Mr Fogg's Bar transported to the Lapada Art & Antiques Fair 2014

Mayfair bar Mr Fogg's will be transported to a pop-up venue in Berkeley Square, London, as part of the LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair 2014, from 24th to 28th September 2014.

The Inception Group, run by dynamic hospitality entrepreneurs, Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling, will recreate the Victorian interior of their refined, but truly off-the-wall, Mayfair speakeasy within the LAPADA Fair. Modelled on the period drawing room of Phileas Fogg, Jules Verne's fictional explorer from the 1873 novel Around the World in 80 Days, the bar will be laden with artifacts and trinkets collected from his travels. The walls will be adorned with stuffed Indian tigers and crocodiles, pictures and ornaments. Annotated maps and globes will feature prominently throughout the bar, as will clocks, given the importance Mr Fogg places on punctuality.

Mieka Sywak, LAPADA Fair Director, comments, "Mr Fogg's is leading the trend for featuring period antiques and works of art within hospitality interior design. It is fun, atmospheric and sophisticated, and a real celebration of the Victorian age. We are very excited about this new collaboration where visitors can enjoy a classic cocktail or glass of Lanson champagne within an eclectic pop-up space".

Charlie Gilkes, Director of The Inception Group, comments, "Mr Fogg's is thrilled to collaborate with LAPADA, London's leading art and antiques fair. It is a perfect fit for us as we both have a strong relationship with the past and a dedication for partnering design with antiques. We believe that people who enjoy stepping into another age of history, as they do when they arrive at Mr Fogg's, will equally enjoy visiting the LAPADA Fair's beautiful stands."

Stirling and Gilkes enjoy shopping at antiques fairs and markets for the interiors of their bars. They go to great lengths to ensure pieces are just right. Gilkes explains, "We removed the entire door frame of the building to allow the entry of an antique balloon basket we bought through a dealer. Then we wanted to suspend it from the ceiling, which had to be reinforced in order to support its considerable weight. It took eight of us to raise it. It is one of the most extraordinary pieces in the bar and a great talking point, so it was worth it".