The days of mass-cooked rubbery chicken and limp mangetout are over. Modern brides and grooms want food that reflects their personalities, lifestyles and taste buds. So Wed Magazine decided to pick the brains of some seriously innovative caterers to get you feeling gastronomically inspired.
The Round Kitchen
"People seem to be moving away from the traditional three-course formal wedding breakfast and prefer to have a big, sharing feast-style meal or informal barbecue," says Steven Talbot from Cornwall Chef (cornwallchef.com). "Brides and grooms just want their day to be as relaxed and enjoyable as possible and what better way to do this than have everyone sharing food? It's a great way to get people talking and really breaks the ice." As well as keeping the atmosphere low key, informal catering offers couples the chance to express themselves, too. Kerra Buchanan from Kerra's Catering (kerrascatering.co.uk) agrees that is certainly the case for a lot of her clients: "Couples want the food and the day to reflect their individuality and style," she says. "The day is a huge reflection of who they are, their past travels and adventures."
The Round Kitchen (Adam Gibbard)
Creative food also adds theatrics to the proceedings, says Emma Phillips from Posh Nosh (posh-nosh.co.uk). "We've seen a surge towards rustic-style food stations and street food stalls. They provide a focal point for the day and offer a level of entertainment as well as keeping all the guests well fed and happy," she says.
Beetham Food (Adam Gibbard)
Food themes
So you've got a fancy for something out of the ordinary, but pinpointing exactly what that is (beyond a brief of no dodgy '80s vol-au-vents) can be tricky.
Louisa Beetham from Beetham Food (beethamfood.co.uk) says her top tip is focusing on local suppliers and seasonal produce. Being based in Cornwall, seafood is the obvious choice. She once cooked 60 crabs and 60 lobsters to create a stunning starter of "local lobster and crab-claw salad, with garlic and seafood mayonnaise, butter and wholewheat bread."
Beetham Food (Adam Gibbard)
If variety is your middle name, Sarah Wright from The Round Kitchen (theroundkitchen.com) suggests swapping starters for extensive canapes instead. "It has real wow factor and offers guests a chance to try a kaleidoscope of flavours and things they don't normally eat." Sarah explains how one couple put this into practice with a big dose of personality to boot: "They had canapes and an oyster bar, sharing starters and mains (incorporating lots of seafood), followed by a trio of desserts. They were really well travelled - the groom was a skipper on a charter yacht and the bride was the chef on-board so food was really important to them. They billed themselves as 'when the pirate met the mermaid'!"
Kerra's Catering (Adam Gibbard)
Sharing platters, like canapes, offer guests the chance to try new flavours on a larger scale. Steven from Cornwall Chef recently served slow-roasted beef with wild garlic and almond pesto, alongside sharing bowls of "yellow courgette ribbons with chilli and mint, beautiful purple 'slaw, new potatoes with summer herb gremolata, and a marinated tomato salad." And the best bit? "The bride came running into the kitchen afterwards and gave us a massive hug as she was so pleased with the food," he laughs.
Kerra's Catering (Adam Gibbard)
Lucy Barber from The Good Food Catering Company (thegoodfoodcateringco.co.uk) says the most memorable weddings they have catered for are "the ones where couples have a distinctive idea of what food they want," allowing Lucy to deliver their unique dream food. She's served everything from a Sri Lankan-style barbecue to an authentic six-course Italian lunch. For something affordable with a big dose of drama, Lucy recommends their giant paellas. "They provide a fantastic, interactive eating experience and a great sense of fun and theatre too," she says.
Another way to create an atmosphere is with an elaborate afternoon tea. Who doesn't love dainty sarnies, and scones with lashings of clotted cream topped with sweet jam? This works especially well at a vintage garden party or British-themed wedding. Sarah recalls one couple's wedding she catered for: "It was an immense and epic afternoon tea, my shoulders hurt just thinking about all that baking!"
The Round Kitchen (Adam Gibbard)
Budget busters
So you've had a think and what you really want is a fusion seven-course tasting menu complete with complementary oyster bar and life-sized chocolate fountain. While this may well reflect you and your groom's tastes, if you've got a budget to stick to, it might also be impossible. But fear not! Our clever caterers are on hand to dish out their top tips for serving delicious food on a budget.
Sarah from The Round Kitchen says, "You can be clever with certain ingredients - some meats are much cheaper than others and cooked correctly with amazing flavours can provide out-of-the-ordinary cost-effective menus." And Louisa from Beetham Food urges brides and grooms to consider "seasonal and local: best for taste and for budget."
Posh Nosh
Delicious food is even more appetising when presented well. "We have great ways to style things up without costing the earth," says Kerra from Kerra's Catering. "Ice cream stations have been on trend, but this can mean hiring freezers. So go for a doughnut stand instead, just as much fun but without any additional expense."
Mouth-watering menus
Once you have a rough idea of what you want, it's time to talk to the caterers. But how do you translate your foodie dreams into reality?
In order to find out what her clients want, Sarah Talbot from Miss Tea (misstea.co.uk) sets them foodie homework: "I have a set of questions, such as write me your ideal shopping list; tell me about any food memories you may have; which food styles do you like, and so on. Their answers provide me with the basic bones of their wedding day menu, the kind of service that they'd like and how to break up the foodie parts of their day." Lucy from The Good Food Catering Company agrees that your proposed caterer should ask you lots of questions. "It's a case of the caterer listening carefully and getting to know what you're looking for - and what you're not looking for! - so they can offer fresh ideas that will complement the style of your celebration."
The Round Kitchen (Kevern Photography)
But as well as answering questions, you should be confident asking your caterer questions, too. As Sarah from The Round Kitchen explains: "Couples should feel at ease with voicing their ideas and opinions. After all, they are spending a lot of money, so deserve to have exactly what they want." Kerra recommends asking potential caterers where they last ate and what they last cooked to get a feel for their tastes and opinions. "If their choices are bland then their food may follow suit," she advises.
But if you're still unsure about what to serve at your wedding, Emma from Posh Nosh advises asking the experts. "Please always ask what styles and menus we think have been successful at recent weddings: we have a huge wealth of experience so do not be afraid to tap into that," she recommends.
The Round Kitchen (Kevern Photography)
Then what about once you have decided on your caterer? Steven from Cornwall Chef says that once you have a good idea of what you want, you need to be specific and go into detail. "Tell us everything! The more information we have from the beginning, the better. This will help us to be able to deliver exactly what you want on the day." Louisa from Beetham Food says couples should request a tasting of the proposed menu, too. "This will enable you to understand the style, quality and presentation of the food and explore how your ideas can be incorporated into a potential menu," she says. She also suggests asking to see previous work displays. "There are endless exciting ways to serve food and be a bit quirky," she enthuses. Bon appetite!
Dartmoor Kitchen (Kevern Photography)
words Abby Driver
Copyright Wed magazine 2015
