Last Monday we were super excited to be invited to the opening night of the Christmas ice rink at Somerset House, where Fortnum and Mason were celebrating their sponsorship of the skate rink by putting on a grand festive party. We headed down in our most wintery of evening outfits to check out London's finest Christmas ice rink in all of its twinkling glory!

With Fortnum and Mason as the hosts for the evening, we knew we were going to be well looked after and we were greeted by rows of dapper dressed waiting staff offering us a sloe gin and a delicious Bee's Knees cocktail. The beautifully-lit courtyard at Somerset House was home to a towering Christmas tree overlooking the ice rink which slowly filled up with eager skaters (although we couldn't quite tear ourselves away from the cocktails to brave the rink...) There was also the most festive of brass bands, piping out traditional Christmas numbers to get everyone in the mood and leotard-clad dancers reminiscent of the sugar plum fairy...

After a quick drink, we popped over to the West Wing of Somerset House where Fortnums had waved their magic wand over the rooms, transforming them into a Christmas shopping arcade. Despite there being a huge variety of gifts, food and decorations on offer we were there to see our Polar Collection take pride of place next to the bauble-covered Christmas tree in the 'Gifts for Her' room. The penguins, polar bear and arctic foxes that feature in the collection fitted perfectly into the backdrop of Somerset House and the resident ice rink. It was an absolute pleasure to see the scarves so beautifully displayed alongside a hand-picked selection of Fortnum's finest gifts.

The spectacular array of decorations on offer would get even the most un-festive of shoppers into the Christmas mood and we loved the way Fortnums had created a little mini version of the department store in the heart of Somerset House. If you're looking for a carefully curated, one-stop shop for gift inspiration, then the Christmas arcade is definitely the place.

Fortnum and Mason truly spoiled us with the food they had on offer for the occasion. Particular highlights included mouthwatering hog roast rolls with crispy pork crackling, delicious smoked venison pastrami, Welsh Rarebit fingers and delicate raspberry macaroons for dessert! The Fortnums lodge that overlooks the rink will be open all Christmas serving tasty treats similar to the ones we sampled, and we'll definitely be paying a repeat visit before the year is over...

The evening was the perfect way to kick off the season and it's fantastic to have the Polar Collection collection feature in the festivities  - the ice rink is open until 15th January and our scarves will be available to purchase in the Fortnums Christmas Arcade for the entire duration. We recommend you get your skates on...