The
Area 22 New Year Buffet was held on Saturday afternoon for the fifth year in succession. The venue was The Horse and Groom pub at Charlton, near Malmsbury. Forty-Five members and partners turned up in the bar at noon and spent the next sixty minutes doing what Area 22 members do best: putting the world to rights.
From the outset this event was staged not only for existing members to enjoy but also to attractive members who we do not often see but, more importantly, new members. This year did not disappoint, and we welcomed ten new members to the table.
The event is subsidised using what I call the “
member £4 allowance”; the annual amount based on Area membership, provided by HQ for the Area Rep to spend “appropriately”. Thank you, Kerry. This allowed us to reduce the cost of the buffet by 33%!
Moving on from a packed public bar, The Stables room provided the perfect venue, allowing members to spread out and talk even more. The buffet arrived: venison bourguignon with roasted carrots, parsnips, chicken kofta with roast new potatoes, smoked haddock fishcake, the list went on. What more could hungry Aston Martin members want?
With the buffet tables cleared, it was time to go home. I think I can safely say that everyone had a great time and the new members left smiling. Thank you to Ambra, the chef and her staff at the Horse and Groom and thank you all for coming and kicking off the 2026 Area 22 calendar in such an enthusiastic manner.
Andrew