Over the next few months Lancaster House Bar Manager, Tom Chalmers, is going to introduce us to the delights of Sandeman ports and sherries featured on our menus and, of course, in our Sandeman’s Bar. He starts by telling us how our connection to the famous brand began.
Tom Chalmers shares a toast with George Sandeman
Sandeman’s Bar at Lancaster House is founded upon a friendship which had an usual beginning and a local connection with a branch of the Sandeman family, boasting over two hundred years of port and sherry production.
‘Chance’ meeting at 39,000 feet
In Summer 1989 our Operations Director, Douglas Dale, was on a flight to Jerez in Spain and got chatting to the gentleman sitting next to him. He discovered that his fellow passenger was David Sandeman, 8th generation Chairman and Managing Director of Sandeman Port and Sherry. Douglas was further intrigued to learn of the branch of the Sandeman family that lived almost on the doorstep of Lancaster House, at that time existing only on an architect’s drawing board. Thus, a friendship spanning over 25 years with the Sandeman family began.
When Lancaster House was completed in 1991, given the proximity of a branch of the Sandeman family and with the blessing of David Sandeman, our Sandeman’s Bar was created featuring artefacts from the 200 year House of Sandeman production history as well as a selection of the vintage port.
David’s successor, George, travelled from Portugal to officially open our Sandeman’s Bar and brought with him many of the Sandeman items still on display today, including a genuine barrel-end branded with the famous ‘GSC’ mark, and some very iconic advertising posters.
The Sandaman’s Bar at Lancaster House – Can you spot the iconic “Don”?
Sandeman Port Winery and Classical Facades – Gaia District – Porto, Portugal (CC 2.0 / Adam Jones)
Everything at the Sandeman Port Winery reflects the Sandeman Don logo (CC 2.0 / Kenneth Fairfax)
Enjoy Sandeman’s Port at Lancaster House
Enjoy Sandeman’s Port pared with local Lancashire Cheeses
Port in Britain was drunk after a meal, whereas in the rest of the continent, port was drunk before a meal as an apéritif. However, these days port can be so much more than the start or end of a meal. The range of cocktails which incorporate port and sherry is fantastic. The inclusion of ports and sherries on our menus helps to bring these amazing tastes to a wider audience.
At Lancaster House you can enjoy our range of Sandeman’s ports by the glass or in a selection of Sandeman’s cocktails.
Our bar manager, Tom shows us how to make a classic Port Martini cocktail…
Lancaster House also occasionally hosts Sandeman’s Port and Cheese evenings. On these special events, our resident master of Port will take you on a journey through the Sandeman’s family of port and sample every port with a specially selected local Lancashire cheese.
