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Final bids (and menu) for The Square extravaganza

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Don't forget that at noon  on 1 Sep bids close for a ticket to this year's fine-wine extravaganza in aid of the Pebbles Project for disadvantaged children in South Africa. The dinner will be held on Saturday 11 Sep at Michelin-starred restaurant The Square in their private room and organiser Keith Prothero promises that 'an extraordinary menu' will be prepared at a cost of £110 a head.

As promised, he has now had a chance to discuss wines, order, most sensible flights and menu with chef Philip Howard and the team at The Square, and with his friend and frequent diner at The Square Linden Wilkie of The Fine Wine Experience (now based in Hong Kong) and this is the quite stunning line-up, straight from Keith's keyboard.  I am salivating already:

Canapés
1990 Bollinger Grande Année (magnum) 
 
Sauté of Scottish langoustine tails with parmesan gnocchi and an emulsion of potato and truffle
1996 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Domaine Niellon
1985 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru Les Demoiselles, Jadot
 
Warm salad of quail with sweetcorn and girolles
1986 Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Murgers, Domaine Henri Jayer (magnum)
1990 Échezeaux Grand Cru, Domaine Emmanuel Rouget
1990 Château Cheval Blanc
1961 Château Palmer

Loin of lamb with a herb crust, creamed potato and a persillade of cepes
1950 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
1982 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
1989 Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Roast grouse with turnip, celeriac purée and elderberries
1990 Hermitage La Chapelle, Paul Jaboulet Aîné
1978 Hermitage La Chapelle, Paul Jaboulet Aîné
1990 Hermitage, J-L Chave
 
Warm baba with apricots and vanilla 
1950 Château d'Yquem

Madeleines
1808 Solera Madeira, Leacock

Keith Prothero has very kindly invited me to this as guest of honour – hence the 1950s – and I am salivating already over both the wines and the food. (The Mission 1950 was in great condition last time I tried it some years ago; and Yquem 1950 is quite superb.)

This leaves 12 places up for auction and already there are bids for them over£1,000, with £13,200 having already been raised.  This week's final bids should be made directly to Keith Prothero at keith.prothero@gmail.com or +44 (0)7969 207 706.

All proceeds will go to Pebbles Project, which helps disadvantaged children in the Cape winelands suffering mainly from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. The bidding will close at noon London time on 28 Aug and the winning bidders will be asked to send their donations to www.justgiving.com/keithprothero, where the money is automatically transferred to Pebbles.