showcase our wines and introduce Promised Cask to some fascinating people.

First stop, Kew Gardens.

On Friday evening, we had the pleasure of sponsoring a 60-person gala dinner for the World Monuments Fund, an organisation dedicated to preserving some of the world's most important cultural heritage sites.

The evening began with a Champagne reception in Kew's magnificent Victorian glasshouse before guests made their way to the Marianne North Gallery for dinner. We supplied Champagne from Le Brun de Neuville, Château Clarettes' Thérapie Rosé and a Tempranillo Blanco from Bodegas Fernández de Piérola.

As part of our sponsorship, Daniel and I had also been invited to attend as guests. Unfortunately, our preparations were rather less elegant than the evening itself. With less than ten minutes to get into our dinner suits and tie our bow ties, it was a minor miracle that we arrived looking remotely presentable.

The evening itself was fantastic. Wonderful company, an enthusiastic reception to the wines and a particularly memorable auction featuring a unique artwork combining photography, traditional Turkish Ottoman tile art and artificial intelligence. Not something you encounter every Friday evening.

Our departure was rather less straightforward. Having taken a wrong turn on our way out, we managed to get ourselves locked inside Kew Gardens. The lights went off, the gates were shut, and for a brief moment we contemplated the prospect of camping out amongst the botanical collections.

Fortunately, we eventually escaped.

Saturday brought an altogether different crowd.

Our friends at Château Ruche were hosting an art salon ahead of Frieze Week, bringing together an eclectic collection of artists, designers, musicians and people from the film industry.

The setting was extraordinary: a beautiful house in Knightsbridge, owned by the Vatican, complete with one of the most spectacular underground swimming pools I've seen in London.

Around 70 guests attended, bringing together a wonderfully interesting crowd of creative minds. Much like the previous evening, the atmosphere was fantastic, with plenty of lively conversation and new acquaintances made over a glass or two of wine.

For the occasion, we supplied Château Clarettes' Thérapie Rosé alongside their Mistral Noir Merlot, as well as a Barbera d'Alba from our friends at Le Ginestre in Piemonte. We also brought along a few more unusual bottles to satisfy the curiosity of some of the more adventurous guests, which made for some particularly enjoyable conversations.

Daniel, unfortunately, had begun feeling rather unwell by this point, but soldiered on admirably. There are certain realities to building a business that don't tend to feature in the photographs.

A moment to reflect.

What struck us most about the weekend wasn't simply the beautiful venues or the calibre of the events, although both were certainly impressive. It was the opportunity to share wines we're genuinely passionate about with so many interesting people.

When Daniel and I started Promised Cask, we wanted to build something that reflected our shared enthusiasm for wine, the people who make it and the relationships that develop around it.

To find ourselves involved in two events of this scale, meeting new people, hearing such encouraging feedback and seeing our producers' wines enjoyed in these settings was enormously rewarding.

Of course, there's still an awful lot to do. We're a young business, and weeks like this require plenty of hard work, teamwork and the occasional improvised solution.

But we're enjoying every minute of it. Well, perhaps with the exception of being locked inside Kew Gardens.

The wines behind the weekend

For anyone who enjoyed a glass with us, or is curious to discover what we supplied, here are four from the Promised Cask portfolio:

Le Brun de Neuville

Champagne, France

View the range

Château Clairettes, Thérapie Rosé, 2025

France

£17.50

Château Clairettes, Mistral Noir, 2019

France

£18.50

Le Ginestre DOC Barbera d’Alba 2022

Italy

£24.00

All wonderful wines from producers we're proud to work with.