On a quiet quaint street in Marylebone lies a historical Grade II townhouse, and the former home of the celebrated author Jane Austen’s brother, Henry, now known as Henry’s Townhouse – an exclusive four-story, six-bedroom ultra boutique hotel. Food and Lifestyle blogger Kar-Yan Li shares more…
An invitation to the launch of ‘Saturnalia’, the latest addition to the Henry’s Townhouse candle range, was extended to My Soho Times which I attended with the editor Kai Lutterodt aka The Soho Girl. The launch was centred around an immersive hour long workshop of biscuit decorating with professional Biscuiteers. As someone who has recently discovered a love for biscuit decorating, this was the icing on the cake gingerbread biscuit!
HENRY’S TOWNHOUSE – WELCOMING THE FESTIVE SEASON WITH SATURNALIA
When you step into Henry’s you immediately become immersed in a captivating visual history inspired by the Austen family and their guests. The multi-story townhouse is charming and luxurious, yet radiates warmth. Think ‘English Rose’ with subtle pattern details, soft velvet furniture and dark wood. Although modernised, you can feel echoes of the intriguing historical stories through the characters that have walked through the house. It feels like you have stepped back in time.
With the candles lit and dotted throughout the townhouse, the scent of sweet orange and warm cinnamon lingered in the air, triggering nostalgic memories and feelings about Christmas with my family, fantastic food, matching PJs and hot chocolate by the TV.
What brought us to Henry’s Townhouse? Their new limited edition Christmas candle ‘Saturnalia’. Collaborating with a french perfumer, the candle inspires winter evenings with friends and family by the fire and evokes memories of historic Georgian festivities and the winter season. The notes of orange, ginger, vanilla and cinnamon harmonise your senses and encourage thoughts of a Regency-era winter ball.
BISCUITERS ICING WORKSHOP
The interactive element of the launch, a biscuit decorating workshop, was held in Monsieur Halavant’s Pantry; a Georgian-inspired kitchen and dining room. The space itself is stunning with its neutral colour palette, dark wood furniture, elements of texture and a pop of colour from the blue and white ceramic tiles. With the warm lights dimmed, the ambience becomes cosy and romantic.
We were served champagne, Christmas-inspired mocktails and pots of tea upon request. Delicate crystal bowls filled with homemade macarons were also on offer, and I may or may not have popped a few in my mouth once I sat down and the workshop began…
Each participant had three royal icing covered biscuits, two whites and one red, and three piping bags of matching icing. Our friendly instructors from Biscuiteers, also known as ‘icers’, were at-hand to guide us on using our piping bags; from the best way to grip, to the right pressure to use for smooth piping. After which we were left to our own devices and free to let our imaginations run wild.
As a visual learner, I started with a white biscuit and with some guidance, I piped a hanging green branch, hanging candy canes, stars and textured snow. Next, we were shown how to pipe the Henry’s Townhouse logo with the red biscuit. It wasn’t too difficult, though it was slightly askew due to my applied pressure. Where there’s a will there is a way, I added extra dots for some added flair, so in the end it wasn’t too bad.
For the last one, I copied a pretty bauble I spotted in the Biscuiteers brochure. Due to limited colours, I made do with what I had and it actually turned out rather nicely. I felt like a giddy child who’d earned an ‘A’ on their art project when I was praised for my finished biscuits!
Photos: Kar-Yan Li
There’s something therapeutic about decorating biscuits and I must say, the majority of the group was quiet with concentration. At one point, I recall icing my last biscuit with a macaron hanging out of my mouth without any thought. Once we were happy with our biscuit designs and left them to dry, we were given a presentation gift box to set them into place, preventing them from shifting.
It was an incredibly enjoyable way to spend a Wednesday afternoon and we were gifted the Saturnalia candle at the end. As we said our goodbyes and left the hotel with our gift bags in hand, I caught a whiff of the orange and cinnamon that lingered in my hair and thought ‘Wow, Christmas is here’.
THE SATURNALIA CANDLE
New Limited Edition Henry’s Townhouse Saturnalia Scented Candle | Image courtesy of Henry’s Townhouse
The Saturnalia candle features a gold silhouette on a rich red background and is framed with a gold repeat motif. The ceramic candle vessel is also glazed red on the inside and the candle features a beautiful red wax. Saturnalia comes presented in a red box with gold embossed decoration.
Henry’s Townhouse Saturnalia Scented Candle: £75
Burn time: 40 hours
Available at: www.henrystownhouse.co.uk
Written by Kar-Yan Li @kar_nnoisseur | Photos by Kai Lutterodt @the.soho.girl
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