by Samantha Williams, PA at Marks & Spencer

It was my friend's first visit to a networking event and had been some time since my last one. I am always on the lookout for new and quirky venues for my offsite meetings and team days so a visit to Marco Pierre White's restaurant and a tour of Chelsea Football Club had us both intrigued.

First thoughts were that it was easy to find and the directions from DeskDemon were spot on. We received a warm welcome to the restaurant and a glass of Prosecco was swiftly offered to us (I must confess this is my favourite tipple). The restaurant itself is smaller and more intimate than I had anticipated. It is beautifully decorated in a black and gold theme with white linen, mirrors to admire yourself (and others) in with plenty of booths lining the walls.

We didn't fair very well with the canapés offered, so sadly I can't really comment a great deal on the food which is such a shame as being a three Michelin starred chef I was hoping to sample a little selection... I just didn't anticipate how little it would be. We did however try a fish goujon each which were very tasty, my friend tried a mini Yorkshire pudding with beef and I snaffled a quails egg with hollandaise sauce as the waiter whizzed past, no doubt a little intimidated by the sheer number of us milling around.

Then we were off on a tour of the remainder of the site. First stop was the multimillion pound nightclub 'Under the Bridge'. There was some name-dropping of the latest singers to perform there - Justin Beiber managed a ripple of excitement amongst the ladies. This was a very impressive space and I could definitely see the potential for booking this for a Christmas party or corporate event. I had to stifle the urge to leap onto the stage (don't ask), but before we could ask any questions we were on to the next part of the tour. This time we were ushered in to the interview area where the journalists quiz the footballers after the match. The guides were very gracious and allowed us the courtesy of a picture or two here and then we were also allowed a peek into the Chelsea football club team changing room! Or rather rooms would be more appropriate. In another life I want to come back as a footballer. They really are pampered and I shall never watch a match on television without thinking they have Molton Brown handcream in the bathroom!

We then moved on to one of the meeting rooms backing on to the pitch. Here I would have liked some more information on capacity and day delegate rates but to be fair as we were in such a large group I don't think there was time for questions. We were offered a tour of the hotel but I declined as for myself the meeting rooms and restaurant were of more interest.

We then returned to Marco's and had a glass of wine (a very nice house white), one thing that surprised me was that there was very little contact with anyone from Chelsea FC and certainly no hard sell. My friend and I sat and caught up with one another and felt no pressure to leave. In actual fact at 9.15pm when we looked around... We were the only two in there! I would definitely like to see more of this place, I do get the feeling it is a bit like a tardis. It's well worth consideration. The fact it has on-site parking and a hotel make it a complete package for a number of event types. Although my visit was a little rushed and I am by no means a football fan, it was a really interesting evening. Thank you DeskDemon!

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