Yesterday I was invited to the official opening of the Westgate Centre in Oxford. Now I don't know about you guys but I certainly felt that Oxford needed a new shopping centre and there's no doubt that this one is bigger and better than before. The choice of stores is endless from &otherstories, Blackwells, Primark and John Lewis to name just a few. Then there's the cafes, Le Pain Quotidien, Caffe Concerto and Pret mean you'll never be short of a quick break when shopping. And if it's dining your after, well there's everything from Pho's Vietnamese menu, to Shawa the Lebanese Grill, Dirty Bones serving New York inspired comfort food and so many more!
So let me give you the low-down on my day checking out the new centre:
I arrived early at 8:30 and was directed to the Press Suite where I was given my very own 'Press' lanyard...this felt super crazy but very cool!
A delicious buffet of croissants and breads with tasty toppings were put on and I mingled with the other guests. It was really exciting to meet such an array of different people, from writers, to bloggers, to stylists, journalists and radio broadcasters; Oxford really is a buzzing city!
Then we headed down to the shopping centre for the official launch. Characters from Alice in Wonderland greeted us and performed and later the shopping centre was officially declared OPEN!
Afterwards, I went to the opening of UNIQLO, where the staff greeted guests with balloons, goody bags and even Taiko drummers. The atmosphere was brilliant in the store! I took some pics for my Insta to show you guys all that UNIQLO had to offer.
Next I visited Pho where I was the first person to be served a bowl of Pho in their new restaurant. This was really exciting and the food was delicious. The menu is centred around Vietnamese street food and their speciality is Pho itself, noodle soup, the national dish of Vietnam. The menu was affordable, with a great selection of soups, rice bowls, stir fries and a huge range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free dishes. I enjoyed a starter of Gỏi cuốn, rice paper spring rolls, followed by a tasty bowl of Pho. It tasted so fresh and authentic!
I was then lucky enough to be given a makeover at
Smashbox and featured in a step-by-step makeup guide for their Insta story. Their shop was really cool and had a real buzz around it on the day. I was now regretting not having plans for a night out, after having my makeup professionally done!
I then headed to Le Pain Quotidien where I enjoyed a delicious lunch and cappucino. You can imagine by this point I was full to bursting, after having a double breakfast of croissants and Pho!
I spent the rest of the afternoon visiting all of the different stores and finding out ways that we might be able to collaborate to put on events and giveaways for you guys in the future! So keep your eyes peeled 😊