Summer at Food52 began with a full house of special guests. Together with our friends at Great British Food, we invited over 100 community members to our space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard for delicious cocktails and the best of British food—plus a demo from a Great British Bake Off chef.

English-inspired linens topped with delicate florals helped set the British garden party vibe. Outside, the Manhattan skyline drew guests onto the terrace for a better view.

Guests chose from UK craft spirits and English sparkling wines at the bar. The Tom Collins-esque Juniper Spritz featured Sipsmith Gin, Lillet, simple syrup, club soda, and lemon. The Paper Jet, a play on a Paper Plane, showcased Penderyn Welsh Whisky with Averna, Aperol, and a lemon twist. Caleño non-alcoholic spirits supplied delightful, zero-proof sips.

English sparkling wines from Hattingley Valley, Gusbourne, and Chapel Down rounded out the bar menu alongside Sipsmith Gin and Tonics and Nc’Nean Scotch Whisky.

We filled this beautiful grazing table with UK specialty cheeses, ranging from Shropshire, England’s Belton Farms Sage Derby to Collier’s Welsh Cheddar, and set out fresh, summery salads to accompany them. Passed hors d’oeuvres featuring Scottish brown crab, Lochlander Scottish Smoked Salmon, and premium Welsh lamb, which is finally available in the United States, disappeared quickly en route from the kitchen.

The star of the evening was 2021 Great British Bake Off finalist and cookbook author Crystelle Pereira. Known during her time on Bake Off as a master of complex flavor combinations (like the Goan chicken pickle curry pie that won her Star Baker and the iconic Hollywood Handshake in Pastry Week), Pereira entertained guests with a live demo of her lamb shawarma loaded fries. (You can find the recipe in her cookbook, Flavor Kitchen)

A special thank you to the following purveyors, whose products we tasted throughout the evening: Growers Garden, Nairn’s Oatcakes, The Drinks Bakery, Fine Cheese Company, Irish Black Butter, Godminster Cheese, Coombe Castle, Bakkafrost, MacDuff, Caleño, Gusbourne as well as Nc’Nean Scotch Whisky, Penderyn Whisky, Hattingley Valley, Chapel Down, Sipsmith, and Fever Tree Tonics.