Art of the pop-up

London – Alice Hodge, set designer and one half of supper club duo The Art of Dining, reveals the secrets to creating a successful pop-up.

• Hodge was invited as a guest speaker at last week’s Food and Drink Network Evening and was in conversation with senior journalist Daniela Walker
• The Art of Dining combines a high-quality menu with elaborate set design and actors to immerse guests in another place and time

With a string of well received events already under their belt, Hodge and business partner, Moro-trained chef Ellen Parr, know a thing or two about putting on the perfect dinner. They have hosted events in some of the country’s finest buildings in partnership with The National Trust and served bespoke dinners for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Nike and Microsoft, using actors and elaborate set designs to immerse guests in another place and time.

With ‘pop-ups’ being the word du jour, the duo have to work hard to keep their concepts fresh. Often the experiences are inspired by buildings and their history, but Hodge and Parr are not averse to the challenge of taking on subjects shaping the culinary world. Most recently they hosted The Colour Palate, which explored the emotional connection between colour and food and the synaesthetic dialogue between the senses.