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00:00Merry Christmas!
00:05At this first glimpse of Christmas at Four Seasons Park Lane,
00:09there are 12,000 lights a-pointing.
00:12Definitely very impressive.
00:141,100 cocktails smoking.
00:1710 men a-heaving.
00:19Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop!
00:209,000 pastries baking.
00:23Oh, my goodness.
00:2580 wreaths a-weaving.
00:27He's a green orange slice.
00:297,000 baubles hanging.
00:32I'm so tired.
00:3316 houses icing.
00:36A 25-foot spruce-fir tree.
00:40Stress level's a little bit higher.
00:42400 staff, wow.
00:44Three French bites.
00:46Voila!
00:47Two jingly shoes.
00:50And one invitation to Christmas at Four Seasons Park Lane.
00:56Christmas has begun.
00:58Welcome back to Four Seasons Park Lane.
01:09Four Seasons Park Lane Reception.
01:11This is Thomas Hammers, Jim.
01:13The most glittering hotel in Mayfair with a dedicated team of over 400 staff,
01:18serving up five-star hospitality 24-7.
01:22Have you got availability for three this evening?
01:24To distinguished guests from all over the world.
01:27Thank you for staying with us.
01:28Have a nice day.
01:29And today, as the weather cools and the leaves start to turn,
01:33the team begin to think about their busiest time of the year.
01:37Can I get 1,000 baubles?
01:40Christmas.
01:41Merry Christmas!
01:44Christmas at Four Seasons isn't simply a holiday.
01:47It's a grand production.
01:49Wow, it looks so Christmassy.
01:51Look at that tree.
01:52Trees rise like evergreen emperors.
01:56Baubles sparkle and golden pastries crisp to perfection.
02:00Oh, wow, look!
02:02Across the hotel, an army of smartly dressed elves,
02:06otherwise known as concierge, housekeepers and florists,
02:09ensure every snowflake is centred, every light is positioned just so.
02:14I've just got to the end of 1,000 lights.
02:17And every guest is wrapped in comfort and joy.
02:20That's really good. Well done.
02:22And before the first cork is popped...
02:25Oh!
02:27This dedicated cast are already rehearsing.
02:30Seventeen people squeezed into an igloo.
02:33Preparing to deliver a season that promises to be nothing short of tree-mendous.
02:41Overseeing all plans for Four Seasons' festivities
02:44is Regional Vice President and General Manager, Lynne Brutman.
02:48The holiday time is so special here in the hotel.
02:52Everybody is just celebrating and just enjoying time together.
02:55Lynne will sign off on everything from the fairy lights to the flowers.
03:00The theme of the hotel changes year to year,
03:03and we tailor all of the amenities, the entire guest experience,
03:07to what that theme is.
03:11This year's theme is the heart of Christmas,
03:14and in charge of delivering it is event designer, Ruth.
03:19Who has been giving the hotel its Christmas makeover for the last five years.
03:24She's created everything from a giant snow globe
03:27to a three-tiered sparkly snowman.
03:30I feel nervous, but it'll be fine.
03:32We have a strong design concept and a lovely story, so I'm excited.
03:36Ruth's design this year features a winter scene in the lobby,
03:40which signposts the way to a floor-to-ceiling tree in the hotel's lounge.
03:45With a month to go before the Christmas install,
03:49Ruth needs to check logistics with the hotel's operations team.
03:53The gate itself will go right up into... into there.
03:57Yeah, yeah. And this is around...
04:01How wide is the...
04:02It's about four metres.
04:04So the central gate is one metre here, one point is like a metre,
04:08but then you have, like, either side and either side,
04:11and a bit of dressing around.
04:12We have to make sure that we're not obstructing the sprinkler head.
04:15It's Director of Engineering Gary's job to keep an eye on health and safety.
04:20The things that we have to think about is, do we have the right power there?
04:23Do we have, you know, is everything safe?
04:26Is it in the right location?
04:27Are we impacting on any of the fire escape routes?
04:30Also in attendance is Assistant Director of Communications, Jess,
04:34who has her eye on the visuals.
04:36Will it be like a metallic gold or will it be...?
04:39Yeah, it would be metallic, but we could kind of have it like a burnished gold.
04:44Yeah, exactly, something similar to that.
04:48With the lobby decorations discussed,
04:50the meeting moves to the hotel lounge,
04:53which will house Park Lane's show-stopping tree.
04:56It fills this whole space.
04:59Because we have one of the tallest trees inside in London,
05:02we are going to make that our main focal point
05:04and create a story from the lobby to the show-stopper,
05:08which is the huge tree in here.
05:10So last year we had the slight issue with the tree.
05:13It was the wrong one, it was delivered.
05:14Are we taking any precautions to make sure we get the right one this year?
05:18Yeah, so that was one of the worst nights of my life, but we solved it.
05:24Every year Park Lane boasts one of the tallest indoor trees in London,
05:29but last year it fell quite a few inches short.
05:32I'm just concerned that it's not big enough.
05:35This kind of pathetic little thing turned up,
05:37which was just very embarrassing and not our tree.
05:40It's about a metre short of what it should be and it's way skinnier.
05:44We made the bold decision to change it in the middle of the night at 4am.
05:49We are literally going to be like, try and get the stuff as swift as we can,
05:53which we did and then we had a beauty and it looked amazing.
05:56We'll just make sure that it's large, as large as possible, super fluffy,
06:04a lovely Scottish spruce and that we don't get given the wrong tree.
06:08There's a lot of pressure to make sure that Lynne's impressed with this.
06:11You know, it's a big thing that we're trying to achieve
06:13and with Lynne leading the hotel,
06:15it's important we make sure that she's impressed with this one, yeah.
06:19This year, my biggest worry, it's always the tree.
06:22It's got to be the tree.
06:24My heart cannot take another night like last year.
06:27While Ruth leads the front of house Sparkle,
06:30head of purchasing Ian...
06:32Ooh!
06:33..is in charge of decking the halls downstairs.
06:36Why is this so difficult?
06:37I'm telling you!
06:38Why is this so difficult?
06:39It's a gingerbread man!
06:43Let's put the lights on.
06:45One, two, three.
06:48Wow!
06:51Oh, hi!
06:54Where are we going to keep it?
06:56Whilst Ian ponders where to put his light-up gingerbread man,
07:00Assistant Director of Communications Jess is presenting
07:03Ruth's designs for the hotel to General Manager Lynne.
07:07So, we have Christmas decorations here.
07:09It's that time of year again!
07:11Lynne obviously comes with such a wealth of experience.
07:14She's four seasons through and through.
07:16She really understands what the Four Seasons guest wants
07:19when they come for a Four Seasons stay,
07:21so it's so important that we get her seal of approval on it.
07:24This is kind of what she's envisaging for the lobby,
07:29so when you first walk in.
07:31Oh, such an arrival gate.
07:33Yeah.
07:34Oh, I love it.
07:35She has an incredible eye for detail,
07:37and sometimes where other people might just miss something
07:40or not necessarily think of the tiny little details,
07:43Lynne is so fine-tuned into them.
07:46I just want to make sure that we have enough gold accent,
07:48because the thing gold is what Christmas is about.
07:51Yeah.
07:52And I think that adds a sparkle.
07:53So, as long as they major on gold,
07:55Lynne's happy with the designs.
07:57And that tree, well, that's quite amazing.
08:00But having seen the size of the tree,
08:02she has some words of warning.
08:04When we're talking about a large tree going into the lounge,
08:08we have the whole lobby that needs to be done,
08:11and all of that has to happen on the overnights.
08:13So we need the overnight team,
08:15we need the engineering team, we need Ruth's team.
08:18Okay.
08:19And if they need to double the crew,
08:20they need to double the crew.
08:21Yeah, got it.
08:22Yeah.
08:23Okay, great.
08:24No pressure.
08:25Decorations decided,
08:27the Christmas rollout continues,
08:29and with three weeks to go until festive install,
08:32the countdown is on.
08:33Everything's looking great.
08:35With everything in the hotel being given the festive touch,
08:38from the cocktails...
08:40That's like a Christmas market in the High Park.
08:43...to the croissant.
08:44The vision for this dish has come from a Christmas tree
08:48when it's lit up.
08:50And in the kitchen of the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant,
08:53Pavilion, executive chef Benjamin...
08:56...and executive pastry chef Francesco
08:59are busy creating dishes
09:01for the festive afternoon tea.
09:03This is the bean brush with the cocoa butter on both sides.
09:08As with all things Christmas,
09:10regional vice president and general manager Lin
09:12will be signing off on the chef's festive offerings.
09:15If we pass with Lin, for me, it's a great achievement.
09:18It's not easy.
09:19With Lin on her way to a tasting,
09:21the chefs are out to slay.
09:23We all like shoulder-to-shoulder,
09:26make sure everything is perfect.
09:28The sweet treats they're hoping will pass muster
09:31include a parry breast with hazelnut and coffee.
09:35This is to give a bit of a texture.
09:38Mont blanc, meringues,
09:40a smoked vanilla crème brûlée.
09:42Oh, it's a wiggle, but, uh, or jiggle,
09:45how do you say in English?
09:46Wiggle, jiggle.
09:49And a chocolate yule log.
09:51Et voilà.
09:52And for the savoury line-up,
09:54a baguette with a ham butter.
09:57It looks easy to make,
09:58but it takes a long time to make those little cubes.
10:01A mini pâté en croûte.
10:04Really rich, really flavourful.
10:07A conté cheese puff pastry goujère.
10:10We slice the conté,
10:11and we make a little flour.
10:13And a lobster and leek tartlet.
10:16The lobster is from Scotland,
10:18beautiful products.
10:19With the festive tea ready for tasting...
10:22Hopefully, everyone like it.
10:24..and Lin ready and waiting,
10:25have chefs Benjamin and Francesco
10:27earned a place on the naughty or nice list?
10:31I want her happy.
10:32That's the main place.
10:33And, uh, if she's not happy,
10:35we're gonna make it again and again
10:37until she's happy.
10:39Let's go!
10:41Coming up,
10:42Lin searches for the festive
10:44in the festive afternoon tea.
10:46There's nothing that screams Christmas.
10:48Construction starts on a gingerbread village.
10:51Three tier, plus one on the top.
10:53I'm a bit worried about it.
10:55And Ruth faces a perennial Christmas problem.
10:58Will the tree fit through the door?
11:00Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
11:01You're stuck.
11:02You're stuck.
11:03It doesn't fit.
11:04One of the most important elements
11:17of the Christmas offering at Park Lane
11:19is their famous festive afternoon tea.
11:22And today, regional vice-president
11:24and general manager, Lin,
11:26and her senior team
11:27have come to taste the potential offerings.
11:30To Benjamin and Francesco,
11:32the pressure is on.
11:35This is beautiful, huh?
11:36Yes.
11:37Bon appétit.
11:38Yes, of course.
11:40There's nothing that screams Christmas.
11:43First, they try the cheese gougere.
11:46It's missing something.
11:47I don't know what...
11:48The puff pastry is very good,
11:50but the inside is...
11:51The puff pastry is very good.
11:53I'm wondering,
11:54is there enough comté in it?
11:56Is it the right age of comté?
11:58Should it be...
11:59Should it be sharper?
12:00Like, you know,
12:01we need to feel the cheese.
12:02Should be more aged?
12:03Like, we need to feel like
12:04I'm eating cheese.
12:05Next, the pâté en croûte.
12:07I could eat all of just this.
12:09This one?
12:10Yes.
12:12And finally,
12:13it's the leek and lobster tartlet.
12:16Now, the lobster is very discreet.
12:19Lobster is such a delicate flavour.
12:21Yeah, that you don't feel it.
12:23And I'm wondering
12:24if the lobster should be
12:26bigger pieces of lobster?
12:28With all savoury dishes sampled,
12:30it's time for director of food and beverage,
12:32Kevin,
12:33to feed back to Benjamin.
12:35Overall, it was excellent.
12:38The gougere,
12:39a little bit light on flavour.
12:41Is that something you're looking for?
12:42Or the comté, you know, you...
12:44You need a little tweak
12:45and make it more intense, you know?
12:46Yeah.
12:47And then the quiche thermidor,
12:48very powerful in leek.
12:50It's challenging to feel
12:51the taste of the lobster.
12:52Okay.
12:53The pâté en croûte,
12:5420 out of 10.
12:55Yeah.
12:56That's nice.
12:57Nice.
12:58Wow.
13:00Overall, it's good.
13:01You know, I like the plating.
13:02The presentation was nice.
13:03Even there is few things to review.
13:06And we're gonna make it again.
13:08Make it better.
13:09And that's it.
13:10After a whirlwind tasting
13:12of the savoury components,
13:14it's now time to taste the sweets.
13:16In terms of the display,
13:17with what's on the bottom,
13:18is there a way we can bring in
13:20a little bit more festive colour?
13:22Yeah, I mean, I can put some little touches,
13:26a few little stars,
13:27or little gingerbreads.
13:29But I think that will help bring the spirit
13:31of the festive season.
13:32Yeah, definitely.
13:33First up, the smoked vanilla crème brûlée.
13:37Oh, wow.
13:40It has a smokiness on the way.
13:42Do you think we should soften up a little bit,
13:44the smokiness?
13:45A little bit, because it's lingering out there.
13:49I still have it, huh?
13:50Yeah.
13:51So...
13:52I think we...
13:53What we need to do is look at all the flavours
13:56of everything that we're serving
13:57to make sure that there's variety,
13:59they complement each other,
14:00and they don't fight each other,
14:02and it's all balanced.
14:03OK.
14:04As they finish off all the rest
14:05of the sweet treats,
14:07it's a rough job,
14:08but somebody's got to do it.
14:09It's time to feed back to Francesco.
14:12The vanilla, smokiness...
14:14Less?
14:15Yeah, you know,
14:16to kind of please everybody.
14:18Very subtle.
14:19Yeah.
14:20Subtle, you know.
14:21That's the only thing I would have
14:22definitely done that, yeah.
14:24Thanks, chef.
14:25Nice one.
14:27Thank you so much.
14:28Yes.
14:29I had a feeling that crème brûlée
14:31was the smokiness level,
14:34it was a bit too strong,
14:35so I can say that it's 75% ticked.
14:39So, no, there's never rest for me,
14:42like, you know.
14:47There's no rest for event designer Ruth, either,
14:50as she and her florist Vijay
14:51are busy buying baubles
14:53to decorate Park Lane's ginormous showstopper tree.
14:57It's such a big tree,
14:58so we do need quite a bit of gear.
15:00And this year, Ruth is going for gold.
15:03These are nice.
15:04I'm loving this combo.
15:06Of the sparklies.
15:07Yes, the sparklies as well.
15:09I love these colours.
15:10I actually love these colours,
15:11so I'm very happy.
15:12Once the baubles are selected,
15:14it's time to price them up,
15:15and with multiple boxes needed,
15:17there's some serious mental maths required.
15:20So the smaller ones come in 96s,
15:22and the bigger ones come in 48s.
15:24So we have 96 of those.
15:2696, 96, and then 48, 48, 48.
15:29That's already like 1,000.
15:30Then we've got all the gold and chocolate,
15:32like the ones that are going to go in deep.
15:34It's like at home, isn't it,
15:35when you dress your tree at home,
15:36and you start,
15:37and then you think,
15:38I'll just get a few,
15:39and then you go to the garden centre
15:40and spend a fortune.
15:41That's what I do,
15:42just on a much bigger scale.
15:44The average Brit decorates their standard-sized tree
15:47with around 100 baubles,
15:49costing approximately 150 pounds.
15:52Ruth's 25-foot spruce fir requires around 20 times that.
15:57So we're on 2,000 baubles.
15:59I think that needs to go in between as well.
16:02Yeah, but how much is it?
16:03So if you have 24, that's 420.
16:06I've just blown the budget, but there we go.
16:09I'll get it all ready.
16:10It'll be worth it.
16:11Yeah, exactly.
16:12It'll look fantastic.
16:13We just want it to look a million dollars
16:15and be super sparkly, loads of lights,
16:18and I've got a little surprise
16:20that I haven't told Four Seasons about,
16:22which I hope they'll love,
16:23which will hopefully bring the whole theme full circle
16:25of the tree being the heart of the home
16:28and the heart of the season.
16:29Positive, like, manifestation,
16:31that the tree's going to be great,
16:32everything's going to be great,
16:34it's all going to go to plan.
16:36I really hope so.
16:38Bye!
16:45With two weeks to go until Christmas arrives at Park Lane,
16:49it's the perfect time to get the first wreaths ready,
16:52as demonstrated by in-house florist Roz.
16:55So you start off with a frame.
16:59We use copper frames,
17:01and then we bind on some moss
17:04because it absorbs water,
17:06so it stays damp,
17:08and it helps to keep the greenery fresher for longer.
17:12So once you've got your frame,
17:15you just start adding little bits of greenery.
17:19You go round and pull tight.
17:21And you can use any kind of evergreen greenery.
17:27The evergreen is symbolic of eternal life.
17:32Wreaths have pagan roots when wheels of evergreen branches
17:37were made during the winter solstice
17:39to pray for the return of the sun.
17:41So you can see what it should look like when it's all finished.
17:45It's lovely and full.
17:47With the evergreen base completed,
17:50it's time to add some colour.
17:52We've got whole dried oranges,
17:55we've got orange slices,
17:56we've got pine cones,
17:58and we've got pretend berries.
18:00Push the wire straight through,
18:03right to the back,
18:05and then you tuck the end in.
18:10I think we'll use some pine cones next.
18:13After the larger decorations have been equally spaced,
18:17Roz likes to fill the gaps
18:19with colourful slices of dried fruit,
18:21which can be made at home
18:22by thinly slicing and baking them on a low oven.
18:26These are green-orange slices,
18:29bright orange pieces,
18:32and then you should end up with something that looks like this.
18:37The main thing is to have fun,
18:40enjoy it,
18:41and be proud of what you've done,
18:43and use it to welcome guests into your home.
18:49Over in Park Lane's sister hotel in the countryside,
18:53Four Seasons Hampshire,
18:55Christmas preparations are also underway.
18:57Hungarian executive pastry chef Timea
19:00has grand designs for a festive gingerbread village.
19:04We have 16 houses,
19:07and then it will be three-tier,
19:10plus one on the top.
19:11We're gonna have the red ones over there
19:13on the side of the village.
19:15It's like little towers.
19:17Timea's team are building the village
19:19with construction-grade gingerbread,
19:21which uses a high ratio of flour to fat.
19:24What we're doing now is finishing with little bits
19:28and make it, like, more decorative.
19:30It's been a lot of work.
19:31We're around, like, over 60 hours with this.
19:34Timea and her team have been working around the clock,
19:37using 20 kilograms of royal icing
19:40to decorate 35 kilograms of gingerbread,
19:43equivalent to 3,500 ginger nut biscuits.
19:48For transportation with the big house,
19:50we need to find the exact way where we're gonna take this.
19:53I have a few ideas.
19:55The plan is to display the gargantuan gingerbread village
19:59upstairs in the hotel's glass corridor.
20:02We have to measure all doors, all windows,
20:04all corridors in here.
20:05We need to find the right trolleys.
20:07I'm a bit worried about it.
20:09I'm still confident, but I'm a bit worried about it.
20:11It's late evening on Park Lane,
20:17and as the final arrivals check in...
20:20You'll find the left just on the side over here.
20:22..and the last restaurant diners leave,
20:24there's one person whose night is just beginning.
20:27Event designer Ruth is waiting for the safe arrival
20:31of the centrepiece for this year's Christmas decorations.
20:34Tonight's plan is that we just need to get the tree in and up,
20:38and then we're gonna start dressing in the morning.
20:40Ten hours ago, a 25-foot spruce fir tree
20:44was felled from a sustainable tree farm in Scotland
20:47and embarks on its 500-mile journey down to London,
20:51ready to take centre stage in Park Lane's Pavillon Lounge.
20:55I guess my big worry is the size of the tree.
20:58Like, size matters when I say that.
21:05The annual Christmas tree install
21:07is often fraught with challenges.
21:09The whole thing is just every year,
21:11it's just the worst night of my life.
21:13And for Ruth, the tension is palpable.
21:15I just can't have a repeat of last year,
21:17so I'm hoping very much that it's not too small,
21:20equally not too big.
21:22Hopefully we've got the perfect tree.
21:24And before you can say, St. Nick, the tree is arriving.
21:29Oh, my God, it's here! It's here!
21:33It looks huge!
21:35It's huge!
21:37Okay, we're good.
21:38At least it's not small.
21:39We've got a big tree.
21:40Hi! How are you?
21:42I'm gonna give you a big hug.
21:43Sure thing.
21:44Sure thing.
21:45We have a big tree.
21:46Like, it doesn't even fit on your truck.
21:47It's actually bigger than your truck.
21:49And this one is 7.6.
21:51Oh, my God, it's too big.
21:54Gary, what's the ceiling?
21:567.49.
21:57Oh, is it actually?
21:59The fact we're even trying this, like, we're all crazy.
22:01We're all Christmas lunatics, basically,
22:04who just are obsessed with making things amazing,
22:07trying to do the impossible.
22:09This really is trying to do the impossible.
22:13With it looking likely to be a tight fit,
22:15the next worry is the tree's considerable weight.
22:19How heavy?
22:20Weight?
22:21Heavy.
22:227...
22:23100 kilograms.
22:25Somewhere there.
22:26How many guys have you got?
22:28Are we confident we can carry it off?
22:29Yeah, 15.
22:3015?
22:31Yes.
22:32We try and do things a little bit bigger and better each year,
22:37trying to outdo each time.
22:39So it's always going to be a little bit challenging.
22:44So the guys are about to lift the tree off the truck.
22:47They're going to take it through.
22:48The first thing we need to make sure that happens
22:50is that it fits through the door,
22:51because it's so chunky.
22:53So I hope it will get through the door,
22:55because that's our only access point.
22:59You OK?
23:00Now I feel sick, Garish.
23:02My heart's like...
23:05Next year, should we do a six foot tree?
23:10Do you think they seem calm?
23:11Or do you think they seem nervous?
23:12No, they're not calm.
23:13Yeah, I think they're very nervous.
23:14Bye!
23:17And it's the moment of truth for Ruth.
23:20I don't know if it's going to fit through these doors.
23:22I don't know.
23:24In true Christmas tradition,
23:26Ruth faces the perennial last minute panic.
23:28Will the tree actually fit through the front door?
23:32OK, just watch.
23:33Careful, careful, careful, careful.
23:34Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
23:35You're stuck.
23:36It doesn't fit.
23:37It's got caught.
23:39We didn't think about this.
23:43Coming up, Gary and the team
23:45give the tree a heave ho, ho, ho.
23:48Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, stop.
23:50Will Lynn approve the chef's
23:51revised afternoon tea dishes?
23:54We really need to get these last elements right.
23:56And does Timea's gingerbread village
23:58require extra planning?
24:01I'm ten centimeters longer than I should be.
24:03While 296 guests are fast asleep
24:16and upstairs all is calm and tranquil...
24:19Careful, careful, careful, careful.
24:21Wait, wait, wait, wait.
24:22...downstairs Ruth and her high-vis elves
24:24are wide awake and stuck.
24:28It doesn't fit.
24:29It's got caught.
24:30OK.
24:31It fits in.
24:33It's in.
24:34Nearly.
24:37Well, that's the first bit over with.
24:38It fits through the door.
24:41The tree may be in,
24:42but there's still a long way to go.
24:44For their next trick,
24:45the team have to spin it round 90 degrees
24:47to lead it into the pavillon lounge.
24:55With the tree now lined up and in position,
24:57all that's left is to hoist it to the sky
25:00without damaging the four Murano glass
25:0315,000-pound ceiling chandeliers.
25:06I'm just gonna hide behind her.
25:08No pressure there, then.
25:13Oh, my God, I can't.
25:14I literally can't.
25:15I literally can't.
25:17With Ruth barely able to watch,
25:19Gary takes charge.
25:21Whoa, whoa, whoa.
25:22Stop.
25:24I do like to muck in.
25:25You know, I do like to roll up my sleeves.
25:27I like to get involved.
25:30When it's your building,
25:31when you're here to look after what's going on inside it,
25:34I'll probably jump in and, um,
25:36if I'll lend a hand, if I can.
25:39I literally can't look.
25:42This is the worst.
25:49Come on, this one.
25:53Is it okay?
25:55Is it up?
25:56Yeah.
25:57You got it?
25:59Okay.
26:00Stretch level's a little bit higher.
26:01It's the wobble on it.
26:06I'm glad you got it.
26:08That's more of a nervous laugh.
26:10No mean feet.
26:11Is it in the centre?
26:12I think they've done it.
26:13Well done.
26:14Yay!
26:16Thank you, guys.
26:18Yes.
26:20No, it's perfect.
26:21100%?
26:22100%.
26:23I just think, don't move it again.
26:24I can't cope.
26:26Don't move it again.
26:27No, it's lovely.
26:28No, it's lovely.
26:31Is it too big?
26:32No.
26:33Is the tree too big?
26:36I think everyone was so worried about it being too small.
26:39And no-one was worried about it.
26:43No, the tree was worried about it being too big.
26:47It's fine.
26:48Look, he's chopping off bits already.
26:51Ruth's giant tree successfully takes root in the Pavillon Lounge
26:56just before dawn.
26:57I think we'll call it a night for tonight.
26:59He's a monster.
27:00A good monster.
27:02A friendly monster, but he's just huge.
27:05Huge.
27:11It's a new day in Hampshire,
27:12and although she's not grappling with a 25-foot tree,
27:16executive pastry chef Timea has her own logistics worries.
27:20That is actually 88 centimetres, so I have 2 centimetres to play around in here.
27:26With the plan to transport the giant gingerbread village via the compact goods lift, Timea needs to be sure it will fit.
27:32140, and it should be 150, so I'm 10 centimetres longer than I should be.
27:40With the village looking likely to be as tight a fit as the park lane tree, Timea must make sure her measurements are accurate.
27:47Now it should be OK.
27:48It should be OK.
27:49It should be OK.
27:50It's 1.36.
27:51That's 1.40.
27:53So that gives me 4 centimetres.
27:55So what we're going to do, we're going to put it on the trolley,
27:58and then we're just going to slide it in, press the button, and then take it out on the other end.
28:05Because it's exactly the size of that, like that lift.
28:07The height, maybe I should measure the height as well before I put it on the trolley.
28:14With Timea not sure of the best way to transport her village up to the glass walkway,
28:19she calls guest relations manager Mehdi for advice.
28:23Oh, hello, hello, hello.
28:24How are you today?
28:25I'm leaving the train.
28:26Goodness me.
28:27You're at it.
28:28Ready?
28:29Yeah, ready.
28:30Listen, we have a situation.
28:31What's going on?
28:32It's very tight in the lift.
28:34I think we'll just put some hands together.
28:36Okay.
28:37Bring some people around, take it around up the loading bay and then around.
28:41I shouldn't move too much because I'm trying to avoid, like, major cracks on it.
28:46We make it happen.
28:47That's what we do.
28:48Okay.
28:49It's going to be quite a challenge, especially with, they're quite narrow,
28:52and then up turns and then the doorways.
28:54I'm not quite sure how we're going to do it, but we will.
28:57It's not like we have a choice.
28:58And, I mean, it wouldn't be interesting without a little excitement.
29:06Back at Park Lane, with just days to go until the hotel launches its festive menu,
29:11Linz returned to retaste the chef's dishes.
29:14Festive happens at the same time every year, but we always find ourselves right up against
29:19the clock, right up against the calendar.
29:21So we're ready to launch, and we really need to get these last elements right.
29:25Linz's first tasting of the festive tea didn't quite pass muster.
29:29Good morning, chefs.
29:30Good morning.
29:31Good morning.
29:32Good morning.
29:33So the stakes are high.
29:34Linz is not easy to convince as well.
29:36You know, she won't say yes to please us.
29:39Ah!
29:40Voila!
29:42That looks amazing.
29:44Here we have the lobster tartlet, terminal style, and the gougere with the 36-month
29:50edge conté on the top.
29:52Hopefully, you like it.
29:54This time, will the tartlet taste more of lobster than of leek?
30:00That's spectacular.
30:01You're really getting the lobster flavor, but it's just beautiful.
30:05Really well done.
30:07Okay.
30:08Let's move on.
30:09Look at that.
30:11And will the gougere, now with 36-month aged conté, be more cheesy?
30:17I'm someone who loves conté cheese, so I think this is phenomenal.
30:23I think it's part of our French identity, the gougere, the conté.
30:28That's a statement piece.
30:30With Benjamin's savory dishes ticked, it's time to move on to Francesco's sweet treats.
30:36I would suggest to start with the mini fruit tartlet, which is nice and refreshing, and
30:41then we go into the smoky crème brûlée.
30:46The surprise of the day is the fruit tart.
30:48I love it.
30:49I think it adds that festive element.
30:51We have the color and the special decoration of the tree.
30:54Will the now less smoky crème brûlée get her seal of approval?
30:58That is spot on.
30:59I think you got it right.
31:00Yes, it is.
31:01Now it's perfectly balanced.
31:02Exactly.
31:04We're good to go.
31:07I think we have our final afternoon tea.
31:10All right.
31:11Good job, buddy.
31:16It's the second night of the Christmas Inn store, and event designer Ruth is 11,000 lights
31:23into decorating her enormous tree.
31:25She has until morning to get all the decorations up and park lane perfect.
31:31But she's hit a snag.
31:33I don't think I ever thought it would be that big.
31:36We just can't reach the top.
31:38And I didn't realize that our scaffolding tower wasn't quite as tall as needed for that.
31:43Unlike the rest of us, when Ruth struggles to reach the top of her tree, she has an industrial machine.
31:49Emergency terror picker has come in, and we're going to get to the very top and be able to put the topper on.
31:55And apparently this was the last one in the south of England that was available today of this type.
32:00So there is a Christmas angel somewhere looking after us on these installs, I swear.
32:06As well as the lobby display and the 25-foot showstopper, Ruth is also charged with decorating numerous other areas of the hotel,
32:14including an alpine display outside, a mini tree arch under the stairs, and many statement fireplaces,
32:24which all need to be completed before breakfast opens at 6.30 a.m.
32:30There's not tons of foliage, so we might need a little top-up.
32:35Despite having over 2,000 baubles, 300 garlands, and 750 frosted stems,
32:41Ruth realises she's going to need an awful lot more.
32:45And even though it's the small hours of the morning, she decides it's time to go shopping.
32:50So we're going to go and do a flower market dash.
32:53I'm just hoping that they're open this early. I think they will be at this time for Christmas.
32:58So I just want to go and get more gear, basically.
33:02More is more. Bogdan, we've got to go.
33:06As Ruth arrives back at Covent Garden Flower Market, she's on a mission to buy as much foliage and gold decorations as she can find.
33:13Brian, help.
33:15I know kind of roughly what I want. It's like an on-site panic list.
33:21Could I take these trees?
33:22Yeah.
33:23I'll take all of them. All of this. That's really great. And the white one as well. Five of each. Two of these. I'm so sorry to pounce on you.
33:35This is my favourite way to actually buy. You've just got to go with your gut, and then it ends up amazing.
33:44Skinny birch trees. One gold. Two snow. The one on the stick as well.
33:50Oh, that's gorgeous. Look at that!
33:52Just go. That's the display one.
33:54Well, I'm taking it. Just like she's getting a new display piece.
33:58That'll look lovely in the Four Seasons.
34:01Now I feel happy because Brian's come up with the goods and we've literally got everything.
34:06We're on a six-hour countdown now, which feels tight, to be honest. I wish they could load this van a little bit quicker.
34:18Coming up, it's moving day for the gingerbread village.
34:22Stop, stop, stop, stop.
34:23Josh gets stuck into festivities.
34:26It's fantastic. It's actually just the right fit.
34:29And can Ruth deliver on her promise to bring the heart of Christmas to Park Lane?
34:34Three, two, one...
34:46As the rest of London sleeps, the hotel wheels keep turning.
34:53Especially for event designer Ruth.
34:56I got loads of lovely stuff. Now I feel happy.
34:59Who has just made it back from a last-minute dash to get extra springs for Four Seasons Christmas sprucing.
35:05Can we get this to the lobby?
35:08But with barely a foot in the door, there's immediately another issue to solve.
35:13The large fluorescent heart-like decoration Ruth has ordered as a surprise for Four Seasons appears too heavy to hang.
35:20Can we drill two tiny holes? One here and one here?
35:26If you think it won't crack the whole thing?
35:29We hope it won't crack the whole thing.
35:32You can't break my heart. You're literally going to break my heart.
35:36It's what meant.
35:37We'll bring a drill. We'll see what happens.
35:44Okay.
35:46Because we've called the theme for this year the heart of Christmas, I just thought it would be really nice to have some hearts somewhere.
35:53And if he breaks it, I'm going to kill him.
35:55Meanwhile in the office, the night shift is beginning for trainee assistant manager Josh, who's also putting his heart into Christmas.
36:04The whole hotel is going to be decorated and beautiful for all the guests, but we're going to spend our whole Christmas season here.
36:11So it's really nice that our home base here within the office is also decorated.
36:16This will be Josh's first festive season at Park Lane and he's turning Christmas elf.
36:23Right. Let's see what we got.
36:25Yeah.
36:27To turn the office into a Christmas wonderland.
36:30It's Christmas.
36:32Here we go.
36:34Christmas has begun at Four Seasons.
36:38Josh has till sunrise to give the back office some sparkle.
36:42And I'm going to be covered in glitter by the end of the shift.
36:46While Josh and fellow Christmas elf Mohammed.
36:49Hello, Josh.
36:50Busy themselves behind the scenes.
36:53I'm going to Christmas tree here.
36:55It's nice.
36:57Out front, Ruth's creation is finally coming together.
37:01The team work on.
37:03And on.
37:05I like the color of my gut.
37:09Through the night.
37:10I'm so tired. I'm not stressed anymore.
37:12The pressure is high.
37:13It's just such a big tree.
37:14It's just eating baubles.
37:16Literally, we put like 2,000 on there and we're just adding and adding and adding.
37:20But so are the spirits.
37:22Come back down.
37:26And after countless hours of work.
37:29It's half six, I think, is it?
37:31Or is it six? I don't even know what time it is.
37:33A hundred kilos of foliage.
37:37Over 2,000 baubles.
37:40I think the Christmas tree is about there.
37:45And one huge heart.
37:47The heart's going on.
37:48I think it's the final thing.
37:50The last thing to go on.
37:52And I hope it all works.
37:55Gary, it's the big moment.
37:57It's the heart going on.
37:59Just before the hotel awakes.
38:01Five.
38:03Four.
38:04Three.
38:05Two.
38:06One.
38:08Oh, that looks good.
38:10Christmas has come to four seasons.
38:14Oh, that's cool.
38:17Both behind the scenes.
38:19Good morning.
38:20Welcome to Christmas.
38:22Did you do this?
38:23I did.
38:25That's amazing.
38:27That's so cute.
38:29And at the front of house.
38:31I think the tree looks lovely.
38:33Definitely very impressive.
38:35The heart of Christmas is well and truly aglow.
38:38That's a lot of baubles, isn't it?
38:42While Park Lane's Christmas makeover is complete,
38:46over in Hampshire,
38:48head chef Timea is bracing herself for the big house move.
38:52It's very tight.
38:53Corridor is very tight.
38:55And then my blood pressure is quiet up.
38:57Guest relations manager, Meti, has come to lend a hand.
39:01Hello, hello, hello.
39:03Okay.
39:04Are you going to come with us?
39:05We get in there?
39:06We go in there?
39:07Yeah.
39:08Okay, go inside, hold the lift door.
39:10The five-foot-high, four-tiered gingerbread castle.
39:13Perfect engineering.
39:15Okay.
39:16Just about squeezes into the goods lift.
39:19Stop, stop, stop, stop.
39:20Well, the lift door needs to shut up.
39:23And reappears on the ground floor
39:24where the delicious cargo is lifted into position.
39:29Touchdown.
39:30Here we go, safely.
39:32Okay.
39:33Let's not jinx it.
39:34It's on a table.
39:36Okay, let's bring the rest of it.
39:39With the main build safely in place,
39:41the team must now collect two huge sugar mountains
39:44plus the 16 smaller houses to create the Alpine Village.
39:52Merry Christmas.
39:53Over in Park Lane, the Christmas season is fully underway.
39:57So you'd like to book three rooms over Christmas?
40:00Oh, fantastic.
40:02With the hotel due to be fully booked...
40:04So you're with us through to the 29th.
40:06It's vital that the whole operation is flawless.
40:09Saturday the 20th, two people at 7pm.
40:12So regional vice president and general manager, Lynn...
40:16Wow.
40:18...is back to inspect the Four Seasons' festive transformation.
40:22As she journeys from lobby to lounge, the verdict is in.
40:27I think what you experience when you come into the hotel
40:30is this immediate warmth, this glow of the lights, the gate.
40:36It's magical.
40:38No sooner do the decorations get Lynn's sparkling seal of approval...
40:43Hi.
40:45...than the first guests arrive for a taste of Christmas at Four Seasons.
40:52Oh, wow, look at the tree.
40:54Oh, my goodness.
40:55It's beautiful.
40:57Model Adrian and his wife, health entrepreneur Laura,
40:59have been coming to Four Seasons for years.
41:02Yes, this is lovely.
41:04And the hotel's afternoon tea signals the start of the festive season for the couple.
41:08This is our yearly tradition, the afternoon tea of the Four Seasons.
41:13It's a great way to get in the festive mood.
41:15Michelin star food.
41:17You can't go wrong. It's a really special treat.
41:20With the Christmas spirit already flowing...
41:23Cheers.
41:25...what will they make of this year's Four Seasons festive afternoon tea?
41:29Fantastic. Look at that.
41:30Look at that.
41:31Looks amazing.
41:33But does it taste as good as it looks?
41:36The familiar.
41:42So good.
41:44Next, it's Francesco's sweet treats.
41:46Go.
41:47Bottoms up.
41:49Oops.
41:54Oh, wow.
41:56Look at that.
41:58Stunning.
41:59Months in the making, moments in the tasting.
42:03Creme brulee is my favourite dessert.
42:05Mmm.
42:10That's so good.
42:12With plates cleared and hearts full...
42:14I'm so happy.
42:16...Laura and Adrian's Christmas is off to a delicious start.
42:20In the glass corridor at Four Seasons Hampshire, Chef Tim Mayer's gingerbread village boasting excellent transport links is finally complete.
42:33And guest relations manager Mehdi is delighted.
42:36What I like the most about her is the attention to detail, like those little lights.
42:41Very proud of what she achieved there.
42:42She should be as well.
42:44Seven kilograms of flour, 11 kilograms of butter and 33 kilograms of sugar have been transformed into a colorful alpine wonderland.
42:55Attracting the hotel's youngest visitors.
43:02Looking forward to seeing people's faces, especially the kids, when they look at how beautiful it is made.
43:07And especially when they realize that it's all edible.
43:10And kicking off Four Seasons Hampshire's Christmas festivities.
43:15It's huge, it's bright, it's beautiful.
43:18Christmas is officially here.
43:20As children open their stockings by the fire.
43:26Look at that, you can see the snow there.
43:28Really lovely.
43:29What do you think for Josh?
43:31Oh, you're most welcome.
43:33Backstage busy elves.
43:36Oh!
43:38Exchange gifts.
43:40It's fantastic, it's actually just the right fit.
43:43Ta-da.
43:45Perfect.
43:46And well wishes.
43:48Happy Christmas.
43:50Mince pies and hot chocolate keep kids' hands aglow.
43:55A choir of angels sings sweetly.
43:59Baubles twinkle just so.
44:02Three, two, one.
44:09Even Santa arrives.
44:12Ho, ho, ho.
44:13Merry Christmas.
44:15With his reindeer in tow.
44:16Well prancer, well dancer, we have a lot of work to do.
44:20The good cheer.
44:22We wish you a Merry Christmas.
44:25And team spirit.
44:26Come on in team, come on.
44:28Sets the whole scene alight.
44:31Three, two, one.
44:33Merry Christmas to all.
44:35And to all a good night.
44:37A good night.
44:38Looking back to an historic and emotional broadcast, the Queen's final Christmas message in 2021, in brand new farewell to the nation tomorrow at five past nine.
44:52Next tonight, tensely nostalgia as we remember those days when we'd listen to the Queen and then settled in to watch Christmas TV we loved and lost.
45:00And lost.
45:01And lost.
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