Horse racing? To me, the phrase conjured up an image of something a bit ‘flash’ and definitely outside my rather safe sphere of experience. Until I was asked to write this review, it had certainly never occurred to me to consider a racecourse for corporate entertaining. So, I was very pleasantly surprised to find out firstly what fun it was, and secondly what great facilities are on offer at Kempton Park Racecourse.
Kempton Park is set in beautiful parkland with spectacular views, in Sunbury-on Thames. It is situated on the A308, just one mile from J1 of the M3, and 8 miles from J11 of the M25. There is a frequent train service from Waterloo (40 minutes); the racecourse has its own station and trains on the Shepperton line stop at Kempton Park on race days.
My colleague and I arrived at Kempton Park station on a very wet and windy Wednesday in late June. Just 200 yards from the station, and across the course car-park, is the Premier entrance, where we were met by Ketan Mistry, Commercial Business Development Manager. The warmth of our welcome dispelled any doubts of “Oh, why did I say I’d do this …?” as the temperature dropped and the wind blew!
Ketan took us first to the Clubhouse to view the boxes. Accessible by lift, each box has its own private balcony overlooking the racecourse – and I have to say the view is excellent; you are very close indeed to the course – and premier private box badges give your guests access to all public areas of the course, including the parade ring and the bookmakers in front of the Grandstand. You could opt for a sit-down meal for your guests (maximum number 12), or a buffet (maximum number 25). You could also consider combining a meeting/conference with the racing as the room set-ups can be changed easily. There are 13 boxes in total in the Clubhouse, together with 3 suites to accommodate larger numbers (between 40 and 200 people). Per head box packages are available from £150+VAT which include:
Exclusive private hire of a Clubhouse box
Fork buffet or 4-course seated meal
Complimentary bar for beer, wine and soft drinks
Premier enclosure entrance badges and Car-park passes
Race cards/paper/information/Racing TV
The second option, more suitable for entertaining smaller numbers, is to take a table in the Jubilee Panoramic Restaurant, which is what Ketan arranged for us. The restaurant has a large glass window with a perfect view of the racecourse and, in case you miss your horse galloping past the winning post, a small television set on each table is set to special racing channels so you can watch a re-run. The menu choice is limited, but interesting. After two glasses of champagne kindly provided by our host, I then had a delicious starter of duck breast on noodles, followed by spicy Thai fish with a delicious salad and some large prawns, and, true to form, was unable to resist dessert of raspberry crème brulee! It was a really delicious meal. The in-house caterers are Sodexho, and very impressive they are. Again, pricing is by ‘package’, starting at £69 (inc VAT) per head and the packages include entrance charges, race cards and car-park passes. The restaurant can seat 400, and the tables are arranged in 4s and 6s.
The staff in the restaurant were welcoming and friendly; nothing was too much trouble. Not knowing a thing about betting, it was a relief to find out that it is very simple to place a bet. Staff from the Tote (which is, I believe, a Government-owned betting service, as opposed to the independent bookmakers who set up their stalls on the racecourse itself) circulate amongst the dining-tables, and can take your bets (minimum £2). For me it was a case of finding a name I liked, or choosing the most appealing colours of the jockeys’ silks; for the experts, you can study the form of the horses in the parade ring before the race, if you wish. Depending on the number of furlongs, the races are over reasonably quickly, but it was very exciting when my horse thundered past the winning post in the second race winning me the princely sum of £9.80! After that, I was hooked and squandered my winnings with some reckless £2 bets during the rest of the evening.
After sitting in the warmth of the restaurant, and having a perfect view of the races, the late-evening sun appeared and we ventured outside. The thrill of standing against the barrier of the racecourse as the horses gallop by, feeling the ground beneath you vibrating with the noise of their hooves, cannot really be explained in words. I urge you to try it.
Kempton Park hosts approximately 30 race meetings a year, eight of these during the summer on Wednesday evenings as part of their “Wednesday Night is Race Night” series. The course is, however, available for conferences, dinners, exhibitions and outdoor events all the year round. It would be a fabulous place to hold a summer barbecue, or, with marquees and portable heaters, a Christmas party.
For more information, contact Ketan Mistry on 01372 461232, or e-mail him at ketan.mistry@rht.net. I know that he would be willing to offer special introductory pricing packages for first time users of the course. If you are interested in the racecourse for a conference or exhibition on a non-race day, contact Jo Watts for more information on 01932 753505, or jo.watts@rht.net.
To sum up, Kempton Park Racecourse is a relaxed venue that offers the potential for some great client entertaining. The sheer size of the grounds also means some wonderful outdoor parties could be held there too.
Horse racing? To me, the phrase conjured up an image of something a bit ‘flash’ and definitely outside my rather safe sphere of experience. Until I was asked to write this review, it had certainly never occurred to me to consider a racecourse for corporate entertaining. So, I was very pleasantly surprised to find out firstly what fun it was, and secondly what great facilities are on offer at Kempton Park Racecourse.
Kempton Park is set in beautiful parkland with spectacular views, in Sunbury-on Thames. It is situated on the A308, just one mile from J1 of the M3, and 8 miles from J11 of the M25. There is a frequent train service from Waterloo (40 minutes); the racecourse has its own station and trains on the Shepperton line stop at Kempton Park on race days. 
My colleague and I arrived at Kempton Park station on a very wet and windy Wednesday in late June. Just 200 yards from the station, and across the course car-park, is the Premier entrance, where we were met by Ketan Mistry, Commercial Business Development Manager. The warmth of our welcome dispelled any doubts of “Oh, why did I say I’d do this …?” as the temperature dropped and the wind blew! 
Ketan took us first to the Clubhouse to view the boxes. Accessible by lift, each box has its own private balcony overlooking the racecourse – and I have to say the view is excellent; you are very close indeed to the course – and premier private box badges give your guests access to all public areas of the course, including the parade ring and the bookmakers in front of the Grandstand. You could opt for a sit-down meal for your guests (maximum number 12), or a buffet (maximum number 25). You could also consider combining a meeting/conference with the racing as the room set-ups can be changed easily. There are 13 boxes in total in the Clubhouse, together with 3 suites to accommodate larger numbers (between 40 and 200 people). Per head box packages are available from £150+VAT which include:
The second option, more suitable for entertaining smaller numbers, is to take a table in the Jubilee Panoramic Restaurant, which is what Ketan arranged for us. The restaurant has a large glass window with a perfect view of the racecourse and, in case you miss your horse galloping past the winning post, a small television set on each table is set to special racing channels so you can watch a re-run. The menu choice is limited, but interesting. After two glasses of champagne kindly provided by our host, I then had a delicious starter of duck breast on noodles, followed by spicy Thai fish with a delicious salad and some large prawns, and, true to form, was unable to resist dessert of raspberry crème brulee! It was a really delicious meal. The in-house caterers are Sodexho, and very impressive they are. Again, pricing is by ‘package’, starting at £69 (inc VAT) per head and the packages include entrance charges, race cards and car-park passes. The restaurant can seat 400, and the tables are arranged in 4s and 6s.
The staff in the restaurant were welcoming and friendly; nothing was too much trouble. Not knowing a thing about betting, it was a relief to find out that it is very simple to place a bet. Staff from the Tote (which is, I believe, a Government-owned betting service, as opposed to the independent bookmakers who set up their stalls on the racecourse itself) circulate amongst the dining-tables, and can take your bets (minimum £2). For me it was a case of finding a name I liked, or choosing the most appealing colours of the jockeys’ silks; for the experts, you can study the form of the horses in the parade ring before the race, if you wish. Depending on the number of furlongs, the races are over reasonably quickly, but it was very exciting when my horse thundered past the winning post in the second race winning me the princely sum of £9.80! After that, I was hooked and squandered my winnings with some reckless £2 bets during the rest of the evening.