Can you guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

An anniversary -and guess who’s coming to dinner tonight. We’re talking here about a gastronomic experience against a backdrop of journalism. Four chefs and an editor –Ferra Adrià, Jason Atherton, Philippe Audonnet, Daniel Humm, and the editor of FT’s “How to Spend it”, Gillian de Bono. Four cities, London, Geneva, Hong Kong and New York. The cover of a magazine, a dinner, a call for emotion, and a book. We’re also talking about a figure, namely the cost per person -425 pounds sterling, 525 euros or 625 dollars. It is sponsored by Vertu, the luxury mobile communication firm; the champagne is courtesy of Perrier-Jouet, and there is also Martell Cognac. Totally authentic.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the weekly magazine “How to spend it”, a supplement of the UK’s Financial Times, wants to surprise its readers and give their palates a real treat at the hand of a very special host – Ferra Adrià – named by Time as the most influential Spaniard in the world, and featured as one of the hundred most influential personalities of the twentieth century. The chef, who was on the front cover of the last issue of “How to spend it”, has come together with the magazine’s editor, Gillian de Bono, to organize four dinners around the world. Adrià and each one of the chef’s mentioned above are set to delight the lucky few who will get to enjoy this initiative. Without doubt, it looks like it will be a unique experience, complete with a master class from Adrià and his famous guest chefs. The work of these artists goes way beyond food. This is also about sociology, leadership, creativity, art, and psychology.

All things sublime for the senses will be served by these luxury chefs. June 4 is the date of the first session in Pollen Street Social in London, with chef Jason Atherton; the second will be led by the same chef at Aberdeen Street Social in Hong Kong on June 16; the third will take place at Hotel d’Angleterre with chef Philippe Audonnet on September 4; and the fourth will be held at Eleven Madison Park in Nueva York, with Daniel Humm, on October 23. Diners will also receive a copy of elBulli 2005-2011 published by Phaidon Press, after they have eaten a dinner comprised of five dishes and accompanying wines, having kicked off with a glass of Perrier-Jouet Champagne. The chefs will be preparing recipes that would be a luxury for anyone. There is still time to make a reservation at www.ft-live.com/howtospenditdinners.

For those of you who do not know the chefs who will be accompanying Adriá on this adventure, I can tell you that Jason Atherton, a big name in informal haute cuisine, was the first British chef to do a “stage” at elBulli in 1998. French chef Philipe Audonnet, has spent years heading the team with his inspirational cuisine at Windows restaurant, at one of The Leading Hotels of The World, el Hotel d’Angleterre in Geneva, Switzerland. Daniel Humm, is a Swiss chef known for his creativity, who has been based in the US for the last decade, and is a prize-winning executive chef and co-owner of the Relais & Châteaux restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, in New York. The restaurant has three Michelin stars and is located in the very center of Manhattan, opposite the famous Madison Square Park in the Metropolitan Life building.

This type of initiative shows us how it is increasingly necessary to educate people to enjoy food not only in terms of taste but also on an intellectual level. We are all immersed in the idea that we can offer or build an unforgettable experience for our “client”. This gastronomic adventure is a way of reaching out to the magazine’s readers who most likely define themselves by what they have experienced rather by what they have. The FT’s initiative will certainly be a success with regard to offering this type of experiences to its readers. It is a creative way of approaching readers/clients that is both convincing and memorable.

It is marketing based on anticipation, surprise, and, above all, pleasure. Experience and emotion are being used more and more to recognize and implement the sensorial components of a brand strategy, feeding our capacity for reaction to a sensorial experience. There is no doubt that these factors are playing an increasingly important role in achieving long-term success.