August 15, 2016
Promotional signage for Krug Island
LVMH-owned Champagne house Krug is inviting revelers to its own private island getaway for a chic pairing off the beaten path.
Krug Island is a fusion of Michelin-starred food, Krug Champagne and original live music performances set on Osea Island, a small inhabited island in the estuary of the River Blackwater in Essex, Britain. Krug activates a number of culinary initiatives throughout the year to interact with consumers and show Champagne’s potential for all sorts of occasions.
Music to your ears
The Champagne house has partnered with musician Mick Jones of The Clash and Michelin-star chef Michael O’Hare to create Krug Island. For the Sept. 1 event, Mr. Jones has curated the musical performances and Mr. O’Hare the day’s gastronomy.
Mr. Jones’ approach to the musical performances at Krug Island is similar to Krug’s chef de cave Eric Lebel’s process to create the brand’s Grande Cuvee by layering more than 120 different wines each year.
To this effect, Mr. Jones has added a mix of leading and emerging musicians from the United Kingdom to perform during Krug Island. At the end of the night, the musicians will join forces for a jam session where their individual sounds and styles will come together as one.
The musical lineup includes Rationale, Hollie Cook, Sugarmen and Willow Robinson.
Guests on Krug Island will enjoy culinary fare prepared by Mr. O’Hare, who runs a Michelin-starred, avant-garde restaurant in Leeds called The Man Behind the Curtain.
Osea Island offers unspoiled landscapes, beaches, fields and gardens, and has previously hosted musicians such as Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, George Ezra, Labrinth, Noah and the Whale and Jessie J.
Musician Mick Jones organized the musical lineup on Krug Island
The ticketed event will provide guests with transportation from London to Osea Island, where guests will spend the evening. Different locations of the island have been curated to complement Krug Champagnes.
Due to Osea Island’s location, there is only access to the island one hour each day at dawn and dusk. This element of isolation will allow revelers to immerse themselves in a sensory celebration of food, music and Champagne.
Chef Michael O'Hare will prepare the foods at Krug Island
Tickets for Krug Island can be purchased for £449, or $578 at current exchange rates. Post-event packages are also available for guests wanting to extend the experience beyond Sept. 1.
Package 1 includes an overnight stay in the Manor House, 12 bottles of Krug Champagne and a full day recording session for £5,700, or $7,340. An option for a two-night stay and two days of recording is also available for £7,200 or $9,270.
Krug has developed many musical initiatives for consumers to enjoy while sipping on a flute of its Champagnes.
In 2015, for example, Krug took consumers on a journey of taste and sound for a pairing event series.
Krug often compliments its tasting events with musical elements to heighten the experience of the attendee, because with music, as with Champagne, no translation is needed for enjoyment. For its musical tasting effort, Krug worked with jazz pianist Jacky Terrasson for a worldwide tour with stops in Berlin, San Francisco, Milan, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong (see story).
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