201. Anna Ball: Bronze metallic porcelain hearts and a special gala menu await guests
The 201st Anna Ball will be held on July 25th in the atmospheric courtyard of the Anna Grand Hotel, where 550 guests are expected in Balatonfüred this year. The prestigious social event and the accompanying Anna Festival were discussed at a recent press conference, where the organisers also presented the exclusive menu for the ball dinner.
The festival at a new location.
Twenty-three 18-year-old debutantes from Balatonfüred accepted the town's invitation to the ball, and most of the tickets sold out within days. István Bóka, the Mayor of Balatonfüred, told the press conference that they would not be putting up a pavilion in Gyógy tér this year. Instead, the Anna Grand Hotel's premises will be opened up to ballroom guests, so that everyone can equally be a part of the ball's festivities. The Anna Festival is moving to a new venue this year: events will be held on the Kisfaludy Stage on Tagore Promenade.
The Mayor also announced that Dr. Attila Simon, CEO of Herend Porcelain Manufactory Plc., will be the patron of this year's ball.
Herend porcelain for the ball beauties
This year, the 200-year-old Herend Porcelain Manufactory will again provide the ball goblets, which the beauties of the ball will receive, and every lady will receive a numbered Herend porcelain heart as a memento – this time in a special, bronze metallic colour. Dr. Attila Simon said that a 3,500-piece service worth 150 million forints will be presented to the guests, making it the largest travelling set in the country. According to tradition, the porcelain goblets for the beauties of the ball will be renewed again this year: the Victoria, Apponyi, and Rothschild patterns will be produced in a new, unique version.
Performers and programme
At the gala, ballet artists from the Opera House will perform the opening dance, accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra of the 100 Gypsy Musicians and violinist Zoltán Kalló. The gala show will be provided by Príma Award-winning singer-pianist Károly Nyári and his ensemble. The Sakk-Matt Company, led by Róbert Dervalics, will be responsible for the late-night dance music.
The ceremonial opening of the ball and the crowning of the beauty queens will be broadcast live on a giant screen at the Kisfaludy Theatre, with the band Magna Cum Laude performing concerts during the breaks in the broadcasts, announced Róbert Foki, CEO of Balatonfüred Cultural Nonprofit Ltd.
The ball will be accompanied by the Anna Festival between July 21st and 27th, during which the Hungarian State Opera will hold an opera gala, and the Opera House choir will perform one day earlier. In honour of the debutantes, an evening concert with a string orchestra, the Night of Serenades, will also be held, and the traditional Heart Hunt will not be missed this year either.
Last year's First Lady of the Ball, Laura Windisch from Balatonfüred, also attended the press conference. She sent the following message to this year's debutantes: "Be light-hearted and joyful, as the Anna Ball is a unique, unrepeatable occasion.".
The course of the ball
Before the ball, the young debutantes gather in the garden of the Vaszary Villa, from where the musical procession begins, and this is where the ladies will have their numbered Herend porcelain hearts hung around their necks. The audience will choose the 15 most beautiful girls, and from them, a professional jury will decide on the Ball Queen and her two maids of honour – this year, the jury's new president will be István Böröcz, the president of the Balatonfüred Tourism Association. The Ball Queen and her maids of honour will be presented at midnight, and the following morning, the audience can also meet them on the Kisfaludy Stage, after which they will take a carriage ride through the town.
The traditional ball admission, which also included the festive dinner, cost 145,000 forints.
The ball dinner menu
This year, Anna Ball guests can once again expect a special gastronomic experience. Tóth József, Executive Chef at the Anna Grand Hotel, has put together a menu that combines the elegance of classic French cuisine with modern, light dishes.
Cold starter
A refined flavour combination of salmon rillette and citrus salmon gravlax meets the fresh character of sea buckthorn, along with the crispness of green apple and cucumber, all complemented by dill.
Soup
Duck consommé, delicately fragranced with ginger and lemon balm – a modern reimagining of one of French cuisine's iconic dishes, preserving its elegance and clean flavours.
Main course:
The centrepiece of the dinner is veal loin, served with cauliflower sautéed in brown butter, alongside young peas, apricots and almonds. The dish is complemented by Anna potatoes – named in tribute to the ball's patron – while a Madeira jus harmoniously unifies the flavours of the course.
Dessert
The dinner is concluded with a chocolate cake brownie, made memorable by a sophisticated play of pistachio crunch and blueberry textures.
Source: balatonfured.hu
Exclusive Offer at Anna Grand Hotel
Book a room in our hotel for the ball weekend with our exclusive package, which includes admission to the 201st Anna Ball., ... so you can enjoy the unparalleled atmosphere of one of Hungary's most prestigious social events on the historical grounds of the ball.