NATURALICIOUS Meets the Introducers at 12 Hay Hill

Tuesday January 17th. – It started with a…… blended cocktail of delicious proportions…..when Vida8 first met Naturalicious a company so driven by a passionate desire to be so fresh and so full of energy we knew this had to be a perfect fit. I was reminded after listening to Rachel – Vida’s Founder (a Chartered Psychologist don’t you know!) – explain about yet another successful match her team had made and the relevance of shared values, it got the juices flowing, literally. Vida8 is all about creating the best parties for people who are (or want to be) their very best selves. Our tribe are healthy, curious, fun, and have a can-do attitude. Put them in a room and the party almost looks after itself. I wanted to create an event with a twist for the new year. Something new, fresh and celebrating our best selves. That’s when I discovered Naturalicious, who knock out THE most fabulous juice combos you have ever tasted – nothing but fresh, cold-pressed fruit & veg, with every drop of nutritional goodness lovingly squeezed into every bottle. And not a single nasty additive in sight. But what makes these juices so special – the delightly Dutch crew who are connoisseurs of the juice world; Vida8 just met its match.

So where to for the date? Picking the right venue was an absolute must if Vida8 and Naturalicious were going to hit it off. Well, glamorous members club 12 HAY HILL in the heart of Mayfair isn’t just a fancy address; it is a place that perfectly combines business with pleasure. There is surely nowhere else in London where you can find fully serviced offices, a Michelin-starred chef and a luxury lifestyle concierge all under the same roof. And they know how to run a party; on top of which they have some very cool members. So we said, let’s have some of them along too.

And what a first date it turned out to be. Vida8 and Naturalicious flirted outrageously. Hay Hill brought to the mix the perfect ambiance. The Triple-O’s (Out Of Office sweetie, do keep up) were clearly back from the slopes and the seas, but judging by how fit everyone looked it seemed that Dry January might be de rigueur. Fortunately there were plenty of takers for the cocktail versions of some delicious Naturalicious juice combos, which helped blend the very varied guest lists (single, married, gay, straight and all things in between; we all had fun trying to find out who was what and who wasn’t which) into one smooth party.

Shaun Rankin, the aforementioned Michelin chef, made sure we lined our stomachs with some delicious canapés that paired up beautifully with our juice shots, while clever photographer Ingrid Abery, more often seen snapping super-yachts in Monaco, proved her status as international woman of mystery by surreptitiously papping, er, snapping our glamorous guests, who included a Saudi prince, the lead singer of a legendary Britpop electronica group, various football stars, along with lots of hot Naturalicious Dutch guys and glamorous Vida clients and guests. Holding down a suave vibe with some very laid-back jazz tunes reminiscent of a Woody Allen movie was hot combo THE BUTLER TRIO, who kept the party swinging so smoothly that despite the official 9.00pm finish I was still there having a laugh at 10.30. And I wasn’t the only one!

The cocktails
Pearfection (Naturalicious pear, apple and lemon). This was served with rum
Drunk in Love (Naturalicious watermelon, pineapple and lime). This was served with vodka.

The canapés
Naturalicious Power Plant: Lobster hot dog
Naturalicious Beat the Blues: Salt baked beetroot and goat’s cheese vol-au-vent
Naturalicious Coco beach: White chocolate and mango macaroon

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Vida8 is the events arm of Vida Consultancy. Events are strictly invite-only and exclusively available to Vida’s members and guests. For further details about Vida’s Membership Services please contact Mia Galea, mia@thevidaconsultancy.com

Vida’s 5th anniversary party at The Devonshire Club

October 3, 2016 – I’ve never needed an excuse to throw a party, so our fifth anniversary just had to be celebrated and with the day of our big party finally upon us, we all assembled for a debrief in the luxurious Library bar of The Devonshire Club. Looking around at my gorgeous colleagues Rachel, Leila, Annika, Mia, Jacqueline, Jo and May, I do have a sneaking suspicion that we all work for Vida, not because we are about the most people-friendly women on the planet, but that we all have knock-me-down-and-bop-me-with-a-curling-tong good hair. Truly, anyone reading this who works for L’Oréal will know exactly what I mean when I say… ‘We’re worth it.’

Vida’s anniversary party was about celebrating with our Private Members. We take on about 100 a year and they are located in cosmopolitan hotspots such as London, Paris, Zurich, Berlin, Monaco, New York and Miami, to name but a few. The international part of the business is largely built from referrals and trusted consultants all around the globe.

Rachel founded The Vida Consultancy five years ago. Her early career as a Chartered Business Psychologist put her in good stead to take responsibility over the love-lives of CEOs. Rachel didn’t reinvent the wheel but she did redesign it. Her desire to be the best of the best and have the highest success rate imaginable has turned Vida into Olympic-gold-medal-winning standard. In fact, we had our moment on the podium in May, when Vida was awarded “Matchmaking Agency of the Year” at the prestigious European Dating Awards. Rachel is honest, intelligent, direct, fair, fun, self-deprecating, caring, committed and …works like mule. Well we all do…though in my case it might be fairer to say that more often than not I’m hard at work in a cocktail drinking establishment. Slurp.

I chose the brand-new glamorous Mayfair-in-the-City members club The Devonshire Club for our party, because it’s fab and because Brian Clivaz and I go way back. When I opened my club Fabric back in 1997 we had our pre-party at his club Home House for our rock’n’roll glitterati and the Home House staff soon established their own guest list at Fabric. Last night the DJ saved my….say what?!

Brian kicked the evening off in his charismatic way, telling us about the features of the club. With a glint in his eye, he looked around the room at Vida’s matched couples (loving the cute couple with the baby bump) and also… dare I say… hot-looking single guests, and remarked that should anyone get sufficiently carried away on U’luvka’s perky and delicious vodka cocktails… “you’re most welcome to get a room… we have 68 of them!”.

Glamorous Aret who leads Devonshire Club membership took guests on tours throughout the night and anyone who uses the code Vida can apply for Founder membership and waive the joining fee. But hurry, the offer’s only on till the end of October.

Our luxury resort brand partner Karma Group were in the room, led by their Marketing Director, handsome 6’ 8” ex-England rugby player Simon Shaw who had both the men and the women in the palm of his hands. Rugby players can do that. Karma have a Club with a range of different features costing a very agreeable £399.00 a year. Even within the first year of membership, so I was reliably informed, club members can get some crazy-amazing deals. And again, if we sign up with promo code VIDA we get the club membership free for the first year. We also have a prize draw for a week’s holiday at their most glamorous £1000-a-night resort in Bali called Karma Kandara. It’ll be open to Vida’s entire database throughout October, with the winner announced in November. Good luck everyone!

After Brian’s chuckle-inducing speech, Rachel (all the while clutching her wine glass like a microphone) said a few words of thanks to her clients, staff, our hosts and brand partners and, endearingly, to those people who had supported her from the get-go, those people who encouraged her to create the brand we now know as Vida.

After the pay-attention-this-is-what-we’re-here-for stuff we all got serious about catching up with old friends, meeting new ones and floating in a U’luvka vodka haze. ‘Friendship, love and pleasure’ is the U’ mantra – which certainly mixes well with our conscious coupling brand!

Skipping off into the night, complete with Hotel Chocolat goodie bags, one has to wonder whether I have to wait another five years to hold a big milestone bash… sure I will find another excuse before then; I might give L’Oreal a call!

Wonderful feedback from our event!

Dear Barbara
Really really enjoyed last night!  Couldn’t find you upon my exit! The crowd last night was the best yet!  X is a hoot and was fab to catch up with him.   May see X on Friday night as have invited him to join me and some friends at Novikov.
See you soon
Love M x
……….
Thanks for a great night!
S x
……….
Amazing party!!
Thank you so much for inviting.
N x
……….
That was a great night last night Barbara!  Thanks so much for inviting me.  X was a stunner!
J x
……….
Got home at 3am and feeling terrible!  Thanks for such a fun night xxx
T  xx
……….
Fab to see you darling!  I have missed you!!!  Wonderful event!!  Congrats to Vida!! Xx
V x
……….
Thank you… for the invitation for last night. Fab venue, food and wine… and excellent company of course. M x
……….
Rachel, just  to say well done and thanks for great party –I had a headache! A x
……….
Morning angels
What can I say about from the BIGGEST thank-you for last night. I had THE BEST time!!!
One of the best nights I have had in ages. Laughed soooooooooooo much. Me and X loved it. Even though he said he can’t remember a night when he had to watch so many guys chat me up in front of him, but X being X that made him love it even more!
Thank you and lunch at mine really soon.
All my love,   K  Xxxxxxxxx
……….
Hi Barbara
Thank you so much for the invite last night, I had a great time and met some very interesting people. Great location as always!  Had to leave before 9 due to early start, but thoroughly enjoyed it
T x
……….
BBB,  Thanks for inviting me to party. Had lots of fun and of course lovely to see YOU!  Talk soon. C x

by Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Managing Director Vida8 & Rendezvous

Barbara represents Vida in Monaco & London, and in 2014 launched Vida8, an invite-only private members networking club for the world’s most exceptional people. She pairs her incredible list of contacts with an intuitive sense of compatibility and environment, channelling the elusive magic ingredient that brings people together. events@vida8.com , Barbara@rendezvous-london.com

Cocktails in the City, Royal Exchange’s Threadneedle Bar.

May 4, 2016 – They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and I’m not going to argue with that, but if there’s a sure way to my heart, littered with lovelorn suitors though it is, it might just start with a Martini. Well that’s how I fell for miracle-working mixologist Sebastian Kasyna, on a balmy May evening just a few nights ago in the glamorous Threadneedle Bar on the mezzanine floor of the Royal Exchange. This is one Head Barman who really knows how to shake a woman who thinks she can’t be stirred (or is it the other way round?). Check him out here on YouTube.
This was the kind of event that sums up just why I’m in this matchmaking game and how rewarding it can be. I just happened to be introduced to those fabulous people behind Quaglinos, Coq d’Argent and Le Pont de la Tour (to name just a few!), namely D&D London, whose management team suggested I meet with the glamorous MD of Royal Exchange (REX), Laura Dove. Laura and her team were fascinated to learn about what we do as matchmakers and who we have as clients and guests to our events. They asked me what makes them special, and my response was that you are taste makers as well as taste transformers; you’re sophisticated, charming and successful, and confident enough to turn up at one of our events on your own. So there you go!
Suitably impressed, the REX team offered to produce this event for us, which included a specially designed cocktail. Sebastian’s sure-fire entry for the summer cocktail of the year is the fabulous Threadneedle Fizz, made with:
Vodka, green tea, peppermint tea, nettle cordial and lemon juice, made in a CO2 syphon and garnished with a twist of both lemon and orange.
Magic. It tastes like a super-elegant Pimms, with the lemon adding more sophistication for our sugar-rationed palates.
If you’ve ever read anything I’ve written before you might just have noticed a pronounced- enthusiasm for great food and wine. Throw in a glamorous location and top notch service and I’m in just the right kind of heaven to give my full attention to the key service our events offer: Introductions. Whether you’re newly single and would like to meet other fun single friends, or you’re in business and want to network with intelligent sophisticated players, or even taking a no-nonsense ‘if you like it, put a ring on it’ approach, we aim to match you up with just the right people.
What impressed me about last night’s gathering was not just all those lovely faces I know, adore and count as personal friends, but all those new faces who had the pluck to come alone and through personal recommendations. What a lovely thing to do: introduce a close friend to a service that you admire and trust. And all the more admirable if it’s a quality friend who you are really proud of.
Feeling proud of yourself and the people around you, while also feeling right at home, amongst friends in a special place is the best. That was the vibe of the evening and REX certainly played their part, providing us with ample samplings of their delicious canapes, starting with Beef Carpaccio and rocket pesto on toasted crostinis and Parmesan crème sablet tartlets and ending with divinely petite cheeseburgers with a slightly spicy tomato relish. Us ladies are usually a bit nervous of tackling these miniature mountains – but not last night. Throwing all delicate decorum to the wind, ladies banished worries of lopsided lipstick in pursuit of (in Samuel L Jackson voice) one tasty burger. We got it…
By the time we left no-one had an excuse for not meeting everyone they could have wanted to. We were all perfectly peopled. Unbelievably our hosts insisted on giving us a parting gift of a Threadneedle Fizz take-home pack, which included a little note telling us how to get a drink on the house for ourselves and a friend on our next visit to the Threadneedle Bar: Just say the password ‘Vida8’ and leave your business card to redeem your cocktail of choice. My advice: Ask for the Threadneedle Fizz. It works like ‘Open Sesame’ – a treasure trove of opportunity…

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The bronze-hand door handle ofthe Blind Spot Bar. Vida8’s biannual Mixa party

November 10, 2015 – I seized the bronze-hand door handle of the Blind Spot Bar; it was firm, smooth, shiny and strong with just the right amount of resistance. What can I tell you − everything felt great at the Blind Spot Bar last night, for it was there that we threw our biannual Mixa party, where I got to rock my hair-flick-fabulous match-mistress job satisfaction to the full-on-flirtatious full. Vida8’s Mixa parties always rock, but last night it ultrarocked!

For those unfamiliar with the format, the idea of a Mixa party is to invite our Private members, Vida8 members and gloriously glamorous single friends to come along with an eligible friend who they don’t want to date. This produces a perfectly gender-balanced mix of singularly fine specimens, all with great taste and all in great shape − physically, mentally and professionally. But what makes the parties really rock is not just the fact that everyone is successful and getting it on with their mirrors, but that everybody is really fun and really NICE. Yeah, nice. That means sweet-natured, genuine and charming; and the art of charm is making those around you feel fabulous. We value looks and success, but if you ain’t nice, you’re not Vida.

So with 90 excited Vida guests generating more effervescence than a Methuselah of Bollinger, the party was buzzing from the get-go. I got to speak to so many wonderful people from a barrister to a surgeon to a management consultant to a fashion entrepreneur that I was sparking off the kinetic energy and waltzing around the room flirting and connecting. It wasn’t just me, everyone had a ball.

Fancy Turin Chocolatier Carlo let us sample his chocolates which were to die for delicious. The Blind Spot Bar was a beautiful back-drop for our glamorous guests. Lots of numbers got exchanged, lots of people paired off and headed into the night together. A complete success, if you were there you rock. All our team who were there Rachel, Annika, May, Lou, Alice – you rock. As the song goes: “Some people like to rock, some people like to roll, but moving and a grooving’s gonna satisfy my soul. Let’s have a party!” Well we sure did, and we will do again in the Spring. Be sure not to miss it − unless we match you up in the meantime 😉 x

Visit our gallery to see photos from this event >

Vida8 goes to the movies at the Hoxton Hotel

October 28. 2015 – The time of day that I attempt to write a blog of the previous night’s Vida8 event provides a pretty clear indication of how much fun was had. It’s 5.30 on the afternoon after the after party’s after party. Hey ho…

What a night.  And so unexpected. I mean Vida8 going to a movie?  How can you chat and get to know each other parked in front of a screen?  Well this was a very special movie event so we thought it would be worth a go. The Intouchables is a very highly rated French comedy (8.6 on IMDB!) and  pop-up cinema Bounce was putting on a one-off showing at Holborn’s trendy Hoxton Hotel in collaboration with emerging French artist Helena Perez Garcia www.helenaperezgarcia.co.uk who was there to give away special prints of her art inspired by the movie. Bounce had set up in a private room with stripy deck chairs facing the screen – actually surprisingly comfortable, but we nabbed the 12 seat sofa at the back and 15 of us squished onto it. Perked up by a Soho Mule cocktail and with posh popcorn and wine to see us through we managed to stay comfortable and awake for two hours, thanks to the fact that the movie was great fun – hip, charming, funny and sad, it hit all the right notes and watching it all snuggled together was intimate and cool.

So, having enjoyed this cultural delight together we all walked over to Soho to the wonderful private members club The Union Soho.  This place is an institution; it opened 20 years ago, just before Soho House, and has kept true to its bohemian roots – a credit to my friend and owner Pete Cross.   Meeting up with a further bunch of people who hadn’t been able to make the movie our crowd expanded to around 25.  We were looked after by the ever-capable Ed, a star waiter who loves his job and always right on pitch trying to take orders from our noisy crowd who were more interested in animated chatting than how we’d like our burgers cooked.  Thank you Ed you are a star….you can make my breakfast anytime…just saying.

Our beautiful, fun sophisticated group was made up of some of my favourite Vida8ers and some close friends from years gone by, and like The Union they just get better with age.  One friend was there from Australia, one dear London-based friend I had met in the pool room at Soho House in New York many years earlier, another inspirational friend dropped in from Monaco and various corporate stars were jetting off the next morning to meetings in other countries. I love the international nature of a club like Vida8; the fascinating stories, the inquisitive minds and the ‘yup, that sounds fun, count me in’ attitude.

We ended up being chucked out (gently) by the Union at closing time and the night still being young, the after party’s After Party went on to Soho House.  A very fine, fun and fabulous night and thank you all you cool wonderful people for joining in to see exactly how great a cocktail of movies, art and meeting new friends can be. The feedback has been great, so we’ll definitely try that cocktail again.

View more photos from the event in our Gallery >

Alain Llorca Gourmet Lunch with Club Vivanova

October 3, 2015 – As I hurtled around Monte Carlo’s Fairmont Corner like a Formula 1 Ferrari (but on heels not wheels) to meet our Vida8 guests at the Fairmont Hotel for our transfers to St Paul de Vence, the backdrop of glorious Mediterranean blue sea made me marvel at how, yet again, we had been blessed with the most perfect weather. Somebody up there loves us.

I greeted our assembled party, which included five from London, one from Paris and a few glamorous Monaco ladies who I hadn’t previously met, and could tell that everyone was equally suffused with the ravishing promise of the day. Introductions all gaily made, we slid into our awaiting limos and glided as if in an instant up into the gorgeous hills of St Paul.

Alain Llorca our destination restaurant of choice, was heaving as if it was still high summer, but the incredibly professional staff clearly had everything smoothly in hand as we were escorted to our table, with its incredible view over the medieval hilltop jewel that is St Paul, set in its stunning Provençal valley falling away to the deep blue yonder of the Med. What an experience! Thank you, thank you M. and Mme. Llorca and Patrick Baroli, our amicable sommelier, for allowing us to feel so at home in such a wonderfully special place.

Numbering 18 in all, the glamorous Vida8 gathering made up quite a party, so our charming men agreed to change places between courses.  And what courses! Our feast started with wonderful amuse bouches, followed by amazing peppers stuffed with mousse au morue (Bless the French, doesn’t that sound so much more haut-cuisine than cod mousse?), and on it went. We had pre-ordered the menu and Bradley of Club Vivanova, our unflappable host and the most organized man in the world, had to remind people what they were eating – distracted as they were by the wine, the company and the general ambience, not to mention concentrating hard on their fast-talking flirting techniques.

It was a little hard to pull ourselves away from such convivial surroundings, but a stroll around the idyllic village after lunch was just what the doctor ordered, followed by coffees and limoncellos in the square; a quick power shop in Fragonard and we were off back to Monaco, address books full from a whirlwind trip of glamorous international networking. Viva la Vida and Club Vivanova!  Until Spring, when we’ll be back for another…

> Visit our gallery for more photos from this event

Meet the Introducers @ the dot project gallery

September 29 – What happened the morning after the night before…..
If you were walking through Mayfair on Thursday morning you might have spotted a group of animated ladies sitting around a window table at the Mayfair Hotel. Who wouldn’t want to be an eavesdropper on that conversation?!
They were Vida’s Matchmakers discussing this week’s sixth ‘Meet the Introducers’ event at stunning new Chelsea art lovers’ space ‘The Dot Project’ The Introducer’s events are where we invite members old and new to come along and meet the Vida team. This gives us a chance to really get to know each other, which is crucial when it comes to making those more rare and magical introductions.
Leila our resident wallflower was first to lead the conversation charge – ‘Remind me ladies – is India Whalley (gallery owner) definitely single? OMG she’s stunning!’ Annika: “No, but she has a gorgeous friend who is and we are going to profile her!”
Jacqueline (head of gay-matchmaking): “Did anyone talk to X – the tall, handsome Private Equity guy? He and I discussed his perfect partner, and I think he would be amazing for our client X. Of course I couldn’t help fantasising that he might be gay, as he would also be perfect for my client X. Shame!”
Me: ‘I love the fact that we introduced X and X to each other to go out on a date which they never did, but nonetheless they have become such great friends and have such a lot in common in business.’ Jo: ‘I agree and then she X introduced him to X and they’ve been on a couple of dates.’
Mia: ‘Did you see X? He looks so handsome these days with his beard; I asked him for a picture!’
Rachel put it all in a nutshell, remarking on how good-looking the crowd was and how she loves events like this. ‘We spend all day looking after individual clients, but when you see a room full of people who are chatting about how we have helped them find love and others who we are about to do the same for…it really is such a pleasure, I walked away from last night in a buzz and a glow and that wasn’t just the result of BBB’s Mitch Martinis!’ Amen!
For those of you who missed out on our ‘Meet the Introducers’ event (sold out, as always), please book early next time; we’d love to see you. Next event will be January. Email events@vida8.com for more details.

> View more event photos in our gallery

Vida8 Mixa Summer Party at L’Escargot

July 8 – Our Vida8 Mixa Summer Party at L’Escargot was a roaring (well, certainly purring) success. In spite of the Tube strike nearly everyone made it. I’m so glad I chose L’Escargot. Back in the day it was a posh French restaurant manned by sharp French waiters who would take advantage and baffle you into ordering the most expensive wines. Now it’s a grown up restaurant and members’ club run by industry stalwarts secure in the knowledge that they don’t need to flatter or impress; they know they’re good and they deliver. Ze French waiterzz have been replaced by friendly trendy bar staff, no nonsense just professional perfection. They delivered exactly what they promised and we were impeccably looked after in the gorgeously glamorous Salon. The evening got off to the perfect start when dapper Casanova Prosecco ambassador David Reay-Scott arrived with the bubbles in a black Phantom Rolls Royce. Our beautifully turned out guests oozed charm and sophistication, immediately falling into easy, friendly conversation –no show-off verbal sparring, just a wonderful bunch of genuine singles enjoying each other’s conversation, ready to make new friends and mixing like classic cocktails. Our introducers could hardly have had an easier evening. The Vida8 Mixa ethos worked to perfection and a lot of special people met a lot of special people. It was a really rewarding evening and I was enjoying it so much that I took a big group of the guests to my club afterwards for more of the same. The Summer Party was one hot ticket and the feedback has been amazing.

Feedback

‘Barbara I loved the evening and early hours at your club, have a fabulous summer. Just to add that your events have enriched my life, if that is the right word that best describes meeting so many smart and attractive people who attend your events .x’

Just wanted to thank you so much for such a fun night…. Which I am still recovering from! Hope I didn’t cause any lasting damage to my patients yesterday barely being able to string a coherent sentence together!! Was such a good evening. Met lots of lovely new people. My diary is suddenly very full with dates!
Xx
A big thank you for Wednesdays event! Loved the venue and mix of people and had a blast! Many thanks and much appreciated. James

> Visit our photo gallery for more images from Mixa Summer party