Bompas & Parr - Building a National Treasure with the British Menu Archive

The latest project from Bompas & Parr - The British Menu Archive.

Crazy Food Architects, Culinary Maestros and Jelly Mongers Extraordinaire Bompas & Parr have launched their latest project and it's going to be massive!

The team are calling on people around the UK to contribute to help them build a National Treasure in the form of the British Menu Archive.

No menu is too old, too new, too small, or two large to be included and Bompas & Parr want to see any menus that people have spotted to help paint a picture of the changing landscape of British food and drink over the decades. Contributions can be physical or in the form of photos.

The archive will be launches at Andaz Liverpool Street on the 28th of May 2014 and one of the features will be a feast consisting of a selection of courses from the submitted menus!

There is a great prize up for grabs, with the very best menu submitted winning a table for six at the launch event! Everyone else will be rewarded with eternal glory and immortality with all menus held in the archive for the nation.

Find out more on the British Menu Archive website.

Menus can be sent to the address below, with everyone who submits one successfully getting fully credited.

British Menu Archive

Bompas & Parr

17 Rushworth Street

London SE1 0RB

Alternatively, scans of menus can be emailed to:

britishmenuarchive@bompasandparr.com

I'll be sure to keep an eye out for any gluten free menus on my travels to add to the archive.

The deadline for menu submissions is the 20th of May 2014.

Back in the summer of 2012 Bompas & Parr created a brilliant 'London Landmark in Cake Creations' Crazy Golf course on the roof of Selfridges on Oxford Street! The course harked back to the early 1930's when the department store had a Miniature Golf course as part of the rooftop garden.

The 2012 edition was a brilliant idea and a tricky, but fun 9-hole layout. We played a number of tournaments up there and I became the Crazy Golf with Bompas & Parr Champion in August 2012.

The prizes - in addition to the MASSIVE minigolf trophy - I received for my June play-off win included two Bompas & Parr recipe books. One for Cocktails and one for Jelly! The cocktail book has a very good recipe for making your own pork crackling snacks.

With my winnings of a BIG minigolf trophy and two of the Bompas & Parr books for victory in the June Crazy Golf play-off at Selfridges London in 2012

Links:

- Bompas & Parr

- British Menu Archive website

- Bomas & Parr-related blog posts

- Bompas & Parr on Twitter

- Bompas & Parr on Facebook

A Gottfried vs. Gottfried Crazy Golf Match on Selfridges' Roof in London

A Crazy Golf battle between two of the Gottfried brothers on the roof of Selfridges London.

After watching the Archery at the London 2012 Olympic Games my brother Christopher and I headed to the 9-hole Bompas & Parr Crazy Golf course that is on the rooftop of Selfridges Department Store during the summer 'Big British Bang' event at the store.

We've had quite a few Crazy Golf matches against each other over the years and Christopher was with us when we played the course that would become the first on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

With the course filled with London-landmarks sculpted in cake form the layout was quite different to any other Miniature Golf course Christopher had played before, but the natural sportsman in him meant he took the lead on the second hole (Big Ben Rebound)!

Christopher plays his second shot on hole 2 - it looks more like Piccadilly Circus than Westminster with all the 'traffic'!

The very difficult third hole was the bane of many a player at the course on our visit, as indeed it has been in the tournaments I've played there since the course opened. We scored a 4 and a 6.

The pair of us had a great time in a very close match-up that lacked holes-in-one, with neither of us getting an Ace until the 9th hole!

Richard Gottfried playing the 5th hole of the Bompas & Parr Crazy Golf

In the end, and with a feeling of relief, I picked up the win 22 to 26 to (just about) claim the bragging rights.

Christopher Gottfried playing the 9th hole of the Bompas & Parr Crazy Golf

The course is in place until September and if you haven't given it a play yet you really should. The roof at Selfridges was one of the first sites in the UK to be home to a Minigolf course and back in the 1930's players flocked there to Putt above Oxford Street!

Links:

- Selfridges

- Bompas & Parr

- Selfridges Big British Bang

Related Blog Posts:

- A Gottfried vs. Gottfried Crazy Golf Match in Abingdon-on-Thames

- Minigolf Report - Crazy Golf Pro Championship at Selfridges London

- Minigolf Report – Richard Gottfried wins the Crazy Golf with Bompas & Parr Championship June Playoff

- Playing Minigolf on the Selfridges Rooftop Crazy Golf course!

- Selfridges to get a Crazy Golf course and Tea Room on Rooftop Garden

- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Listen to all the action from the Crazy Golf Pro Championship via Zone One Radio

Zone One Radio's Special Feature from the Crazy Golf Pro Championships.

During the Crazy Golf Pro Championship, hosted by Bompas & Parr and UrbanCrazy at Selfridges London the team from the #InGoodTaste show at Zone One Radio followed the action as the tournament unfolded and interviewed some of the players (including me) and the event organisers.

You can check out the full show at "#InGoodTaste - Episode 4: Bompas & Parr Mini Golf Special by William P. Hanley on Mixcloud" - it's 51 minutes of Minigolf and Music Magic!

Links:

- Zone One Radio

- UrbanCrazy

- UrbanCrazy's Report from the Crazy Golf Pro Championship

- Bompas & Parr

Related Blog Post:

- Minigolf Report - Crazy Golf Pro Championship at Selfridges London

Minigolf Report - Crazy Golf Pro Championship at Selfridges London

8th July 2012

Press Information

For Immediate Release

Minigolf Report from the Crazy Golf Pro Championship, hosted by Bompas & Parr and UrbanCrazy

On Saturday 7th July Luton Minigolfers Richard and Emily Gottfried were invited to compete in the Crazy Golf Pro Championship, hosted by Bompas & Parr and UrbanCrazy, on the rooftop Crazy Golf course at Selfridges London.

Richard Gottfried playing the third hole of the Bompas & Parr Crazy Golf course at Selfridges London

A total of 30 players were in action on the London-landmark and cake-themed Miniature Golf course and Richard finished in 6th place after two 9-hole rounds of 17(-1) for a tournament total of 34(-2). Emily scored rounds of 22(+4) and 20(+2) to finish in 20th place. In the ladies’ competition Emily finished 1st of six players.

Richard said “I’m pleased with my 6th place in the Crazy Golf Pro Championship. After Alan Norman stormed to an opening round of just 12 the field had its work cut out in getting close to really challenge for the title. But my consistent two rounds of 17 were good enough to see me gain another top-ten tournament finish. I’m looking forward to more rounds on Bompas & Parr’s very crazy Minigolf course over the next two months.”

Emily said “The course on Selfridges’ roof is very unique as well as great fun. The tournament was fantastic, with a lot of joviality and banter among all the players. It was great to see so many players, old and new, taking part. I really enjoyed the evening and although I would’ve liked to have scored better, I think it was brilliant tournament and would definitely play there again!”

The Crazy Golf Pro Championship winner was Oxford’s Michael Smith who defeated London’s Nick Sandqvist at the fourth extra-hole of a sudden-death play-off. Alan Norman finished in third place having also scored 28(-8) in regulation play, but lost out at the third hole of the play-off.

'Squire' Richard Gottfried and a comedy character at the Crazy Golf Pro Championship at Selfridges London

The course opened at the end of May for the The Big Rooftop Tea & Golf Party. The course has been installed on the roof of Selfridges London as part of their Big British Bang celebration that is taking place during the summer of 2012. Last month Richard became the first champion at the course when he won the Crazy Golf with Bompas & Parr Championship June Playoff.

Emily 'Lemony' Gottfried, Alan 'Stormin' Norman and 'Squire' Richard Gottfried at the Crazy Golf Pro Championship at Selfridges London

In the latest British Minigolf Association Tour Rankings Richard has moved up to 6th place of 53 players in the BMGA Season Only Rankings for 2012, Emily is in 40th place. In the BMGA Strokeplay Order of Merit Richard is up from 22nd place to 13th of 87 players, Emily is in 41st spot. In the BMGA Matchplay Order of Merit Richard is in 9th place of 55 players, with Emily in 37th position.

Ends

Playing Minigolf on the Selfridges Rooftop Crazy Golf course!

Playing the 298th Miniature Golf course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour at the capital’s latest Crazy Golf course atop a roof on Oxford Street!

On the evening of Friday 15th June Emily and I made a highly anticipated visit to the brand new Crazy Golf course that has been installed on the roof of Selfridges as part of their Big British Bang celebration that is taking place during the summer of 2012. The course has only been installed for a three-month period so we thought we’d go there as soon as possible.

On the roof

The Big Rooftop Tea & Golf Party has seen a 9-hole London & Cake-themed Crazy Golf course!? The layout has been designed by world-renowned Jelly Mongers Bompas & Parr who have created the seven wonders of London in cake form as the obstacles!

Having not pre-booked tickets we arrived hoping to play on one of the walk-up tickets, we were initially told to return in half an hour as the course was a little busy so we headed for a wander around the food hall.

A view of the Bompas & Parr Rooftop Crazy Golf course at Selfridges

When we returned we were shown into the lift to gain access to the course and taken to the top floor. The theming and the design of the whole Tea Room and Crazy Golf area is very well done and looks great. The nice and friendly staff welcomed us and went over the process and rules before we paid to play.

Behind the counter there are some huge trophies – these are on offer to winners of the monthly Championship Playoffs! The leaderboard in the Pro Shop had the current leading score at -6, with the course having a par of 21.

Emily at the Tower Bridge hole on the Rooftop Crazy Golf course at Selfridges

After paying we picked up our putters, scorecard, brilliant minigolf pencil and what we were told were the only Gold Golf Balls in the world and headed outside to play the course.

Purple felt!

In our contest Emily scored a very respectable 21(par) which included two holes-in-one, while I won with a round of 18(-3) having shot three aces. There are some very tricky holes on the course and Emily had a little trouble and landed in the water on the 4th hole which is a replica of Tower Bridge! Luckily a fishing net and ball retriever were found and the ball was recovered from the murky depths of the ‘Thames’.

With my score of three-under I added my name to the leaderboard – the current leader had scored a round of 15(-6), while the best score on the 15th June had been a 16(-5). It’s great that the course is adding a competition element to the fun play too.

Emily's favourite hole on the Rooftop Crazy Golf course at Selfridges - Hole 5: St Pinbaul's

The course is well worth a visit, the staff was great and the whole look, feel and design of the course, scorecards and pencils is top notch.

Richard on the Big Ben Rebound hole at the Rooftop Crazy Golf course at Selfridges

The course was the 298th played and 497th visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006!

Hole 9 of the Rooftop Crazy Golf course at Selfridges

Back in the 1930’s the roof at Selfridges was home to one of the UK’s first Minigolf courses!

The Crazy Golf course is only on the roof of Selfridges until Sunday 2nd September 2012 so I would advise you get along and give it a go – who knows it may be another 80 years until you get a chance to play Minigolf on Selfridges roof!

Related Blog Posts:

- Selfridges to get a Crazy Golf course and Tea Room on Rooftop Garden

- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Links:

- Selfridges

- Bompas & Parr

- Selfridges Big British Bang

- Bompas & Parr Crazy Golf News

- Selfridges News “The Big Rooftop Tea & Golf Party at Selfridges London”