Confrérie du Sabre d'Or
é
Grand Reopening Champagne Event!
Subject to all the usual Government restrictions.....
On Friday 30th July 2021
the Confrérie du Sabre d'Or
will open its doors once again
for a Champagne Evening at:
The Millennium Gloucester Hotel
Kensington, London
Click here for details
Zoom Event - 21st January 2021
The Confrérie joined with one of our valued caveaux:
"The Oriental Club"
to present an evening of
Champagne, fine wine and excellent curry.
Members took delivery of their food and wine the day before the event - it arrived frozen with full cooking instructions.
On the Thursday evening we all got together for a Zoom 'webinar' (how quickly have we gotten used to these things) presented by the Secretary of the Oriental Club - Maître-Sabreur Matthew Rivett.
There were also presentations on the wines by Ambassador Emeritus Julian White and by Confrérie Club Chairman, Gerard O'Shea. Plus we all got the chance to see again Julian's appearance on QI (if you haven't seen it click here).
All went well and we hope to present similar events in the future.
Click the image to expand
Even during this difficult time, your Ambassador Emeritus (Julian White) is out and about, spreading the word of La Confrérie du Sabre d'Or.
Shown left is an article that appeared in the Telegraph's 'Luxury' section (on 21st December 2020), which the author Hilary Armstrong has agreed for us to reproduce on our website.
Click on the image to download a readable version.
A Merry Christmas to all our readers and most importantly, best wishes for 2021.
Coronavirus Update
(2nd December 2020)
Dear Fellow Members,
During the second major lockdown we have had time yet again to reflect on a year without Champagne events, gala dinners, tours and tastings. We now know that this will continue for some more months and a date to restart our activity seems a long way off; but a vaccine may be giving us the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
We continue to keep the plans for next year although it is certain than our Diary of Events cannot start before April. The sheer weight of the pandemic will take many months for us to wash it away and leave it as a future minor inconvenience similar to the common cold. Trusting, as we must, that science will provide a cure and an immunity in the not too distant future, I am still planning on a late spring and summer of Club activities:
-
Kick off with a Champagne Reception (April – May; decision on date when we have the go ahead).
-
June: Summer Party with the usual Champagne induced AGM. This will also be a great opportunity for members to introduce new members.
-
June: Champagne Weekend. Members rendezvous in Champagne and we have already planned a weekend of pleasure for you with visits and tastings, a study of Champagne in extraordinary depth but tempered with some fine meals. You choose the visits you wish to grace with your presence.
-
July: we hope that the Caveaux de Sabrage will be up and running and many events UK-wide could be in the offing.
-
Late July or early August: The Commissioned Members’ Party. A return to the hugely popular Champagne and substantial Canapés party of previous years. Special consideration for new members and of course, our valued non-Commissioned members, who we hope will become Chevaliers at a future date.
By August we hope that we will no longer be trying to shovel fog and the mystery of this disease will be under control, and just a constant reminder of the fragility of our mortality and a constant advice to be careful. If this is the situation we should be able to announce our Autumn Gala Ball and major Intronisations for October.
On the subject of intronisations and the investitures of the ranks of the Confrérie I am aware that the pandemic has delayed many members taking up their investiture in the commissioned ranks and subsequent promotion dates. Actual investiture including the sabrage with the appropriate bottle or large format has now been impossible for 9 months and will be for another possibly 6 months. However, we shall be able to date a member’s investiture as that which would have taken place, for example in April 2020 at the Royal Overseas League Spring Dinner or this Autumn 2020 at The Langham London. This is important because if, for example, you would have been a Chevalier in April 2020, you are liable for promotion to Officier in 2025 and not wait until late 2026. So that members in this category should contact the embassy. Promotions to Commandeur follow the same rules of time and candidates for this year’s Chapitres should note this when reapplying.
Stay Safe !
Regards,
Gerard
Ambassadeur UK & Ireland Confrérie du Sabre d'Or
______________________________________
A recent edition of the BBC's "QI" programme included an excellent demonstration by Ambassador Emeritus Julian White. Click the image left to see it.
Coronavirus Update
(2nd June 2020)
Dear Fellow Members,
First of all I want to thank you for your steadfast observance of the rules and staying safe so that we can all be together again at some point in the future. We all wish that we might know when that will be, but we have heard so many changes of advice and direction from the government that no one can accurately make a judgement for the safety of resuming our events. I will return to this matter shortly.
Next, thank you for the very speedy response we have had so far concerning the AGM papers, your completion of the online form is gratefully received. We have had overwhelming support, as well as some helpful comments. There will be a brief resumé from these replies. In general, although there are still some days before we close the response period, the membership is in agreement with the report and the proposals. If you have not yet done so, I would welcome more responses and it could be the largest attendance at our AGMs to date.
We have enjoyed having contact with some of our members through the on line app “Zoom” and the now staple of lockdown life, the Zoom Quiz. There have been two of these so far and the winners receive a case of 6 bottles of Confrérie du Sabre d’Or Champagne, the very same that we consumed at the Anniversary Gala Ball last October. I would like to see many more members joining in for the next quiz and help our community’s esprit de corps stay alive whilst safe distancing prevents our Sabrage and champagne! It will take place at 8pm on Tuesday 9th June - Members will already have received all the details on this.
I return to the future plan and, as I said, your council and committee are pledged to kick-start our events as soon as possible. To that end, Julian has been consulting with various Champagne houses and how they might support an event to restart club activity. Clearly, nothing can be finalised until venues are opened up and the proprietors can host our events. Furthermore, the present proposed restrictions of social distancing when venues do reopen, would make our events unviable. Current advice is not helping us to plan a sensible party that is safe and enjoyable. However, we shall, at the very first indication of sufficient relaxing of restrictions, make arrangements to host such an event.
Stay safe !
Kind Regards,
Gerard
______________________________________
Coronavirus Update
(15th March 2020)
Over the last twenty years, the Confrérie has prided itself on having never cancelled an event - no matter what. Whether it was the terrorist activities of 7/7 and 21/7 or even the erupting volcano shutting down our airspace, we went ahead in spite of everything.
However, we are now faced with a much more unmanageable, uncertain and potentially deadly set of circumstances. You will all have seen the latest forecasts and how expert advice continues to develop and change.
So, it is with a heavy heart that we have decided to cancel all Club events up to and including the AGM and Summer Party on 5th June (this includes the Spring Gala Dinner on 24th April and Julian’s Wine Tasting on 1st May). We will continue, at present, with the Commissioned Members Party on 29th July and plan a major relaunch party for later in the year when hopefully all of this will have cleared up.
However, I would say again that the situation is very fluid and we will react in whatever way is necessary. Please keep an eye on this website for any updates.
NB: Some events in our calendar are actually organised by the Caveaux (independent venues, affiliated with the Confrérie) themselves. Anyone planning to attend those events should contact the venue and check all is well. Obviously, if we are made aware of any such event being cancelled, we will of course post this information on the website.
Finally, I wish you all well for the coming months and look forward to seeing you again very soon.
Best wishes
Gerard O’Shea
Ambassadeur UK & Ireland
______________________________________
Coronavirus Update
(2nd April 2020)
Dear Fellow Members,
I hope this finds you safe and well during this very critical time!
As you know, the current unprecedented situation has meant that our Confrérie events have been cancelled with no known future dates for any events. Do please keep an eye on the website for updates and we will be in touch again when we have a more positive direction.
Meanwhile membership subscriptions are one of our discussions both here and in Champagne. Please rest assured we will find a suitable way to recompense members for the period of 2020 when we will not have been able to offer a program due to Coronavirus. This may take the form of reduced 2021 fees or extending the period for which fees are applicable. When we resume our activities later in the year, we will be in touch with details of how members will be compensated.
Stay safe !
Kind Regards,
Gerard
______________________________________
Welcome to the home of Sabrage. The Confrérie du Sabre d’Or is devoted to promoting the act of Sabrage and the enjoyment of Champagne.
The Heart of the Order is the growing number of Caveaux de Sabrage where Sabrage may be performed.
The Caveaux range from small restaurants and Wine Bars to the grandest of Hotels. They all have two things in common – Champagne and fun. This is a wine and far too good to be left only to special occasions.
A programme of events throughout the year held at prestigious venues gives all our members and their guests excellent value for money and plenty of opportunity for Sabrage as well as enjoying excellent Champagne and food.
Members will have received the very latest issue of The Golden Sabre. Once again, it's a bumper 52 page edition containing all the news and reviews from around the Club, along with articles and hundreds of photos from our Events. Click on the Front cover shown left to download the full issue.
Click Here to see many of the back issues.
GOCARDLESS
It is possible (indeed, members are encouraged) to Pay Online for certain events, ie those organised directly by the Confrérie, rather than by one of our many affiliated Caveaux. This is achieved via a very efficient and safe system called 'GoCardless'.
The facility is open to Members of the Order who simply need to register their bank account details (just your name, address and email and the numbers that appear at the bottom of your cheques) and future payments for annual subscriptions will be done automatically and payments for Club events can be made by simply 'ticking a box' on the Online Booking Form.
It couldn't be simpler! GoCardless is trusted by over 30,000 businesses (big and small). Click Here for details on security.
Register now for 'GoCardless' payments to the Confrérie (Click Here). If you're not sure whether you are already registered, or you have some other questions, just send us a note by Clicking Here and we'll get back to you.
Our Next Events:
30th July 2021
Reopening Champagne
Evening at
The Millennium Gloucester Hotel
Kensington, London
Champagne and
Food served: Covid-safe
