‘Mix It Up’, the English way at Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla

New Delhi: It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla, as the hotel hosted the annual Cake Mixing ritual- MIX IT UP, to usher into the X-Mas festivities on 2nd November 2023. Themed around the sophisticated British culture, the ceremony was an ode to Great Britain, the first country to host this timeless tradition back in the 17th century.

Ashutosh Bisht, Executive Sous Chef, kickstarted the spectacular show of Cake Mixing by narrating fables and history around the ceremony. He shared that the activity marks the arrival of the harvest season and the onset of Christmas festivities.

“In olden times, a lot of dry fruits and nuts were harvested during the autumn season and were used in the preparation of traditional Christmas fruit cakes. They used to store the mix for the coming year with the hope of another fulfilling and abundant year. Later, this ceremony became a family affair where everyone got together and soaked the harvested fruits in the spirits, which were further dried and stored.” he shared.

Now it was time for the most awaited moment of the evening – The Cake Mixing ceremony. Amidst the refreshing autumn breeze, the alfresco area of ChaoBella was decked up with twinkling lights, trees, bells, reindeer, candles, candy canes, stockings & snow globes, inspired from the Christmas décor of the Oxford Street, London. The star of the show was the mesmerizing assortment of dry fruits such as cashews, prunes, pistachios, almonds, figs, apricots, raisins, nuts, black current etc. in a boat-shaped cauldron. The hotel patrons and team members rolled on their sleeves and wore aprons to participate in a hearty mixing of the dry fruits with spices and spirits. The same mix will be used by the chefs to bake goodies such as Plum Pudding, Plum Cake, Dundee cake, Mince pie, Stollen breads, Christmas cookies & more for the X-Mas season.

The activity was followed by a celebratory pouring over the quintessential European Champagne Coupes and spectacular gimmick by the flair artist. The live music, English Hi-Tea spread, varieties of Christmas bakes, Sangrias and Mulled Wine added to the charm of the ceremony.

“Cake mixing ceremony is all about jingling and mingling with our loved ones. We are delighted to share this joy with our partners and guests. We chose to curate a British inspired celebration this year and co-incidentally Oxford Street, London also switched on the Christmas lights on the same date. The underlying essence of the cake mixing ceremony is a reminder of the cross-cultural impact of celebrations. The festivities come wrapped with hopes and abundance for a happier tomorrow.”

Shuvendu Banerjee, General Manager, Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla

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