Treat your guests to a taste of the high life. Wed serves up some lavish menu ideas for a decadent dining experience to remember...
Glamour is back - and we're not just talking frocks. The rustic celebration might still be going strong, the afternoon tea continues to delight and a relaxed feast of British classics will always go down a taste bud-tickling treat. But there's a growing movement towards decadence, luxury and formality - and the return of the posh dinner party is the ultimate expression of this new, opulent mood.
Whether it's the extravagant dinner parties of 'Downton Abbey', the flamboyant feasting of 'The Great Gatsby' or the growing desire to celebrate on a more intimate yet lavish scale - the glamour of the 'more is more' approach is proving tantalising.
This sumptuous approach to the wedding breakfast is all about treating a select guest list to a supreme dining experience, which makes the traditional three-course wedding breakfast look rather meagre in comparison.
We're talking a multi-course extravaganza comprising lovingly crafted canapes, amuse bouche, a fish course and maybe even a palate-cleansing sorbet thrown in for delicious measure. We're talking tender beef and duck, succulent crab and lobster, sumptuous sauces and to-die-for desserts - a luscious medley of the finest and freshest Cornish ingredients washed down with perfectly matched wines.
Of course, such a menu begs for decadently dressed tables. Think glamorous glassware, gold accents and lush florals; chandeliers glinting overhead will create an intimate ambience, while the flicker of candlelight spells pure romance.
Jamie Beetham from Beetham Food has devised a menu for a lavish and oh-so delicious dinner party. Let these delectable dishes inspire you to go gourmet glam...
WEDDING BREAKFAST
Canapes
Ham, egg and chips
Crab cakes with sweet chilli
Wild mushrooms on toast
Amuse Bouche
Asparagus with prosciutto
Starters
Smoked duck, goat's cheese, fig, walnut and honey
Fish
Cornish seafood papillote, white wine, thyme and saffron
Meat
Fillet of beef, dauphinoise potato, caramelised shallot and red wine sauce
Dessert
Chocolate fondant, pan-fried strawberries and clotted cream
Beetham Food
words Rebecca Matthews
photography Adam Gibbard
Copyright WED magazine 2013
