If you were lucky enough to win Highball Hoodoo’s contest for 2 VIP tickets to Yelp’s Mad Scientist Soirée, you certainly won big! 12 food stalls! 7 bars! 9 dessert spots! And a MINI ICE-CREAM FESTIVAL of 7 different icecreamers!

Yelp has an edge over competitors with it giving back to users in the form of its occasional parties, open to press and the most proficient Yelp users, called the Elite, for loyal participation. The Mad Scientist Soirée opened its doors 2 hours earlier to Elite for a VIP session where they could explore the incredible collection of stalls in the own time – This year’s Mad Scientist themed event took place in the open air of the Shoreditch Strongroom – with it’s own ICE CREAM FESTIVAL.
Okay I’m getting ahead of myself. I just really, really like ice cream.

Lab coats donned, the Elite manoeuvre past the immersive theatre company Rumpus, the Party – being the absolutely most delightful dieselpunk engineering maniacs – to stuff themselves on scotch bonnet glazed pork ribs by HotBox London, just falling off the bone – washed down with a shot of vodka from the IceBar London’s ice-sculpture syringe (careful getting that in your beard *cough*).

Kent Crispts know their ways around hazard signs

If you’d rather go for something savoury, crisp companies from all over brought their own unique crisp styles to the table, from the Soffles Pitta chips, to the popped crisps by popchips, or the inimitable flavours of Kent Crisps – from roast beef and spitfire ale, to oyster and vinegar and ooh, the smoked chipotle chilli!

La Polenteria’s chocolate cake!

L’Atelier des Chefs showing you round the sushi mat

The Duke of Delhi has mastered the art of spice and chocolates. Final word.

After a bite of chocolate polenta cake by La Polenteria, grab a sushi rolling lesson from L’Atelier des Chefs before hitting the desserts hard. Harry Brompton’s vodka ice tea in hand, *definitely* grab a bar of the incredible cocoa-wizards of Duke of Delhi, and do NOT miss that dark chocolate and lime (the Hoodooist has always been wary of how chocolatiers handle lime in their chocolate, but the Duke seems to have found a way!). Get over devouring their spiced selection before moving on to something more traditional in the London Marshmallow Company’s S’mores, with their huge collection of varied flavoured mallows to go in! (Can’t turn me away with rosewater on the menu).

Primrose Bakery’s sciency cupcakes!

Harry Brompton’s Ice Tea with picnic season comin’ up

*The reaction when the glass is sweating*

A rival on the dessert front, Primrose Bakery’s ever-popular signature Mars bar Crispies, followed by a spoon of the Fairytale Gourmet’s Envious Queen Himalayan salted caramel, or Tinkerbell popping pixie dust (literally devoured the salted caramel, and the illustrations!). Take a break from the sweet with Smith and Sinclair’s cocktail confectionary! Chewy pastilles with kick, a variety ranging from Spiced Rum (literally like solid Captain Morgan), or the Gin & Tonic (an Aviation you can chew!). Love that Whiskey Sour.

Smitch & Sinclair’s Cocktail Confectionery

Fairy Tale Gourmet’s magical confectionery/

Fairy Tale Gourmet’s Himalayan Salted Caramel.

Callestick Farm’s Clotted Cream Vanilla to die for.

A

Bubble Tea by Bubbleology while admiring the FRANKENSTEIN’S CAKE by Adam’s Cakes before hitting the ice cream festival? Hit Rumblin’ for a regularly changing naughty rum-n-icecream combo, this time Kraken and Salted Caramel, followed by the Clotted Cream Vanilla icecream by the wonderful Callestick Farm – I mean, that flavour is spot on!

The winner, though? Udderlicious and their Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt – one of the more adventurous ice creams at the party comes with the occasional bite of salt to contrast with the semi-sweet dark chocolate, washed down by a milkshake by Shaken Udder. Nom.

Literally cannot move now.

Udderlicious’s Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt just wins.

Last year’s Elite Summer Garden Party (Click HERE for Review!) was loads of fun, but this was downright debauched! Perpetually with a cocktail in one hand and a dessert in the other, Yelp! London outdid themselves at the Mad Scientist Soirée. A spectacular way to discover more of the foodie world, and look forward to more!
Want in? Either become a Yelp! Elite, or Follow Highball Hoodoo for a chance to win in the future!

For information on becoming a Yelp Elite, see http://www.yelp.co.uk/elite