The Brain Performance Institute and Bank of Texas Outstanding Women Leaders program joined forces on Wednesday, October 17, to present High Tea with Eating Royally’s Darren McGrady, former personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and Princes William and Harry. The event was about more than tea and crumpets. The underlying theme was the importance of finding ways to give one’s brain a chance to rest and renew.
After Darren’s signing of his “The Royal Chef at Home,” guests took their places at beautifully decorated tables with white floral centerpieces from Avant Garden, Bryan Long Flowers and Events, Cebolla Fine Flowers, Garden Gate Floral Design, J&C Design Inc./Chris Whanger, Jackson Durham Events, Joche W. Events, Park Cities Petals and Simply Elegant Dallas in the BPI’s main lobby for a tea and panel discussion entitled “Take Time for You, Practical Tips to Build Brain Resilience and Performance.”
Brain Performance Institute leader Kimber Hartmann welcomed guests including Lisa Cooley, Tiffany Divis, Debbie Francis, Patty Huffines, Patsy Donosky, Ramona Jones, Minnie and Bill Caruth, Robin Bagwell, Marion Glazer, Claudia Stool, Holly Huffines and Mary Catherine Huffines and introduced Bob White of Bank of Texas, which sponsored the event.
As Earl Grey and Darjeeling teas and savories including sage derby cheese with Branston Picke sandwiches, coronation chicken sandwiches, Pannonia ham and English mustard sandwiches, cucumber and mint cream chesse sandwiches, scoes with clotted cream and strawberry jam (a favorite tea pastry of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II), chocolate biscuit cake (The grooms cake of H.R.H. The Duke of Cambridge – Prince William), Scottish chortbrea (a favorite tea pastry of Diana, Princess of Wales) and strawberry lemon tartlets (a favorite tea pastry of H.M. Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother) prepared by Darren and Laura Herbert were served, Darren told of the history and etiquette of the high tea and shared stories from his time as the “royal chef” at Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace.
Afterward, the BPI’s Head of Executive And Corporate Solutions Dee O’Neill spoke about stress management tips and the importance of taking time for your own brain health. Then Dee and Kimber took questions from the audience in an interactive discussion on “the neuroscience of making time for the things we enjoy.”