Last Friday, Thunder Aviation and Champagne Billecart-Salmon brought together a small group of special guests for an exceptional culinary adventure to Moor Hall in Lancashire, home of Chef Patron Mark Birchall and one of Britain’s celebrated three Michelin-starred restaurants.
Departing London aboard Thunder 2, the newest AW109 Trekker to join the Thunder Aviation fleet, the journey north took just 60 minutes, transforming what would ordinarily be a considerable journey into an effortless flight across the English countryside.
“The idea behind the day was really quite simple. To bring together a small group of very special guests and friends of the brand and create an exceptional culinary experience that none of us could ordinarily have in a single day. Thanks to Thunder, we were able to do all of this in one day, without the need for an overnight stay.”
Chris Crosby, Managing Director EMEA, Champagne Billecart-Salmon
On arrival at Moor Hall, guests were welcomed into the restaurant’s kitchen gardens for a private tour with the Head Gardener. The gardens play an integral role in Mark Birchall’s cooking, supplying the kitchens with an extraordinary variety of produce throughout the seasons and providing a fitting introduction to the philosophy behind the restaurant.
The first taste of the day was enjoyed there in the garden, with a small snack prepared over the Big Green Egg, before guests were invited behind the scenes for a private tour of the kitchens.
Here they were greeted by Mark Birchall himself, who shared the story of Moor Hall, its evolution and the thinking behind a restaurant where provenance, seasonality and an extraordinary attention to detail underpin everything that leaves the kitchen.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Billecart-Salmon, Thunder and their guests to Moor Hall. The gardens are a huge part of what we do here. What we grow has a real influence on the way we cook and allows the menu to evolve naturally with the seasons, so it was important that the lunch reflected that. We worked closely on the pairings throughout the menu, bringing together produce from the gardens with a selection of Billecart-Salmon Champagnes and wines. It was great to see how each pairing brought something different to the dishes and to be able to share the Moor Hall experience with everyone.”
Mark Birchall, Chef Patron, Moor Hall
Lunch followed with Mark’s tasting menu, accompanied by a selection of Champagnes and wines chosen especially for the occasion.
The experience began with Billecart-Salmon Le Sous Bois served from magnum alongside the canapés, before moving through two vintages of Cuvée Louis Salmon, 2012 and 2009. A magnum of Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 2002 followed, before guests were presented with the day’s blind wine, Château Haut-Brion 1985.
Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon 2013 brought the Champagne selection to a close, with Billecart-Salmon’s Ratafia Champenois providing a final expression from the House alongside the conclusion of the menu. It was a collection of wines chosen not simply for their rarity, but for the way in which they complemented Mark’s cooking. Great wine and great food share many of the same qualities: provenance, patience, precision and an understanding that the finest results rarely need to announce themselves.
With lunch complete, the afternoon moved back into the garden for cigars, allowing guests a final moment to enjoy the surroundings before returning to Thunder 2.
Just 60 minutes later, the group was back in London.
"This inaugural outing within the ‘Culinary Adventure’ series we are developing with our friends at Billecart Salmon offered a great opportunity to showcase the capability of Thunder and in particular, our new AW109 Trekker fleet. The ability of an aircraft in this class to load up to full capacity with 7 passengers and fly direct from London to Moor Hall is unparalleled, and doing so with the signature speed of the Agusta aircraft means unlocking an experience like this within a single day for our clients"
Andrew Devoy, Head of Sales, Thunder Aviation
It was a day that captured exactly what the partnership between Thunder Aviation and Billecart-Salmon is designed to create. Exceptional destinations become remarkably accessible when the journey itself is considered with the same care as everything that awaits on arrival.
London to Moor Hall in 60 minutes. A three Michelin-starred lunch, extraordinary wines, cigars in the garden, and home again by early evening.
A reminder that sometimes the greatest luxury is simply what becomes possible.
