Businesses can dine in the shadow of Britain’s most famous dinosaur when it travels to Tyneside this spring.
The Natural History Museum’s famous Diplodocus cast, Dippy, is coming to the Great North Museum: Hancock in May 2019 as part of a nationwide tour.
Dippy’s visit is part of an eight city UK wide tour. Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure is being brought to the Great North Museum and visitors across the UK by the Natural History Museum, London in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, and supported by Dell EMC and Williams & Hill.
And Sodexo, the Great North Museum’s catering and events partner, is giving corporate clients the chance to see it at very close quarters.
Dippy first went on show to the British public in 1905 having been shipped in 36 crates from the US, where he was cast from a genuine specimen found in America.
The model skeleton is a massive 21.3 metres long, 4.3 metres wide and 4.25 metres high and Sodexo has unveiled a variety of packages for those who want to drink and dine in its vast shadow.
The corporate packages will give businesses the chance to host colleagues or clients to drinks receptions or formal seated dinners next to the model, which will be on display at the Museum’s Special Exhibition Space from 18 May to 6 October 2019.
They can host a breakfast meeting or networking event with up to 100 guests, treat customers and colleagues to drinks and canapés or enjoy a rare opportunity to dine side by side with the famous dinosaur.
Dinner starters will include hickory-glazed pterodactyl – chicken – wings with creole-spiced coleslaw, smoked haddock with spring onion and lemon crème fraiche timbale and charred red pepper gazpacho and a vegetarian lettuce nest filled with tomato chutney and served with grilled halloumi skewers.
Main courses of slow-roasted feather blade of beef, chicken stuffed with wilted spinach and a mushroom duxelle and Portobello mushroom, spinach and butternut curry will be followed by desserts of either Italian-style lemon meringue pie or chocolate orange mousse sprinkled with praline.
Newcastle is the fifth venue in Dippy’s eight leg tour and, after he leaves the Great North Museum: Hancock he will head to Cardiff and Rochdale, ending his journey at Norwich in July 2020.
Other key exhibits at Great North Museum: Hancock include an interactive model of Hadrian’s Wall, a significant display of plants and animals, objects from Ancient Greece, mummies from Ancient Egypt and a planetarium.