There’s no end of brands redefining things these days. Motor cars, redefined. River cruises, redefined. Crisps, redefined. It’s all getting a bit hard to follow. What does anything mean anymore? Well, at Podge, an event known for its eloquent conversations and above-average intelligence levels, we’ve gone to the source, and for this year’s lunch, we’re redefining what we mean by Podge.
Because what started as a feeling around the waistband, around 4.30 pm at the very first Podge lunch at Quaglino’s, has now become a verb. In fact, ‘Podge’ has come to represent so much more than the name of the lunch itself. And like all the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the many creative industries represented at the lunch, Podge has written its very own vernacular.
This ever-evolving lexicon of lunch takes the very specific industry lingo of designers and developers, and pushes way past Merriam-Webster, the Shorter Oxford and Schott’s Miscellany.
This is language spoken and understood by those fortunate enough to take a Friday afternoon, once a year, to connect with old friends and make new acquaintances. So, we’ve defined all the little moments that are well and truly Podge with no regard to the gatekeepers of modern-day scriptoriums.
It’s this Podge-prose and so much more that makes this lunch such a unique celebration of good friends, great food, and endless conversation. The all-inclusive ticket provides for an afternoon of food and drink and the appearance of the mythical teatime bacon butties. And our fantastically generous partners make sure that Podge runs like clockwork, and that the bar never runs dry.
YOU'LL FIND YOUR FELLOW PODGERS IN THE 175 SUITE, 2ND FLOOR, SSE STAND @THE KIA OVAL (NEXT TO THE JOHN EDRICH GATE).
THE KIA OVAL IS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF VAUXHALL STATION (1O MINUTES), AND OVAL ON THE NORTHERN LINE (2 MINUTES).
THE MOST CONVENIENT LOCAL LODGINGS CAN BE FOUND AT THE OVAL TRAVELODGE, A BACON-BUTTIES THROW FROM THE VENUE.
Cropwell Bishop & Williams pear tart
London honey, rocket and vegetable crisp (v)
TRANSLATION:
Cheese & pear. But dressed for lunch
Wild mushroom tortellini
Pan-fried chestnuts, oyster mushrooms, mushroom velouté, sage and parmesanfricos (v)
TRANSLATION:
Mushrooms. In several increasingly fancy forms
OR
Roast Cornish chicken
Pressed potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke purée, cavolo nero, heritage carrots, roasted shallot and tarragon jus
TRANSLATION:
Chicken and potatoes. Went to finishing school
A selection of classic mini desserts
Designed to enable you to roam free and chat
TRANSLATION:
Pudding without the commitment
Bacon butties & Croque Monsieurs
Served before home time
TRANSLATION:
Damage limitation
Free-flowing tipple
Wine, beer and non-alcoholic drinks on tap all day
TRANSLATION:
Networking lubricant. With responsible alternatives
Translation: the people who make sitting down with strangers feel like catching up with old friends.
WANT TO JOIN THE FUN?
Translation: our brilliant partners, who bring plenty more to the table than just their name on it.
Claude wrote your contract. ChatGPT says it looks great. Sometimes AI nails it. Sometimes it creates a convincing legal headache. Before signing, let Hybrid Legal sense-check it. We understand agencies and give plain English advice. If AI gets it wrong, you can’t blame it.
The clever people at Synergist have made decision-making for the leaders of creative businesses a little less fraught, thanks to a software platform that gives people a single view of across pipeline, projects, resources and financials.
Craft is a people business run by fabulous people. They partner with businesses around the world to find their next wave of creative talent. Beating industry standards for talent retention, speed, and market knowledge, Craft helps your business make moves that matter.
Our friends at Friday Solved are busy building scalable, predictable sales engines that perform best inside the business they’re built for (not outside, and out of sight). In other words, they bring value in – and keep it in.
Publicis Sapient have achieved the seemingly impossible – fusing decades of experience and human ingenuity with the speed and scale of AI technology to move past old models and give organisations a business advantage.
GF Smith believes in the power of design, colour and material to shape how we experience the world. For over a century, it has supported ideas, experimentation and the joy of creativity, partnering with brands, designers, and specialists to source and supply exceptional papers.
Driving the success of small businesses, Pax 8 has developed a unified platform where SMBs can buy, sell, provision and manage Cloud, productivity and AI solutions. A single marketplace for the tools to move faster and think bigger.
HB are an independent creative agency. With studios in London and Cape Town, HB combine thoughtful strategy, exceptional creativity and meticulous delivery to make the most ambitious B2B brands unforgettable.
Jupiter is all about the company they keep. As well as being part of the Podge family, they’ve helped the likes of Nike, Omega, Visa, UEFA, Harrods and Gucci tell stories through visual experiences that transform spaces and places.
Consistently, diligently and brilliantly reporting on the full scope of the creative and digital industries, The Drum remains a definitive source of news, insight and inspiration for Podgers in branding, marketing and advertising.
Supporting the people and businesses behind the stories, screens, streams and stages with specialist media sector expertise, our good friends at HaysMac are always on hand, bringing a friendly face to the very serious business of audit, advisory and tax.
Umbraco is the most widely used open-source CMS on Microsoft .NET, built by a friendly team and an even friendlier community. It's trusted by enterprise brands around the world, and it keeps getting simpler.
Focused on delivering exceptional digital experiences and environments, M&C are equally passionate about building a working culture where people can explore change and create award-winning work that they are truly proud of.