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Venue Focus from Square Meal Venues & Events Magazine, Spring 2007 - 'Fresh from the Wharf’

Address:	Silver Sturgeon, Woods River Cruises, River Thames, London
Tel	020 7481 2711
Fax:	020 7481 8300
Email:	Contact by email
Website:	Visit their website

Venue Focus from Square Meal Venues & Events Magazine, Spring 2007 - 'Fresh from the Wharf’ Information:

Square Meal was first on board when Woods River Cruises relaunched its flagship. Louise Troy took the Thames to get the scoop on London’s premier floating party space.

Standing in the sunshine on the deck of a luxury boat, a glass of Champagne in hand, has got to be one of the best ways to see London. The famous landmarks glide by – Big Ben, the Eye, St Paul’s, the Gherkin – strung along the river like pearls on a necklace. And if the boat in question is the flagship of the family-run Woods River Cruises’ Silver Fleet, you won’t be disappointed by the view inside either. The 61-metre Silver Sturgeon – the largest passenger boat on the Thames – has just emerged from a £2m refurbishment, and Square Meal was given an exclusive first look at the transformation.

When we visit, the Sturgeon is gearing up for its first event since the relaunch and scores of workmen are putting the finishing touches to its bold new look. As we walk through the entrance in the middle of the boat, past an undulating silvery panel into the Ensign room at the back, the extent of the revamp is immediately apparent. The blue velvet curtains, striped banquettes, floor-to-ceiling iron lamps and busy patterned carpet are gone, replaced with neutral tones and subtle lighting. Where once the room’s atmosphere bordered on the oppressive it is now light and airy, making full use of the huge windows.

Anna Sykes, an account co-ordinator at World Event Manager who organised a Chanel consultants’ conference onboard in September last year, will be pleased with the changes. ‘It’s good that it has been refurbished – it looked a little dated,’ she admits. ‘We do try to go somewhere new every year, but we might go back now.’ Kate Woods, the fleet’s design and development director, was in charge of the makeover and she decided that bespoke furniture in subtle colours was needed to bring the interiors up to date. The banquettes are butter-soft tan leather with olive ash tables, the bar is laser-cut grey birdseye maple, and the blinds are plain white.

To ensure the subtlety of the decor didn’t slip into blandness, she decided on a really dramatic cream and beige bespoke carpet, with an abstract motif woven in pure wool. It was dreamt up by fashion designer Tristan Webber, who did a show on the boat for London Fashion Week four years ago. All the lighting has been done by Sally Storey, veteran of a number of exacting customers such as the Sandy Lane Hotel on Barbados and St James’ celebrity-endorsed casino, Fifty. Wherever possible, the light sources have been concealed, hidden under the booths inside a ridge in the ceiling so they glow rather than glare.

The Ensign room will generally be used for receptions but it can also seat 150 diners, some in the booths and others at oval tables in the open space. Overall, the boat can hold 458 for a sit-down meal, 600 for a standing reception, or 342 for theatre-style meetings. A staircase panelled in tan leather leads down to the poshest heads we’ve ever seen on a boat. The walls of the bathrooms are dark aubergine and white, and there’s even room for a couch in the ladies’ in case you fancy some peace and quiet. The men have to make do with an escape hatch! We move through to the River Room, which can be configured to hold dinner tables, a sizeable reception space and dance floor, or theatre-style seating facing the window at the end of the boat. It’s here that Rod Stewart danced the night away to celebrate his engagement to Penny Lancaster two years ago. The same tan leather, ash and birdseye maple combination continues, but instead of carpet, the floors are oak throughout. The River Room is dominated by a glass-roofed section and a huge glass staircase, which is up-lit at night and gives a glimpse of the deck.

Step outside at the top of the staircase, and you’ll notice the bare metal floor has been replaced with more heel-friendly decking. Up top, guests can sip drinks from the glass-roofed Laurent Perrier bar while getting a superb view of the sights. All the lights are subtly directed downwards, ensuring that everyone gets a good view while still being able to see where they’re walking. One great feature of the old boat which has been retained is the mini-grand piano. And if you think that must have taken some getting on board, Kate Woods says that the boat was designed so that a car could be lowered on to the dance floor through the River Room’s glass roof. ‘It was a little bit of macho-ness on my father and brother’s part,’ she adds. ‘But it means we could do a spectacular car launch!’

Her father and brother are founder Alan and managing director Tom, with the business remaining emphatically a family concern. The fleet began with Kate’s grandfather Alfred, who started with a small launch after the Second World War. Alan was just 15 when Alfred died, but he still left school to take over the business. He built his own boat, the Silver Marlin – now ‘out to pasture’ in Loch Lomond – and thus the Silver Fleet was born.

The business really took off in the 60s, when the boat hosted parties for everyone from Michael Caine to Neil Armstrong. Brigitte Bardot used the Marlin as her personal retreat while filming in London. Its success allowed Alan Woods to build the Silver Dolphin and Silver Barracuda. The Silver Sturgeon came last in 1997 – ‘just as my father was meant to be winding down,’ says Kate – and fulfilled his dream of a boat divided into two sections, and the ability to create two distinct atmospheres onboard. He’s now handed over the day-to-day running of the company to Kate and Tom (their younger brother is supposedly resisting joining the company, but can be seen buffing leather and cleaning windows on the day we visit). Their different backgrounds – Kate was a previously a jeweller, while Tom did a photography degree and then a Waterman’s Apprenticeship – mean they both share an eye for style, while also being steeped in the business of waterbound hospitality.

Given all this family history, it’s not surprising Kate takes the alcopops-and-vomit reputation of boat parties personally. While finding it frustrating that not everyone realises what a polished operation Woods River Cruises is, she is hopeful that getting top event caterers “rhubarb” involved with the Sturgeon will help turn people’s perceptions. ‘It was a big stamp of approval,’ she says. The catering company’s managing director is keen to repay the compliment. ‘It’s a big contract for us,’ explains Pieter-Bas Jacobse. ‘We formed a special division called “rhubarb on the river” just to do it.’ He says the company relished the logistical challenges of working with a fleet of boats. ‘It’s difficult – we could have the four different boats, each doing two events a day, on different places on the river. So we make the cooking streamlined – we do maybe four or five hits [ingredients] to a plate, instead of the usual seven or eight. That’s the “rhubarb on the river” way – keep it simple, do it right.’ That means delicious snacks such as sesame-coated tuna with mirin dipping sauce, mini eggs benedict royale or frosted raspberries in tartlet cases, and bowls of delicacies such as peat-smoked salmon with Jersey royals for those who fancy something more substantial. A three-course meal might consist of duck rillettes with rhubarb chutney, followed by roasted sea bass with fennel, with wild strawberry and watermelon jelly to finish.

Kate says this streamlined approach has paid off – ‘it’s good simple food, beautifully presented’ – and there is certainly no shortage of event organisers eager to see the refit in all its glory. Marie Lock, marketing manager of BBC Magazines Bristol, entertained musicians and record industry executives at the corporation’s first classical music awards on the Sturgeon last March and will be one of the first clients to use the refitted boat. ‘It looks very modern now,’ she says, adding that she’s most impressed by the way the open spaces have been expanded. ‘Last year, we had to have around 25 people in the booths, but there’s no need this time. From my point of view, it’s so user-friendly – we literally had a captive audience!’

Lock is looking forward to the reaction of her 165 guests. ‘Everyone worries about being sea-sick, but it’s always fine. The acoustics are better on the boat than in a big hall. We visited six or seven venues and they were too big and too overwhelming. This was such a nice environment and having it on a boat made it less stuffy.’ Her guests, like most who use the Sturgeon, will get on at the fleet’s private Savoy Pier, near Embankment tube. But Kate Woods says that the company can pick up anywhere along the river. All clients get their own event manager from the 20-strong sales and events team, who will come onboard on the day to smooth out any wrinkles.

Kate sees the Sturgeon’s relaunch as her generation’s contribution to moving the Silver Fleet forward. Indeed the company has signalled the opening of a new chapter by teaming up with some other famous venues. During this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, May 14 to 22, a garden designed by CFS medallist Jan Howard, of the Walled Garden in West Sussex, will be installed on the top deck, allowing keen horticulturalists to have lunch and cruise down to the show.

On July 4, to celebrate the launch of The O2, the former Millennium Dome, the company will be offering combined tickets for a dinner cruise and Justin Timberlake concert. It will also be toasting Royal Festival Hall’s relaunch and the June opening of Skylon, the new restaurant from D&D London (formerly Conran Restaurants), by hosting a cruise for Vogue, which is sponsoring the inaugural exhibition by ‘Angel of the North’ sculptor Antony Gormley. And to give event organisers a feel for the boat, Easter Sunday sees the launch of Sunday lunch cruises onboard. That’s £39.50 for a three-course lunch and glass of Champagne. So what’s next for the Silver Fleet? ‘We’d like to build a new small boat,’ says Kate. ‘But really we don’t want our fleet to get bigger, just better.’

ROYAL NORE
The Queen’s regular charter boat is currently undergoing extensive refurbishments and will be back on the river in May. Its distinguished history includes many state visits, the most recent being a dinner for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prince William recently chartered the boat ‘to get a feel for the river’ Capacities: M:16 D:16 R:30

SILVER BARRACUDA
Having undergone a £1m refurbishment in 1999, this boat boasts a 1930s bar, cast iron grilles from the Savoy and silver-studded velvet ceilings. It recently played host to the comedian and TV presenter Russell Brand, who kicked off this year’s Red Nose Day onboard. Capacities: M:100 D: 70 R:236

SILVER DOLPHIN
This 35-year-old vessel has an intimate atmosphere with teak panelling, brass fittings and dark green velvet interiors. It is popular for birthday parties and other private events. Capacities: M:64 D:68 R:90

SILVER STURGEON
At 61m long, the revamped Silver Sturgeon is the youngest and largest vessel in the Silver Fleet. The event space is divided across the Ensign Room and the glass-roofed River Room. Capacities: M:342 D:458 R:600

Click through for Woods River Cruise's venue review.