the bovingdons blog

Big Picture: Lemon Posset

2012-02-03T20:49:00.000Z

Guests enjoying shots of lemon posset with raspberries in The Orangery, Holland Park. Photo by Paul Archer www.paularcher-uk.com

The Orangery Photos

2012-02-02T20:42:00.000Z

Some photos from a celebration at The Orangery, Holland Park, taken by Paul Archer of http://www.paularcher-uk.com.

Thank you!

2012-01-31T18:20:00.001Z

Dear Julie,

Ted and I want to say a huge thank you to you, Tony andthe rest of the team at Bovingdons for making Saturday such a wonderfulday for us.

Everything was absolutely perfect: the food wasdelicious, The Orangery Holland Park looked magical and the up-lighters created a wonderfulwarm glow for the photographs. Aboveall you and Tony ensured that the day went so smoothly and the professional attentiveness of Tony andthe team on the day was hugely appreciated.

Nothing was too much trouble, our guests were looked after extremely well and every detail wasexecuted beautifully! Wordscannot capture just how fantastic a day Ted and I had, and Bovingdons played the leading role in ensuringthat was the case.

It was also such fun organising it with you and I want tosay a really heartfelt thank you for that - never has a control freakfelt so relaxed both in the run up to the day and on the day itself!

with grateful thanks and best wishes

Hilary and Ted Tuppen

The Sergeant Pepper

2011-12-22T19:23:00.005Z

A simple recipe for a cocktail that's guaranteed to raise a smile this weekend!

Muddle gin, chilli, basil and elderflower together in a glass, fill the glass with crushed ice, then top with cloudy apple juice
No need for a garnish as the chilli and basil are colourful enough.
Enjoy and have a wonderful Christmas!

Exclusive Director's Event: Part 3: The Thank you

2011-12-15T02:51:00.035Z

We just got this lovely follow up and photos from the Exclusive Director's Event (see Part 1: The Brief and Part 2: The Menu) at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum.

“I would rate Bovingdons as 5* for customer service as they truly go above and beyond.

It is not often we find a supplier who fits so well with our approach to achieve high quality results. Quick to understand from a limited brief, good fun and great to work with.”

Emily, Account Director, Glass Page Events www.glass-page.com

Game on: Using Wild Meat in Your Menu

2011-12-07T02:54:00.008Z

Morton the black labrador catches dinner!

If you are holding an event between September and February I can highly recommend including some seasonal British wild meats and game into your menu.
The term 'game' refers to the species of birds and animals listed in the Game Act 1871, which include pheasant, partridge and grouse. These birds are legally protected and have an enforced ‘open season’ dictating where and when they can be shot. Deer are covered under separate but similar laws which vary depending on the breed. Other birds and wild meats such as rabbit, duck, goose and pigeon are ‘non-game’ because they have no legally determined season, however they are often at their best during the same time of year as their protected peers. (Fish are protected by similar laws but have a spring / summer based season). Here is a quick guide to what to eat, when and how.

GAME BIRDS
Pheasant
Always serve off the bone. Pheasant tastes lovely served in a classic way with game chips or served with apple and calvados. It’s also a great choice as a canapé such as pheasant goujons with roasted garlic aioli.
Open season: October – February
Partridge
A delicious meat; the epitome of rich, gamey taste and perfect for an elegant winter British countryside wedding. I would only serve partridge for a small wedding, and only if you know everyone will love it. If you’re having a buffet, try partridge sausages with smoky bacon and prunes – amazing!
Open season: September – February
Grouse
This is expensive and always in high demand. I long to serve it on ‘the Glorious 12th’or for a September wedding with a Scottish groom with great connections!
Open season: August – September

NON-GAME BIRDS
Duck
Wonderful and very, very versatile across all courses. I like it simple; roasted breast or stuffed wild duck.
Canapé idea: Duck breast, carved very thinly and wrapped around a chopstick with fresh mango.
Main idea: Pistachio and shallot stuffed duck on a bed of celeriac mash, with confit Savoy cabbage and Marsala jus.
At its best: September – January
Goose
Suitable for a feast! A big bird which needs a big table, I would insist it is carved in front of guests. A medieval themed wedding perhaps?
At its best: September – January
Wood Pigeon
Great as a starter. Keep it simple, for example sautéed with wild mushrooms and crème de cassis.
At its best: January – March
Guinea-Fowl
I refer to guinea-fowl as “how chicken used to taste” it’s mild, tasty and I think a perfect choice for any wedding. We stuff the breasts off the bone and then confit the leg so the meat just falls off – serve with some roasted garlic mash, wilted greens and tarragon jus and I guarantee clean plates.
At its best: September – December

DEER and WILD BOAR
Venison
A fabulous meat and so under used. It’s rich, easy to cook and gets beautifully pink. There are an abundance of ways to use venison – Carpaccio, sausages, roast saddle. It costs about as much as good Scotch fillet of beef and I think makes a really good alternative.
Season dependent on the breed, generally August – March
Wild Boar
Use wild boar and apple sausages for an inspired winter take on sausage and mash. Serve with winter root mash and confit of Savoy with a rich jus.
At its best: throughout winter

NON-GAME MEATS
Rabbit
I love rabbit and am in heaven when my clients have the same passion for its delicate taste. Choose a terrine as a starter or a trio for main with stuffed loin, confit leg and roasted saddle – elegant and stylish.
At its best: July – December

This post was originally posted on The Wedding Community. Click to see more of Julie Grays advice.

Exclusive Director's Event: Part 2: The Menu

2011-12-02T05:09:00.056Z

This is the menu from the city executives event created by Glass Page. You can read more about The Brief in Exclusive Directors Event: Part 1: The Brief.
CANAPES
Passed amoungst guests by Bovingdons during a champagne reception
* Ricottacakes with oven roasted plum tomatoes and basil

* Babysquid calamari with frascati batter served in bamboo pots with bamboo forks

* Skewersof lemon grass and chilli marinated king prawns

* Mini quails egg benedict

DINNER
Guests from Barclays Capital joined our chefs to act as sous chefs and serve dinner to their colleagues and guests. Whilst they were in the kitchen, our sommelier helped other guests with a presentation on the wine chosen for each course.
Team 1: Starter
* Duck rilette, creamy leeks, gherkin jam and petit salad

Team 2: Main
* Beef sirloin, goats cheese mash potato, grilled courgette,

rolled fine French green beans, slow roasted tomato and lavosh crisp

Team 3: Dessert

An assiette of -
* Sticky toffee pudding, butterscotch sauce

* Brandy snap basket, vanilla cream

* Mulled wine jelly shots

AFTERS
Coffee, tea, petit fours and biscotti were served by the Bovingdons team whilst the final team had a lesson at the bar.
POST-DINNER DRINKS
Team 4: Cocktails
A selection of classic cocktails made by the team.

Exclusive Director's Event: Part 1: The Brief

2011-11-29T01:39:00.134Z

Leading events company Glass Page had organised a dynamic three day conference for a group of 100international executives from a leading financial group.

As well as the main conference (which was being held at Syon Park)the Glass Page team needed to create amemorable evening event for the group. It was vital that it was consistent withthe messages and tone-of-voice of the conference and still be fun andentertaining. Nearby Kew Bridge Steam Museumwas deemed a perfect fit as a venue with its talking point Victorian architecture anddramatic industrial steam pistons. As caterers to the venue, it was up to Bovingdons to work with Glass Page to ensure their brief wasfulfilled.

Glass Page wanted guests to interact within the event, toexperience every angle rather than be passive. It was decided guests should join our chef team in the kitchen to plateand serve each other with a course that they helped to create. This meant thatthey would experience first-hand the creativity and pressure of a kitchen infull flow. This interactive meal would take place after a champagne receptionthat need to create the right, relaxed yet dynamic atmosphere and was to befollowed by evening entertainment and a cocktail bar to ensure that the nightended on a high.

We love working with event companies like Glass Page. Not only arethey consummate professionals but we speak the same language andshare a passion for getting things perfect for the client. They were able totell us exactly what their client wanted to communicate through the food andservice. We relished the challenge of making this a reality.

The food and service at this event had to:

* involve a simpleyet impressive menu

* include a canapé reception menu with varying meat,vegetarian and fish options

* be seasonal and fresh

* be suitable forexecutive level guests from around the world

* allow for perfect timing, logistics would be key ifeveryone was to be served a hot meal

* be absolutelydelicious (of course!)

You can see the resulting menu in Exclusive Directors Event: Part 2:The Menu

Birthday Celebrations: The Thank you

2011-11-23T22:01:00.004Z

Dear Julie,
I wanted to say a big thank you for everything.
Our party was a huge success with all of our friends and family commenting on how wonderful it was.
Everything ran seamlessly. The Orangery looked beautiful (you knew what you were doing…), the food was delicious and despite our friends’ best efforts, as you predicted, the bar did not run out of booze!
Mark and I both had a fantastic time and thanks to you and the Bovingdons team we had a completely stress free evening and were able to relax and simply enjoy our party.
Chris was a true professional and the service staff and barman did a fantastic job – as of course did the chefs behind the scenes!
Kind regards
Trudi

Birthday Celebrations: The Menu

2011-11-22T01:39:00.034Z

Here is a recent menu from a birthday event at The Orangery Holland Park. The couple wanted informal yet elegant, small and delicious food for their party. It was passed amoungst guests so that they could mingle and chat. Here is the menu:

CANAPES

Chopstickforks of succulent seared Magret of duck with a soy dipping sauce

Butterchicken on Poppadoms with cilantro and almonds

Ricotta cakes of oven dried tomatoes & basil

Parmesanrisotto balls with fresh herbs and lemon

Demi tasse of roasted butternut and sage soup with crostiniwafer

Quailsegg Royal: brioche croute, smoked salmon, poached quails egg and hollandaise

Sushirolls of tuna with micro shoots with garnish

Mini bagels of smoked salmon and cream cheese

FUN FOOD

Cones of Salt and Pepper Squid

Bowls of Bovingdonsdelicious fish pie

Small bowls of LambTagine with herbed cous cous

SWEET

Waffle cones of richchocolate mousse

Shots of lemonposset

Beefeater 24 Gin & Tea Event - The Thank you

2011-11-15T04:28:00.002Z

On behalf of Chivas Brothers, I would like to saythank you very much to you and your team for the excellent work that you didfor us at the Beefeater distillery last week.

You took the brief/briefs from us very well, adaptedaccordingly each time and then delivered fantastic food with greatservice. On the day, everything from a client point of view was veryslick and both Benita and Tony played a blinder.

Please thank all of the Bovingdons team on our behalf.

Kind regards,

Head of Events, Chivas Brothers

Beefeater 24 Gin & Tea Event - Photos

2011-11-13T19:51:00.005Z

Trifle crab cocktail

Beefeater 24 cured sea bream on juniper and tonic jelly

Foie gras éclairs and profiteroles with sauternes jelly

Savoury Cupcakes with prawns and dill mayonnaise

Beefeater 24 Gin & Tea Event - The Menu

2011-11-07T01:39:00.036Z

CANAPES

Quails eggs royale – brioche, poached quails egg, smoked salmon and hollandaise

Beefeater 24 cured sea bream on juniper and tonic jelly

Foie gras éclairs and profiteroles with sauternes jelly

Chorizo scotch quails eggs

King fish sashimi with lime, green tea and wasabi dressing

Macaroons – salt and pepper with goats cheese

Scones – cheese, tomato and basil – crackle top

Bagels – miniature with smoked salmon and horseradish cream, lime jelly

Savoy – cabbage with confit duck, apple and foie gras

Straws - long filo fingers of ham hock confit with apricots

Trifle crab cocktail

Cupcake – prawns, dill mayonnaise

BOWLS

Wild boar and venison sausages and butter mash with onion marmalade and veal jus

Lemon risotto, seared sea bass and crispy leeks

Broad bean and pecorino Arancini with cauliflower couscous and lemon yoghurt

STATIONS

Cheese

A selection of fabulous cheeses, canapés , breads, fruits, nuts, celery

Oysters

Freshly shucked oysters with an assortment of interesting and unexpected condiments served from a dry ice station

Jelly caviar

PUDDINGS

Sweet sushi

Waffle cones of green tea ice cream

Liquorice panna cotta with chocolate spaghetti

Are you following us on Twitter?

2011-11-01T01:38:00.025Z

Tweets & photos from the behind the scenes of an award-winning #London catering company.
We are obsessed with absolutely delicious food and fabulous #parties

http://www.twitter.com/Bovingdons

Tea and Cake

2011-10-30T03:12:00.006Z

A couple of tempting photos from Nonsuch Pantry, The little cafe besides our venue Nonsuch Mansion. You may remember we opened back in July (Nonsuch Pantry reopened) and things continue to go from strength to strength amoungst the cake loving Surrey park visitors.

The Millionairres Shortbread is particularly popular...

Creative Ways to Serve Coffee

2011-10-17T01:38:00.031+01:00

Ensure whatever coffee you serve is freshly ground, gently roasted and served strong.

* Serve from an Espresso Tricycle

* Create a tea station, with a tea sommelier ready to offer Teapigs flavours … teapigs, tisanes and fabulous petit fours

* Get creative, expand beyond the usual into chai frappe, hot toddys, mulled teas...

* Build a coffee themed cocktail bar serving iced coffees and fresh coffee martinis

Big Picture

2011-10-03T01:36:00.009+01:00

Mushroom duo plate with baked Portabello mushroom and a demi tasse of wild mushroom soup. Hearty, warming, perfect for Winter.

Photo by Lloyd Dobbie http://www.lloyddobbie.com/blog/

Thank you

2011-09-12T21:54:00.011+01:00

Dear Julie,
Just to say how absolutely magnificently everything went last night. Maurizio was amazingly supportive to me, and so was everyone else. It was quite clear that each person had been carefully trained, and they all did so much to make the whole evening the success it was. The service was superb, and everyone was full of praise for the food, even one very senior television executive who goes to such things all the time. As someone else with lots of experience of entertainment (ex-head of the Publishers' Association) said to me today, "not only delicious food but stylish as well"... I've been enormously impressed by your grip and attention to detail and willingness to do that bit more ... It's little things like always acknowledging e-mails quickly and giving up time to talk, and coming yourself to check that things would be all right."
All my thanks, Helen

Wedding Menu Inspiration: English Elegance at Fulham Palace

2011-09-12T21:35:00.017+01:00

Canapés:

Wasabi seared beef and watermelon with pickled ginger

Smoked haddock soufflé in mini jacket potato

Brick pastry parcels of artichoke hearts, parsley and lemon

Broad bean falafel with pecorino and a fresh mint dipping sauce

Start:

Asparagus trio, asparagus vichyssoise, petit salad
with quails eggs and asparagus torte and homemade herb bread

Main:

Roast fillet of sea bass on a parsley potato cake
with Frascati lemon broth cassoulet of peas and beans

Desert:

Warm molten chocolate fondant served
with poached pears and vanilla bean ice cream

Thank you

2011-09-01T01:43:00.000+01:00

Dear Tony,

We really can't thank you enough for all your hard work last Friday. The set up and management of the entire day was exceptional, and all the staff were fantastic - helpful, friendly and smiling all day. It far exceeded my expectations, it really was fantastic. Many guests also commented on the fabulous service and staff. As to how you got away in the evening, I don't know....those remaining guests looked pretty settled!

I can't say how impressed we've been with you, Tony, and Bovingdons generally, you're part of a fantastic organisation, and I won't be able to recommend you enough.... we were made to feel as though it was the most important day for everyone involved.

Thanks again for all your efforts on our behalf - I can honestly say it was the happiest day.

Hopefully paths will cross again, one day.

Warm regards

Alison

VOWS - Get Your Tickets Now! - 11th October 2011

2011-08-30T09:00:00.028+01:00

We are delighted to announce that Bovingdons will be the catering experts at a brand new, very exclusive wedding event called VOWS on 11th October 2011 in London.

VOWS - Visualise Our Wedding Secrets

VOWS is the brainchild of Chelsea Bidwill of Beyond Weddings, a bespoke gift list service, who has joined forces with wedding planner Sarah Ducker from SJD Events, to bring together the best of the wedding industry with brides-to-be and couples. The objective and vision is to bring together experts for this exclusive wedding event which offers something completely different. There are no obligations, brides-to-be can share in a wealth of industry knowledge, ask questions and receive advice in a relaxed environment, all without the sales pitches and overwhelming handfuls of fliers often received at traditional wedding fairs.

"We are bringing together experts for this exclusive wedding event which offers something completely different. Where there are no obligations, brides-to-be can share in a wealth of industry knowledge, ask questions and receive advice in a relaxed environment, all without the sales pitches and overwhelming handfuls of fliers often received at traditional wedding fayres."

VOWS is strictly a non selling event, it's an opportunity for brides and couples to meet some of the country's top wedding experts, chat informally and receive exclusive advice and hints.

Tickets at £15.00 are available online at www.vowsblog.co.uk.

A taster of other suppliers attending the event, to just name a few:
* Caterer ~ Bovingdons Catering
* Photographer David Burgess from Blink Weddings
* Wedding stylist Lynn Crean ~ London Wedding Dress Finder
* Cake Designer ~ Hall of Cakes
* Champagne House ~ French Bubbles
* Calligraphy / Stationery ~ Paul Antonio Scribe
* Pre-Nuptials ~ Fisher Meredith
* Wedding Coordinator ~ Siobhan Craven-Robins
* Photographer Julia Boggio ~ Julia Boggio Photography
* Lighting expert Duncan Owen ~ Effect Event Lighting
* Florists Jaqui and Fiona ~ Lifebloom Floristry
* Jeweler Patrick Wyatt ~ Patrick Wyatt

What a team you all make...

2011-08-20T09:00:00.000+01:00

What a team you all make...

We had the BEST day ever thanks to you and we’ve included some of the comments below but none of it would have been possible without your support throughout.

Julie, youwere totally my rock from start to finish... Iloved your honesty! Tony, youwere a tremendous support on the day and you seemed completely calm from thestart and it was a great relief to know that Laura and Benita werealways at the end of a phone line.

from Mr and Mrs Baldwin

http://www.captureit.co.uk/blog/

Political Event at Leighton House

2011-08-05T19:34:00.009+01:00

Dear Julie,
I just wanted to write to say a BIG THANK YOU for last night. Everything went perfectly – and your whole team was exceptionally friendly and efficient.
I also really appreciated your complete flexibility right up until the last minute – it made everything so much easier.
Thanks again, and best wishes,
Head of Events, Policy Exchange

Menu
* Ricotta cakes with slow roasted vine tomatoes and basil wafers
* Fresh pea tarts with minted crème fraiche and pea shoots
* Cucumber boxes filled with a feta, mint with purple shiso cress
* Mini bagels of smoked salmon and cream cheese
* Quails egg Royale – brioche, smoked salmon and hollandaise
* Baby new potatoes with smoked haddock soufflé
* Rare roast beef served on watermelon cubes with pickled ginger
* Bowls of hot Cumberland sausages with honey and mustard
* Wraps of spring chicken with fresh mango and spinach
* Waffles cones of lemon and raspberry mousse

Fabulous London Marquee Wedding Part 2: The Menu

2011-07-14T00:56:00.072+01:00

Amuse Bouche: Bloody Mary shots

Start: Vodka cured salmon tian with avocado, mascarpone and micro shoots

Homemade herb, lemon and wholemeal bread

Carved at the TableRoast Loin of Pork, stuffed with apricots and sage, rich cider jus, apple sauce, mustard and crackling

Shared: Dauphinoise, Roasted beets, carrots, fennel, red onion and zucchini, Fine French beans, shallots and garlic

Desert for the Girls: Sicilian lemon Cheesecake, shots of passion fruit jelly

Passion fruit marshmallows and chocolate dipped strawberries

Desert for the Boys: Molten chocolate fondan, Harrow mess

Chocolate dipped strawberries

London Marquee Wedding Part 1: The Style

2011-07-13T19:34:00.002+01:00

This wedding was an absolute delight to cater for. Essential to its success was an incredibly fun, relaxed couple, their lovely (seriously lovely) guests, a fabulous marquee in a London square and a very well behaved Jack Russell.

To get a sense of how wonderful it was, you really should watch this video: (by DreamCatchers) http://vimeo.com/25966691

Let me set the scene: the couple were owners of the most adorable Jack Russell and in his honour, each of the tables was named after a breed of dog (Labrador, Spaniel, Dalmatian) and decorated with a canine topiary master piece – I have never seen anything like it, it shouldn’t have worked but it really did.

The couple wanted a “interactive and fun but still formal” menu so we opted to create stuffed pork loins that could be carved at each table by a specially chosen guest. This was kept a surprise from the “chief carvers” until they found a personalised chefs hat, apron and a knife at their place setting. The couple also wanted an element of tongue-in-cheek (lots of vodka) and to finish with a separate desert for girls and boys: dark and masculine vs light and fruity.

Venue: a Marquee in St Peters Square, London

Photographer: Capture It http://www.captureit.co.uk/

Videographer: Dream Catchers http://www.thedreamcatchers.co.uk/

The Pantry - Nonsuch Mansion Cafe

2011-07-07T09:00:00.000+01:00

Some photos of our latest venture, The Pantry, a little cafe besides Nonsuch Mansion. Fresh food, good company and delicious coffee.

Our famous Millionaires Shortbread.

July Big Picture

2011-07-02T15:59:00.002+01:00

The recent wet weather had a dramatic and rather beautiful impact on the marquee of one of our favourite venues Fulham Palace.

Your ideas made a huge difference...

2011-06-16T00:39:00.001+01:00

The marquee at Fulham Palace full of people fundraising for the F.R.O.D.O. children's charity event.

Dear Julie,

Your team did the most wonderful job last night for ourevent. Tony was terrific. All the staff looked great and were soprofessional. The food was (as I already knew!) delicious.

I cannot begin to thank you enough, however, for yourcreativity, wise advice and generosity. All of your ideas made a hugedifference - the room looked amazing with the bowls of fruit (scavenged by guests as they left!) and the coloured napkins, the different flavouredchampagne cocktails went down a treat, the games all worked really well andeverything contributed to the guests having a hugely enjoyable.

We shall be singing the praises of Bovingdons for a longtime. And I can't wait for another opportunity to work with you.

Thank you so much.

VanessaCummings

Chief Executive

(Photo by Lloyd Dobbie)

F.R.O.D.O. Spring Ball Menu

2011-06-15T02:42:00.001+01:00

Start

Individual ravioli of new seasonasparagus with herb emulsion and micro shoots

Served with home made herb breads and butter

Main

Slow cooked bellyof pork with crisp crackling carved at the table

Served with green beans,baby leaf salad and Boulangere potatoes

with apple sauce and a rich cider jus

To Finish

Passion fruit jelly and chocolatemousse with home made passion fruit marshmallow

Carpaccio of fresh pineapplewith mint

Coconut pannacotta with acoconut tuille

A thousand thank yous...

2011-06-08T09:00:00.000+01:00

Rachele and I wanted to thank you so much for all you’ve done for our wedding.

We had the best day of our life thanks to you. Everything was absolutely perfect, the food, the service, the organization, etc.

We are so grateful, and we of course will recommend your services.

1000 thanks for your incredible work, working with you was such a pleasure.

According to all our families, they’ve never seen such a good service so many congratulations to all of you.

Mr and Mrs Poitevin

(Photo by Lloyd Dobbie)

Menu Inspiration: French Chic

2011-06-05T00:28:00.000+01:00

Small is beautiful and this wedding celebration was certainly both. Rachel and Guillaume were looking for avenue that could host twenty close friends and family to celebrate their wedding, the actual ceremony of which was to be held at home in Marrakech the following weekend. They wanted a relaxed meal in a chic, private venue and The Orangery fit the briefperfectly. One long table down the middle provided the perfect intimateplatform for their specially chosen menu. The was filled with plenty of speeches and laughter in between every course.

Start

Chermoula red mullet and braised babyfennel
Lemon yoghurt and herbed flat bread

Main

Lavender and garlic roasted lamb rump with potato croquette

with minted pea puree, cardamon carrots and parsnips

Sweet

Vanillapannacotta with oven roasted peaches in amaretto syrup and almond praline

June Big Picture

2011-06-03T09:00:00.015+01:00

The judges of the 2011 Art Fund Prize visit Leighton House to assess the museum.

Quite a nerve racking event to cater for as you can imagine. The Art Fund Prize is the most prestigious prize in the museum world and Leighton House are vying against 9 other museums for the £100,000 award. Photo by Lloyd Dobbie.

Menu Inspiration: Wedding Tapas

2011-05-20T04:43:00.009+01:00

Brief: how do you turn tapas into an elegent wedding breakfast? This couple yearned for an informal, Mediterranean family feel to their wedding reception but with top service and fine tapas style foods. We made sure that the food flowed from the kitchen, a steady stream of treats straight to each table. Delicioso!

Starter

on tables ready for guests as they take their seats

Char-grilled flat breads

Marinated olives

Baba ganoush

Tomato and pepper salsa

Main

An extension of the starter the food kept coming out until it is all served

Grilled sea bass with green peppercorn sauce

Fabada white beans, chicken, chorizo and black pudding stew with a touch of saffron

Marinated artichoke salad, sweet peppers and olives, with green leaves throughout

Red onion, monchego and parsley tortilla

Arroz verde - green rice with loads of parsley, herbs, garlic and chilli

Steamed green beans with shaved almonds and sultanas

Sweet

Individual puddings to go in the centre of each table

Mini Pistachio flavoured cheesecake on small square plates

Chocolate and raspberry mousse, served in shot glasses

Little lemon posset – delicious!

Cheese

Fresh fig and Dolcelatté on walnut bread

Award Win!

2011-05-13T20:49:00.003+01:00

I am thrilled to tell you that Nonsuch Mansion were winners at the Time and Leisure Food Awards.

Our Surrey venue beat some very (very!) stiff competition to win Best Private Dining.

The award was presented to our team by Michelin star chef Bruce Poole during a ceremony hosted by The One Show presenter Angelica Bell.

I am so delighted about this award, It is is a well deserved piece of recognition for the entire team, especially our chefs. It is a real acknowledgement of eighteen months of hard work and a steadfast dedication to providing clients with fresh, homemade food and great service.

Nonsuch Mansion is our first in-house venture. We became lease holders just eighteen months ago and relaunched the venue after refurbishing the event spaces.
Many, many thanks to everyone who voted!

Menu inspiration: Salmon Starter

2011-05-10T17:10:00.000+01:00

Salmon Gravlax with waferthin cured salmon, fennel and radish salad, fresh grapefruit

Menu Inspiration: Fulham Palace Wedding Menu

2011-05-07T01:48:00.002+01:00

Something elegent and fresh for Joanne and Tristan's early Spring wedding at Fulham Palace.

Start
Portobello mushroom with parmesan, roasted garlic and thyme
with a demi tasse of wild mushroom soup, truffle oil

Homemade ciabatta, herb bread and butter

Main

Scottish fillet of beef served with dauphinoise potatoes,

wilted spinach, fine French beans, shallot tart tatin and a rich Burgundy jus

Finish
Warm caramelised pear and thyme tarte tatin
with fresh vanilla ice cream

(photo by Lloyd Dobbie)

The Royal Wedding: What they ate, When they ate it and Why

2011-05-03T17:17:00.006+01:00

Whata wonderful day, it made me so proud to be British! Especially the Royal Wedding menu which said so much about the wealth of incredible food we have inthis country.

Unfortunately unlike many of my wedding industry friends whocan comment on the dress, the venue, the hair and the flowers, I can onlyspeculate on the look and taste of the food!AsI predicted in this previous article, the theme around the food was“seasonal, local and organic”. Clarence House made sure to point out that “Allthe ingredients were carefully sourced from Royal Warrant holding companiesusing UK-based ingredients”. Free from French or strawberries - refreshinglyunusual given Royal Wedding menus of the past!
Ingredientsincluded: Gressingham duck, English goats cheese from Paxton andWhitfield, English asparagus, Welsh organic celery salt, langoustines from theNorth West Coast of Scotland, pork from the Cotswolds, English crayfish,Windsor Estate lamb, smoked haddock from the East Coast of Scotland, Beef fromthe Castle of Mey, selections in the North Highlands of Scotland and Englishrhubarb

1.30pm– The Canape Reception

Atotal 10,000 canapes were served to 650 guests over a two hour reception.Whilst this would have meant about 15 canapes per guest, I do feel a little sorry for those who hadbeen inside Westminster Abbey since 9am and probably up since 6am.Aspredicted, every choice is an absolute bite-size classic, no spoons, no forks,no skewers or faff. The canapé selection was biased towards vegetarian options,five choices compared with four fish and four meat options. Believe it or not,choosing a lot of vegetarian options is a great way to ensure most guests arekept happy and fed. What did surprise me was that there were eight (eight!)sweet options - four bite sized puddings and four types of chocolate truffles -although I suspect proportionally less of these were served than the savouryoptions. Someone at the Palace clearly has a sweet tooth! Guests dranknon-vintage champagne and soft drinks.

MEAT

PressedDuck Terrine with Fruit Chutney
GrainMustard and honey-glazed Chipolatas
MiniatureYorkshire Pudding with Roast Fillet of Beef and Horseradish Mousse
Bubbleand Squeak with Confit Shoulder of Lamb

FISH
CornishCrab Salad on Lemon Blini
ScottishSmoked Salmon Rose on Beetroot Blini
ScottishLangoustines with Lemon Mayonnaise Pressed Confit of Pork Belly with Crayfishand Crackling

SmokedHaddock Fishcake with Pea Guacamole

VEGETARIAN

Rouladeof Goats Cheese with Caramelised Walnuts

Assortmentof Palmiers and Cheese Straws

MiniatureWatercress and Asparagus Tart

PoachedAsparagus spears with Hollandaise Sauce for Dipping

QuailsEggs with Celery Salt

WildMushroom and Celeriac Chausson

SWEET
GateauOpera
BloodOrange Pate de Fruit
RaspberryFinancier
RhubarbCrème Brulee Tartlet

CHOCOLATES
PassionFruit Praline
WhiteChocolate Ganache Truffle
MilkChocolate Praline with Nuts
DarkChocolate Ganache Truffle

3pm-7pm– The Break
Takenote if you are getting married earlier than 2pm: by including a “break” inproceedings, Kate and William have avoided two things; they have avoided a“black hole” in the momentum of the day and avoided feeding their guests twice(lunch and dinner). I imagine that guests that went to both the canapéreception and the evening reception appreciated the chance to refresh, rechargeand have a small bite to eat to keep them going. I cannot stress enough howflat the atmosphere will be on your Wedding Day if you insist on having anearly wedding and then don’t feed your guests properly or leave them hangingaround in a black hole of proceedings. 2pm or 3pm remains my ideal time to getmarried.

7pm– The Black Tie Reception
300closest friends and family gathered for the “party party” whilst The Queen,Prince Phillip and the young bridesmaids retired to bed. Thistime, guests were offered vintage pink champagne, peach bellinis andelderflower cocktails as they gathered for the formal meal.

8pm- Dinner in The Palace Ballroom

Decorwas kept simple and elegant, tables with white flowers, candles and named afterplaces special to the couple. By all accounts the table plan made sure to mixboth Royals and the less regal guests to encourage a relaxed atmosphere.Details on the food are still coming through…

Start:Dressed Welsh crab with mini crab timbale, crayfish and prawns

Main:Highgrove Estate Lamb “done three ways”

Finish:Trio of mini-puddings: trifle, chocolate fondant and homemade ice-cream

11.30pm– Evening Buffet in The Throne Room
Afterspeeches and fireworks, guests headed to a cocktail bar serving champagne,spirits and Mojito cocktails (I doubt it was a cash bar!) Baconsandwiches and icecreams were served from food trucks in the courtyard for“survivors” before the hardcore party addicts headed back to the Goring for anafterparty.

May Big Picture

2011-05-03T04:31:00.000+01:00

Ensuring that 250 perfect covers go out of the kitchen on time and on temperature takes perfection and precision.

Menu Inspiration: Champagne Canapes

2011-05-03T01:19:00.015+01:00

The brief: to satisfy the equisite palates of a hundred guests who have come to drink rather than eat. Bovingdons recently catered for the French Trade Commission event showcasing the wares of twelve small domain French Champagne producers.

As you can see from this rather lovely thank you note, the secret to success was in providing great service and ensuring that the champagne flowed and flowed and flowed. The canapes were a mixture of flavours to compliment the champagne in both sight and taste. They wereelegant, varied and interesting.

"Our event could only have been as successful as it was because of your amazing team! Tony and Aini were fantastic! I am sure this was deliberate and that they were hand-picked etc but really they effortlessly ran the show. They were delightful to all of us, charming to our guests, nothing was too much trouble... of course the canapés were also sensational but that we already knew!"

Canapés

Scottish smoked salmon with cream cheese on baby bagel

Quails egg Royale

Fresh asparagus tortes

Blinis of crayfish tail with spaghetti of cucumber

Bruschetta topped with marinated eggplant and Chevre

Chopstick forks of seared magret of duck with honey dipping sauce

Mushroom croquettes

Vegetarian sushi roll with ginger

Lemon shortbread with blueberries
Almond biscotti with caramelised pear and mascarpone

F.R.O.D.O. Spring Ball - Fulham Palace

2011-04-28T09:00:00.003+01:00

I'd like to use this blog post to plug this years F.R.O.D.O. Spring Ball at Fulham Palace.

F.R.O.D.O. are a charity whose aims are close to our hearts here at Bovingdons.

Do buy a ticket and come along, I can promise delicious food (ours!), a beautiful venue (The Chaplains Gardens at Fulham Palace) and fun all in return for your help towards an incredible cause.

www.frodokids.org

British Asparagus... eating it!

2011-04-20T17:05:00.001+01:00

Here are some wonderful ways to enjoy asparagus…

As a trio: asparagus torte, chargilled spears, a quails egg and a shot glass of cool asparagus vichyssoise (see left)

As an incredibly elegant starter…
Saturn bowl filled with a salad of fresh asparagus, artichoke hearts, blistered cherry tomatoes and avocado with chervil and mustard dressing

As a natural way of adding some drama to a salad…
Fresh hand made asparagus ravioli with herb emulsion and micro shoots

Spring take on pasta…
Rare roast Sirloin of beef with wild mushroom jus, chargrilled asparagus and thyme Talegio potatoes

As a perfect partner to some phenomenal centrepiece…
Asparagus bundles tied with chives served with a vanilla and pomegranate mayonnaise

A stylist ingredient in a working brunch…
Fresh asparagus soup with crème fresh and sage parmesan bread

Stand alone stand out soup…
Poussin with fresh asparagus stuffing, lemon risotto and tarragon tus

And two ideas from the British Asparagus Growers website ...
Gizzy Erskine’s British asparagus, broad bean, mint and mozzarella brushetta
Tiffany Goodall’s British asparagus Thai coconut curry

British Asparagus.. growing it

2011-04-19T09:00:00.001+01:00

The smell of cut grass, the sound of birdsong, the sight of daffodils, the taste of asparagus – Spring is here!

As I mentioned in my asparagus article this time last year, asparagus represents British food at its best but it has a woefully unpredictable and short season. The good news this year is that the first crop has come very early indeed. You may have noticed it already in the shops or at your local farmers market. At Ripley Farmers Market on Sunday, bundles of asparagus on Secretts stall were snapped up very quickly.
I have tried to grow asparagus from two year old crowns – but my soil if definitely not right! One of my girlfriends has a whole bed of it (envy). Once the tips have stopped growing (apparently you must always leave a third unpicked towards the end of the season) the leaf fronds that are produced all summer are fabulous for flower arranging.
In my opinion the very best way to enjoy it is communally. Gather a group of close friends in the garden, wander through the beds with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in hand picking fresh spears and popping them onto the BBQ for a minute. Dip in melted butter or lemon mayonnaise, fresh, tasty, heavenly.
Happy eating and gardening!

Gatecrasher at The Orangery...

2011-04-19T04:39:00.000+01:00

Not a gate crasher we mind though...

April Big Picture

2011-04-14T15:23:00.003+01:00

A Modern Tuna Nicoise: seared tuna with quails eggs, black olive tapenade, crostini, fresh tomato salsa and micro shoots.

Ripley Farmers Market

2011-04-14T03:53:00.000+01:00

We had a fantastic turn out at Ripley Farmers Market on Sunday. Hello to everyone that came to enjoy fun in the sun.

This months market had a Royal Wedding theme so bunting a plenty (see left). There was also a dog show which was free to enter for corgis!

Walking past the piles of fresh, seasonal produce, asparagus, radishes, spinach.... was inspiring and invigorating. I feel like I have come out of hibernation.

Local Suppliers: The Conisbee Family

2011-04-04T09:00:00.002+01:00

As you know, I am a huge champion of local and seasonal ingrediants. It was great to see one of my longest suppliers, F Conisbees and Son, mentioned in The Guardian this weekend.

Bovingdons have been buying meat from the Horsley based Conisbee family butchers since 1996, although the Surrey farmers and butchers has been around for 250 years.

I have served their award-winning sausages to Royalty and common man alike and they are on high demand at the annual Meat and Livestock Commission BBQ at Westminster Abbey Gardens. Their home cooked ham and pork pies are pefect for a picnic in the sun. It is a pleasure to deal directly with James Conisbee, he is hugely knowledgable and incredibly passionate about the welfare of his animals.

The team are right in the thick of lambing at the moment, as you can see from these very evocative series of photos in The Guardian."Up to 300 ewes are lambing at Barracks Farm in Fetcham, Surrey. The farm is owned by the Conisbee family who supply their own butchers shops in nearby Horsley. The business has been run by generations of the family for more than 250 years."

March Big Picture

2011-03-15T17:02:00.003Z

Summer canape Absolut vodka, orange cured swordfish, pickled chilli cucumber on Chinese spoons

Unique Venue: Kew Bridge Steam Museum

2011-03-07T13:52:00.002Z

I have a soft spot for this hard, uber urban venue. It isn't a very well known venue yet Bovingdons have been called upon to cater for a fair few private dinners and receptions. The venue can seat up to 120 or 200 for a standing reception. Dining beneath the dramatic Victorian pistons and industrial age architecture is a unique experience and has attracted some of our most interesting clients, such as a company looking for a venue to launch their vintage themed brand and a couple wanting a Steampunk themed wedding. It is a London venue that helps you turn back time.
Key Bridge Steam Museum: http://www.kbsm.org/
Photo courtesy of Marc Wyndham.

Menu Inspiration: Katherine and William, 29th April 2011

2011-03-03T16:00:00.000Z

What will Katherine Middleton and Prince William be eating on their wedding day?

Here is what I would suggest serving if I was catering:

The style of the food will be secondary to phenomenal service - an essential to create a relaxed, loving feeling amongst the groom’s Royal family and the bride’s less than regal guests. The style will emphasise love and affection over pomp and circumstance. Think traditional bite size canapes (no shots, spoons or skewers) followed by a light Spring menu.

Canapés

Little minted pea tarts with sour cream and pea shoots

Herb blinis of smoked trout with gooseberry salsa

Cucumber cups of lemon tarragon chicken

Start

Home cured Scottish salmon with fennel Carpaccio

Main

Welsh new season cannon of lamb, new season Jersey Royals and baby vegetables

Sweet

British rhubarb trio

Rhubarb crumble, rhubarb braised with orange and rhubarb with ginger ice cream

Evening

Cornish cheeses

Menu Inspiration: Zara and Michael, 30th July 2011

2011-03-02T15:57:00.000Z

What will Princess Zara and Mike Tindall be eating on their Wedding day?

Whatever they choose it will be one hell of a ball! I confess Zara is my top Royal and I would love to be a guest alongside the cream of international sport and the more fun loving royals. The style of food will be fun, simple and with plenty of carbohydrates - in short the best of British with lots of robust, masculine choices to sate the needs of hungry Rugby players.

Canapés

Mini bagels of smoked salmon and cream cheese

Potted prawns in melba baskets

Wraps of Norfolk duck with mango and spinach

Slow roasted Isle of Wight tomatoes on ricotta cakes with basil wafers

Start

Asparagus trio: Asparagus tortes, chargrilled asparagus with quail’s eggs and parmesan

beside a shot of asparagus Vichyssoise

Main

Scottish black beef or braised Salt Marsh lamb shanks

Sweet

Cotswold mess – meringues, strawberries, cream and chocolate shavings

Evening

Bacon butties and mini hot dogs

Menu Inspiration: Brain Boost Menu

2011-03-02T15:52:00.001Z

A menu to help ward off those post lunch yawns at your next conference.

Finger Foods

Wraps of avocado, tomato and mozzarella with olive tapenade

Mini bagels of smoked salmon and cream cheese
Freedom chicken goujons with homemade tomato sauce

Skewers of marinated prawns with chilli salsa

Petite sea trout gallette with sage mayonnaise

Salads

Sweet potato salad with spinach, pumpkin seeds and pinenuts

Mixed green salad with seeds and herbs

Sweet
Fresh fruit skewers of blueberries, pineapple and strawberries

Chocolate walnut brownies (using 80% rich cocoa)

Beverages

Iced lemon water

Green tea

Espresso shots

Royal Wedding Menu Ideas

2011-03-01T16:53:00.001Z

How will our two thoroughly modern, very distinctive royal couples approach choosing their wedding menu?

Royal wedding receptions follow a fairly standard design - a large canapé reception followed by a smaller, more private dinner for around 120 guests, finishing with dancing and further merriment in the evening.

It’s worth remembering that whilst the Royal family are required to follow protocol, they always lead (rather than follow) fashion.

When it comes to choosing their food, I think that both couples have the confidence and maturity to make every aspect their own.

Out will go scripted French menus (so last century) and dishes named in honour of the bride and groom (far too egotistical). Instead, there will be utmost emphasis on provenance of the food. Not just lamb but Welsh Salt Marsh lamb, not just raspberries but Scottish organic raspberries; a selfless showcase of the very best British ingredients.

I will write the next two posts on my thoughts on what each couple will go for.

This article was originally published on The Wedding Community.

Brain Food: How to Keep Delegates Awake

2011-03-01T09:00:00.007Z

Food needs much more thought than just filling the 1-2pm slot.
Every presenter knows that the worst presentation slot is the one straight after lunch. You can guarantee that at 2pm your guests and colleagues are either drifting off into a carb induced slumber or tapping furiously away at their Blackberry in a sugar craze.

And why? Because someone choose the wrong conference lunch.Your delegates are what they eat and I’m sure that you would rather have a team of lean, mean, energetic machines than a bunch of sluggish doorstop sandwiches.

So how exactly do you feed a group of hungry managers with high expectations? How do you ensure that you choose something to ensure they are full yet focused, satisfied yet (most importantly) awake?

Here are the 10 things to sneak into the menu:

Water - just 2% dehydration reduces the capacity for work by 20% since most water is gained through your food, make sure your menu is fresh.

Wraps - by choosing wraps you can cut out the sleepy carbs and sugar crash ingredients found in white bread and processed baking.

Vitamin E - not just for beauty but for brains too. These ingredients can help boost memory; nuts, avocados, sweet potato, mayonnaise, olives.

Vitamin K - is the vitamin that helps enhance cognitive function and improves brainpower; broccoli, spinach, lettuce.

Berries - Brain boosting blueberries and strawberries as well as pineapple help to improve short term memory and keep you alert.

Tomatoes - contain powerful antioxidants that help protect braincells. Stay organic to get the best from them.

Green tea - both calming and stimulating, used to help Japanese monks endure marathon meditation sessions.

Espresso - yes coffee is good for your brain as long as it is freshly ground, gently roasted, served strong and dairy-free.

Chocolate - cacao contains theobromine which effects cognitive enhancement and can create a blessed out state - the darker the better!

Oily fish - contains that renowned brain booster omega

Chicken - a good as it contains L-Carnosine, a strong antioxidant

February Big Picture

2011-02-27T15:44:00.000Z

Freshly made tortellini flavoured with goats cheese, herbs and lemon.

Using Flowers

2011-02-14T15:58:00.006Z

Valentines Day is upon us and the shops are bursting with flowers.

Flowers are not just for your loved ones, they should also be for your plates. They make a beautiful garnish, decoration or delicious ingredient.

Here are some examples:

* Crystallised violets and sugared rose petals add a delightful vintage touch to any dessert.
* Lavender flavoured biscotti with crème brulee or lamb marinated in lavender for a divine taste.
* Bright orange nasturtiums, marigold* petals, dandelion and tiny blue borage for garnishing salads.
* Courgette and squash flowers – tempura and garnish a risotto or fill them with fresh crab meat as a delicate canapé.
* Borage flowers – I can’t drink Pimm’s without them now (word of advice for gardeners – plant carefully – plant one borage plant and next year you will have ten).
* Hibiscus flower buds in glass cups, open into a beautiful tea.
* Daylily (lilies are poisonous but this isn’t a real lily) – fabulous if stripped into individual petals in a salad and also makes a great ingredient for an omelette.
* All herb flowers are edible, look pretty and often more flavoured than the herb leaves.
* Chive flowers – perfect to decorate delicate dishes such as smoked salmon parfait and cucumber salad.
* Pea shoots and bean flowers make for sophisticated toppings for sea bass.
* Camomile – keep calm with freshly brewed tisanes.
* Bergamot – amazing deep red and really useful in rice & pasta dishes, with pork or as a vibrant topping to salads.

NEVER use the following as garnishes or décor: foxglove, daffodil, crocus, lily of the valley. If you are in doubt, don’t eat it!

BE AWARE that asthmatics may suffer allergies to daisies and marigolds.

(I've also uploaded this article to my regular slot on The Wedding Community pages)

Matching Venue to Menu

2011-01-31T13:35:00.003Z

“Where shall we get married?” is likely to be the next question after “will you marry me?” and “when shall we do it”?
Before you make your choice, you should also be able to answer the question “What would we most like to eat?”

Venue hire is likely to be one of the most expensive elements of your reception budget so remember; the quality, style and cost of the venue you choose will directly proportional to the quality, style and cost of the food.

Forget this and disappointment is sure to follow, not only for you but for your guests.

Spending thousands of pounds on booking an expensive venue only to serve your guests cheap food, is akin to telling your family that you can’t afford to buy them Christmas presents this year because you’ve treated yourself to a £2,000 pair of Christian Laboutins.

A buffet of bangers and mash looks totally out of place in a palace. A golf club is an unlikely place to find a Michelin star chef (unless it’s Wentworth or St Andrews).

To save on cost and disappointment when it comes to booking your caterer, match your menu expectations to the venue. If you are expecting to eat a simple menu, find a simple venue (barn, marquee, hotel…) whereas if you are expecting impressive eats, find an equally grand venue (palace, castle, mansion…).

Start by asking yourself, what do you imagine eating on your wedding day?

If you imagine a picnic, with gingham checked cloths, bottles of beer, homemade gamepies, scotch eggs and Eton mess look for a rustic barn with long tables and low beams.

If you imagine a buffet of salmon, salads and strawberries and look for a marquee with long chamomile lawns to provide you with quintessential English elegance.

If you imagine a feast of rich winter flavours, lamb, soup, bread, sticky toffee pudding, look for a mansion with open fireplaces and candlelight.

If you imagine something dramatic and unusual with flavours to surprise and delight your guests, then pick an unusual venue a zoo, a museum or a vaulted undercroft.

If you imagine an DEGUSTATION menu with course after course of incredible food, then a famous palace, A COOL PURE WHITE SPACE or a castle is the only backdrop to truly do it justice.

And if you imagined a takeaway pizza and a cold beer… well then I really can’t help you!

This article originally published on The Wedding Community Blog

Taste of Success!

2011-01-26T16:50:00.000Z

A slight but very exciting tangent for todays post...

As I may have previously mentioned, one of my other "hats" (alongside running Bovingdons and Nonsuch Mansion) is being part of the organising committee of Ripley Farmers Market.
Last night was FARMA (the UK Farmers Market governing body) annual awards bash the Farm Retail Awards.

Against nationwide competition from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Ripley Farmers Market won Rural Farmers' Market of the Year 2011. I am as pleased as punch!

If you live in Surrey and have never been, you really should. It offers delicious insporation for foodies, caterers, chefs and families alike. The market takes place on the second Saturday of every month, visit the Ripley Farmers Market Facebook page to keep in touch.

Menu Inspiration: Winter Comfort

2011-01-15T13:28:00.001Z

One of the most popular dishes from the Christmas and winter period.

Start

Chermoula red mullet served with roasted baby fennel,

finished with lemon yoghurt and chive oil

Homemade rustic bread with butter

Main

Pistachio and shallot stuffed duck on a bed of celeriac mash

with confit Savoy cabbage and Marsala jus

Sweet

Mulled wine jelly, spiced winter fruits and cinnamon cream wafers

January Big Picture

2011-01-08T13:31:00.002Z

Our black lab Morton catches a New Year's lunch!

Wishing You An Abundant Christmas

2010-12-21T09:00:00.001Z

from Julie, Andrew, Benita, David , Tony, Jade, Laura, Dave, Gerry, Solenne, Aini, Lucy and Mickey

“The poulterers' shops were still half open, and the fruiterers' were radiant in their glory. There were great, round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors, and tumbling out into the street in their apoplectic opulence. There were ruddy, brown-faced, broad-girthed Spanish Onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish Friars, and winking from their shelves in wanton slyness at the girls as they went by, and glanced demurely at the hung-up mistletoe. There were pears and apples, clustered high in blooming pyramids; there were bunches of grapes, made, in the shopkeepers' benevolence to dangle from conspicuous hooks, that people's mouths might water gratis as they passed; there were piles of filberts, mossy and brown, recalling, in their fragrance, ancient walks among the woods, and pleasant shufflings ankle deep through withered leaves; there were Norfolk Biffins, squab and swarthy, setting off the yellow of the oranges and lemons, and, in the great compactness of their juicy persons, urgently entreating and beseeching to be carried home in paper bags and eaten after dinner.”

Charles Dicken's description of Christmas Day market as Scrooge wanders London with the Ghost of Christmas Present in "A Christmas Carol".

Cocktail Recipe: Beefeater Winter Gin Punch

2010-12-20T15:22:00.007Z

As served by Bovingdons at last weeks Beefeater Gin Club annual dinner.
A little something to warm your cockles...

50ml Beefeater Winter Gin
100ml Madeira
10ml lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pinch cinnamon (ground)
1 pinch nutmeg (ground)
1 Clove
Lemon and lemon twists

Gently heat all ingredients in a saucepan. Do not let it boil.
Once warm, decant into teacups or toddy glass.

Review of 2010

2010-12-19T12:19:00.005Z

The snow has given me the opportunity to sit and review. Wher has the year gone? What have we been doing? What have we been eating?

The Bovingdons team have agreed that we've actually had a lot of fun despite the overtones of doom and gloom from the media. This year has yielded a bumper crop of wonderful memories as well as new clients, new ideas and a new feeling of momentum and change in the world of food and events. In fact, I can think of at least one high point in every month.

January
An early start to the year with a 100% vegetarian banquet for a wedding at Stationers Hall on the 2nd Januaruy - bank holiday, what bank holiday? Tea marbled quail’s eggs, a rich tagine with apricots and dates, orange and pistachios... delicious! click here to see the menu.

February
The wonderful Jade Tombs joined our team from Bovey Castle and quickly became our Wedding Queen.

March
We were able to take some clients for a sneak peak of the refurbised Leighton House Museum and started making preperations for it's official reopening by HRH The Prince of Wales reopened click here to see the photo.

April
Thrilling news from Fulham Palace when, after an understandably rigourous tender proccess, they awarded Bovingdons with a place on their approved caterers list click here for the full story.

May
Lights! Camera! Action! The busy season started with gallons of Chickychicky Chowchows at a pre-Cannes cocktail party for Channel 4 at The Orangery, Holland Park click here to see a photo.

June
A favourite moment was offering welcome refreshments to the House of Lords tug-of-war team and Macmillan at Westminster Abbey. Always an event with such a great atmosphere, i recommend buying tickets for next year, click here to find out how.

July
Our best team were based inside the College Gardens at Westminster Abbey an exclusive venue only open for eight weeks in the year. They were joined by Dave, our fabulous new chef, just in time to deliver a month of showcase events.

August
A comparitively relaxed summer month of refined weddings, corporate team days and summer balls... the month flew by. Top dish?

September
Memorable for waiters in hard hats wielding chisels at the topping out party at National Martine Museum (don't even ask about the Health and Safety we had to go through!)

October
Showed us just how utterly unique weddings could be. On the one hand we were asked for something with Victorian Gothic undertones at The Kew Bridge Steam Museum for a steampunk style reception. At the other end of the scale, we created dazzling white luxury and picture perfect elegance at Fulham Palace for a wedding magazine style editor's wedding. The photos speak for themselves.

November
400 special guests at the launch of Westminster City College after a three year refurbishment. A huge party to vcelebrate a huge project and a huge success all round.

December
My favourite (so far at least) was a private party in Surrey. 80 guests at home, cocktails, ice bars (literally!), sushi and grazing stations, full lighting, candles and colour. Thanks to being "snowed in", we were still going strong until the wee small hours!

2011
Olympics, Royal Weddings, film premieres, who knows...

December Big Picture

2010-12-01T14:33:00.003Z

The whole Bovingdons team enjoying ice skating at Somerset House.

Thoughts on a hog roast

2010-11-15T17:08:00.001Z

My most recent article from my role as catering expert on The Wedding Community...

Whenit comes to discussing wedding menus with my clients, the ‘hog roastquestion’ is right up there with the ‘cake as pudding question’.

There is a time and a place for hog roasts and it’s not necessarily your wedding day.

But how can you tell whether it would suit your day? I hope this helps.

Don’t have a hog roast if…

1. …you’re uncomfortable with the phrase “big, bloody, raw, dead pig”

At the end of the day that is what it is; trotters on, head-off,hairy skin crisping, tail waving in the breeze. If you are at allsqueamish (or have invited even one vociferously vegetarian guest)advance down this route at your peril.

2. …you haven’t told your guests

Picture the scene: female guests wobbling across the lawn in theirhigh heels, trying to eat a hot bap elegantly without ruining theirmanicure or dropping ketchup on their beautiful dresses, tutting astheir other halves wipe greasy hands on their new suit trousers.Please, if you are having a hog roast, mark it clearly on yourinvitation so that people come prepared wearing wedge heels and withwet wipes to hand.

3. …it was all his idea

Men. Meat. Fire. Often I find the hog roast idea comes from a groomwho has whimsical dreams of standing next to the BBQ… sorry I mean hogroast… whiling away the hours with a few beers and a group of hismates. This isn’t what happens on your wedding day. If you don’tbelieve me ask your married friends about their experiences. Acceptthat you’re hosting a big event for many, not an afternoon at home fora few.

4. …you’re worried about the weather

Hog roasts involve fire so cannot be done indoors, hence goodweather is essential. In the UK it can rain on up to 200 days of theyear, so I urge every couple planning their reception in Britain to“hope for the best but plan for the worst”. However, if you are willingto bet that your wedding day will be on one of those precious remaining165 days (minus those in freezing winter) then go for it. If you areset on an outdoor extravaganza, better to move the location to BondiBeach or Provence.

5. …you want a relaxed atmosphere

Hog roasts (like buffets) do not, as you might think, provide arelaxed ‘eat what you like when you like’ meal. In fact the oppositecan be true. The hungry people rush in first, other guests waitpolitely and end up with less, family cliques move 20 chairs round onetable and (ironically) a lot of guests choose to sit and wait forsomeone else to bring them their food anyway. If you really want arelaxed atmosphere, great service is the key.

Do have a hog roast if…

1. …you’re looking for vintage style or a rock ‘n’ roll look

Be aware that there is a good way and a bad way to do a hog roastbut never a particularly pretty way. For good, see Vintage at Goodward,for bad see local rugby club. No two hog roast providers offer the samething, so choose carefully and double check that you’re getting‘English village fair’ rather than ‘kebab shop window’.

2. …you’re wearing a frock (not a gown) or jeans (not a suit)

I know firsthand that long, expensive, structured, embellishedbridal gowns do not mix (in anyway) with grease, grass, mud, ketchup,smoke and a bap. However, rock and roll weddings, short, funky,50’s-style frocks, bohemian style summer dresses and medieval bustierslook fabulous.

3. …you’re inviting less than 50 guests

The average pig will serve 70 people, as a snack, so I think 50 people per pig for a meal is perfect.

4. …it’s your pig

I did a fantastic wedding for a foodie couple who had raised theirown pig for the purpose of having it butchered for their wedding. Theyprovided the finishing touches to the meal (herbs, greens, flowers)making it so very personal. I love creating bespoke menus; it is amessage to your guests and a reflection of who you are. We had the mostamazing day in their Orchard and it all felt absolutely right.

5. …you never want to speak with your vegetarian friends again!

Menu Inspiration: Eastern Flavours

2010-11-09T15:32:00.020Z

A menu that seems perfect for the winter nights and ideal for a venue like Leighton House.

Start

Iman Bayaldi toped with mascarpone and smoked paprika

Parcel of spinach and ricotta with caraway

Marinated aubergine with walnuts, parsley and olive oil

Hummus bi tahini with pine nuts

Char grilled halloumi

Home made flat breads

Main

Rump of lamb, Megaderra lentils and fine green beans

Sweet

Yoghurt and cardamom cheesecake with caramelised fresh fig

Finish

Fresh coffee, fine teas and tisanes served with pistacio Turkish delight

November Big Picture

2010-11-06T20:54:00.004Z

Helen and Henry on their wedding day. A perfect demonstration of why I love The Queens House, Greenwich and photographer Kerry Morgan.

More here on her blog http://kerrymorgan.com/photoblog/2010/10/wedding-photography-at-the-queens-house-greenwich/

Photos from our Summer Soiree

2010-10-16T12:15:00.003+01:00

Part 2: Food

Photos below (by Lloyd Dobbie) and the full menu can be seen by clicking here on this post: http://bovingdons.blogspot.com/2010/10/end-of-summer-soiree.html

Tapas station of whole hand carved Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, bruschetta and olives.

Quails egg Royale; brioche croutes, smoked salmon, poached quails eggs and hollandaise

Confit of duck with foie gras, Savoy cabbage and pickled peach relish

Wild mushroom and truffle risotto balls

Black pudding gallette with spiced fig puree and serrano ham

Photos from the Summer Soiree

2010-10-15T11:36:00.002+01:00

Part 1: People

Fabulous proffesionals from all over Surrey and London, fabulous flowers by Hybrid, fabulous food by Bovingdons, fabulous lighting by Duncan from Effectevent, all captured on film by fabulous Lloyd Dobbie.

Gathering around a bountiful table with a glass of fizz and great company.

Siobhan Craven-Robbins and Lester Gethings

Julie Gray with Michael White

Antonio Sanzari and Helen Carter

Our kitchen team hard at work

Benita

Solenne

End of Summer Soiree

2010-10-04T09:06:00.001+01:00

Last week we threw an End of Summer Soiree at Nonsuch Mansion. A few friends, clients, hard working event planners in need of respite after a busy summer and a chance to take a breath before Christmas kicks in. So what to feed such fabulous people (aside from plenty of fizz)?

We started with conversation point centrepiece: a tapas station of whole hand carved Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, bruschetta and olives.

Followed by canapes:

* Confit of duck with foie gras, Savoy cabbage and pickled peach relish
* Black pudding gallette with spiced fig puree and serrano ham
* Mini beef and Autumn vegetable pies
* Quails egg Royale; brioche croutes, smoked salmon, poached quails eggs and hollandaise
* Crab and chickpea cakes with corned crab, spiced tomato chutney
* Spoons of orange cured sword fish with pickled cucumber
* Wild mushroom and truffle risotto balls
* Shots of warm white bean cappuccino topped with a tomato wafer
* Demi tasse of sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and clotted cream

Photos to follow shortly...

Wedding Day Style Editors Wedding: Part 2

2010-09-23T14:31:00.004+01:00

As promised, here is the menu from Wedding Day Style Editor Victoria and groom Ian who had their wedding reception at Fulham Palace.

Canapés

Seared beef on watermelon cubes with wasabi and pickled ginger

Cucumber boxes filled with feta, mint salad topped with purple shiso cress

Mini quails egg benedict on brioche

Chopstick forks of seared succulent Magret of duck with a soy and honey dip

Cerviche of sea bream on lemon crostini

Ricotta cakes with slow roasted vine tomatoes and basil wafers

To Start

English asparagus duo - petit salad with quails eggs and fresh asparagus torte

Main

Breast of guinea fowl filled with spinach and ricotta,

confit of leg, roasted garlic mash, wilted greens and a light natural jus

Vegetarian: as above with artichoke hearts and parsley parcels

Sweet

For the ladies – White chocolate and passion fruit dessert

served with summer berries and white chocolate ice cream

For the gentlemen – Vanilla bean and caramel dessert

served with sticky Calvados bananas and rich chocolate ice cream

To Finish

Fresh coffee, fine teas, tisanes and pistachio biscotti

served in vintage tea cups

Late Night

Fabulous bacon baps with red or brown sauce

Cumberland sausage and caramelised onion hot dogs

British cheese platter with bread, celery, oatcakes, grapes and nuts

Wedding Day Style Editors Wedding: Part 1

2010-09-22T07:07:00.017+01:00

Fulham Palace - a Sneak Peak at a Style Editors Wedding...

2010-09-21T20:18:00.002+01:00

Everybody knows how much Bovingdons loves catering for events at Fulham Palace, none more so than the fabulous weddings.

Here are some photographs of one such fabulous wedding we managed recently for Wedding Day magazine Style Editor Victoria Sullivan. Her kind words arrived in the post today in addition to her post-wedding email that said "Bovingdons, not any caterer but the best caterer you can have on your wedding day".

Keep checking back to this blog and I will upload her article from this month's magazine, more photos and the menu from the big day...

If you would like more details about holding your wedding reception at Fulham Palace call us for an apointment 020 8874 8032 or email julie@bovingdons.co.uk

Saving Christmas: Ten Tips for Winning over a 21st Century Scrooge

2010-09-10T11:25:00.003+01:00

For many businesses, Bovingdons especially, September marks the finale of summer and the start of the Christmas countdown.

But whilst most of our clients made their party plans weeks ago, we know that for others an unpredictable year means that the imminent decision is not one of “when” but rather of “if”. Tight times and tough decisions are responsible for transforming some of our superiors into 21st Century Scrooges.

With that in mind, I’d like to offer all of you hard working Bob Crachits these ten tips inspired by Dicken’s classic tale of redemption.

I hope they help you to save money, save stress and save your Christmas party.

1. Focus on Fabulous Food

“Heaped up upon the floor… were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and seething bowls of punch, that made the chamber dim with their delicious steam…”

I am biased of course, but admit it; you’re hungry just from reading that aren’t you? The act of sitting and eating together is in itself a festivity older than Christmas. Even with a savvy budget, you should give the food the biggest slice of the proverbial pie. An utterly irresistible menu (see my favourite examples here and here) is guaranteed to whet Scrooge’s appetite.

2. Woo them with Tradition

"Bah.” said Scrooge “Humbug!”

Nothing says “Christmas” like mobsters, Moulin Rouge, gokarts and Elvis. No? Me neither. Say “humbug” to pointless flamboyance, instead concentrate on simple festive pleasures. I believe that “tradition” is as important in 2010 as “green” was in 2005. Roaring fires, a flaming pudding, Carol singers, greenery, charitable giving… bring the real spirit alive.

3. Make it You Own

“Keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine." …

Avoid the ubiquitous package. Instead, work with a caterer or event planner to come up with an idea that brings your company’s brand and values to life. No matter how amazing an “all in one” seems, it will inevitably involve compromise that Scrooge will be quick to spot.

4. Don’t Risk Your Reputation

"I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to every-body!... Whoop! Hallo!"…

Thanks to social media, what goes on at the party, no longer stays at the party. Scrooges will measure the cost beyond pounds and pence. A free bar, a bucking bronco, kareoke or a terrible venue are guaranteed to ensure your night is remembered for the wrong reasons.

5. Emphasise What it Means for the Team

"A merry Christmas, Bob!" said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back…

The best performing companies know that the annual event remains the best opportunity to thank, to praise and to inspire. Why do your team deserve the party? What have you done to warrant a reward? What have you gone without? How will this help you perform in 2011?

6. Appeal to their Sense of Nostalgia

At sight of an old gentleman, Scrooge cried in great excitement: “Why, it's old Fezziwig. Bless his heart; it's Fezziwig alive again.”…

Scrooge was reminded how wonderful it felt to have a generous employer at this special time of year. Ask your Scrooge to recall their favourite Christmas past, why was it so special? Invoke powerful memories by asking for a favourite “must have” dish to include on the menu.

7. Make the Budget Count

"A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December…"

Scrooge’s (and my) nightmare is wasting money on one forgettable occasion. HMRC allows companies an annual tax free ‘gift’ of £150 per head for staff parties. Talk to your HR, Marketing and CSR Directors and incorporate their ideas to make it count for every penny.

8. Time Your Pitch Carefully

"Every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding..."

Christmas can be an emotive, almost controversial, subject. If you are presenting your case to your superiors do it at a time when they are relaxed, some say the earlier in the week the better. Ask your caterer for the facts and figures in a quick to read, easy to digest summary.

9. Predict What is Yet to Come

"Ghost of the Future!" he exclaimed, "I fear you more than any spectre I have seen…”

Sadly, some Scrooges will be more motivated by the fear the consequences of not having a party than the benefits of having one. When will be the next opportunity for team to get together? Summer is a whole six months away, can you afford to wait that long?

10. Save Celebrations for Later

"It's Christmas Day!" said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed it!”…

If all else fails over the next twelve weeks (yes, only twelve weeks!) then carry the date over until the New Year. We thoroughly recommend Burns Nights an alternative for festive entertaining, it can be even more cost effective and even more fun. A venue decked in tartan, heather floral displays on every table and guests wowed with a Chieftain Haggis ceremony, lots of whisky tots and (of course) a piper.

God bless us everyone!

September Big Picture

2010-09-06T23:09:00.001+01:00

Here is the Fulham Palace marquee awaiting guests of lovely Victoria Sullian, Style Editor of Wedding magazine.

“Bovingdons, not just any caterer, the best caterer you could possibly wish for on your wedding day. Your creative and mouth-watering menu, first class service and acute attention to detail made our special day extraordinarily special – thank you so much!”

10 Ways to Save on Catering

2010-08-13T09:12:00.004+01:00

My article from this month's Wedding Magazine.

Cut your costs without anyone noticing with these tips from Julie Gray, managing director of top London caterers Bovingdons.
1. Know your budget
Be honest with your caterer from the outset - it's far easier to maximise a budget from the start than it is to minimise it once the plans are finalised.
2. Choose your venue carefully
Where you get married will determine your catering costs. If you chose an expensive venue, expect food to be equally pricey. Look into venues that give you good flexibility to hire the caterer of your choice.
3. Go for a late start
On average, each guest costs between £10 and £20 per hour so do your maths and plan your day accordingly. Aim for a 4pm ceremony, canapés from 5pm, dinner at 6.30pm, then coffee at 8pm - leaving four hours to party with no further food required. The days of the 12-hour wedding are a thing of the past as you have to feed your guests twice, which can't be done on a tight budget without looking and feeling scant.
4. Allocate your costs
Around 25% of your total catering costs will be for the chef and the waiting staff and from 20% for equipment, so stick with plain linen and glassware and spend more on the food. Never compromise on service, as it's the delivery that makes an event memorable.
5. Plan a meal to remember
It's far better to serve a hearty curried parsnip soup with good bread, followed by humble sausages and mash, with sticky toffee pudding to end a meal, rather than trying to spread your budget across a few canapés, a chicken main and a fruit salad dessert. A substantial meal using inexpensive ingredients will fill your guests and leave them feeling replete.
6. Work with the seasons
Make sure your wedding day is filled with the very best ingredients that Britain has to offer, rhubarb in February, asparagus in May, strawberries in July, crab in September and pumpkin in November. For the best seasonal ideas visit www.eattheseasons.co.uk. British seasonal food isn’t always cheaper but always tastes betters.
7. Keep it simple
Beef is always pricey as is venison and, for most of the year, lamb. Pork, chicken, duck and guinea fowl are much more stable tin cost and provide great alternatives. Don’t be afraid of using simple ingredients. One of the nicest low-budget summer wedding menus is chilled gazpacho for a starter, confit of belly of pork with wilted greens for the main course, followed by fresh raspberries and vanilla pannacotta.
8. Replace dessert
Serving cake as pudding is a popular was of cutting costs, but unless you employ a top-end cake maker to produce something fresh and delicious, cake remains cake. And by the time you've added the cost of berries and cream to accompany it, does it really save anything? A better solution is to serve a slither of sachertorte (a rich chocolate cake) as a petit four with coffee.
9. Serve sparkling wine
Good sparkling wine is better than cheap Champagne. Always purchase the best you can afford and buy ahead of the peak wedding season when costs are competitive - a wedding with limited drinks is a no-no.
10 Limit your guest list
A three-course wedding breakfast for 100 guests is always going to be pricey, so the easiest solution is to invite less people. More and more couples these days are opting for a wedding reception of 50 friends and family and then inviting extra guests to the party afterwards. This way, everyone can share your special day but it will cost you half the price.

Olympic Winner

2010-08-13T07:56:00.006+01:00

There are now less than two years before the 2012 Olympics and all eyes are turning to venues in the east. The Queens House in Greenwich is at the heart of the action and forms part of the National Maritime Museum set, which includes the equally impressive Royal Observatory and the Planetarium. The Queens House

Bovingdons have been working at The Queens House in Greenwich for almost a decade now. Events there have alwasy been grand yet elegant, Queen Anne herself held such sumptuous parties there that it was referred to as the "House of Delight". It's looks aside, the main reason we love to recommend is it's location. You are just meters away from the Prime Meridian of the World - every place of Earth is defined from this point. The Thames sweeps past so closely that many guests choose to arrive by boat and the views across Greenwich Royal Park are not just breath-taking but awe-inspiring. Add the fact that you can currently see parts of the blue-bordered Olympic site from the windows, it's a venue to truly get your heart racing.

For more details about events at The Queens House call Bovingdons on 020 8874 8032 or visit http://www.nmm.ac.uk/.
We also love this stop-motion film of a wedding at the Queens House from start to finish - amazing! http://www.nmm.ac.uk/business-and-hire/venue-hire/weddings-and-private-events/

August Big Pictue

2010-08-01T12:49:00.000+01:00

The pond beside The Orangery Holland Park looking lit and lovely for a BBC summer event. Thanks again to Duncan at EffectEvent.

Multi-Sensory Eating

2010-07-25T09:49:00.006+01:00

For a dish to be truly incredible, it needs to appeal to every sense. Taste, is only one tiny part of the reality of gastronomical enjoyment.

1. Sight - the saying “you eat with your eyes” is no exaggeration. This is the sense that overrides all others. If you don’t believe me, Google psychologist Paul Rozin and read about his experiments with fudge or visit Dans Le Noir restaurant and experience just how challenging it is to eat blindfolded. Our natural instincts draw us to fresh greens, red meats, vibrant fruits, natural colours – choose your dish accordingly. Also think about the size and shape of the plates - does it make the food look plentiful or stingy? If you are doing a lot of styling, how does the meal look on your chosen linen colour?

2. Smell – is biologically connected to taste, in fact smelling the food is in effect the first bite. Don’t make the food fight for attention with other smells. Consider your floral arrangements, lilies might make an incredible centrepiece but ask your florists to remove all bar a few of the stamens. For a more natural, more appetising perfume, ask your florist to use herbs in the displays. At one of our recent weddings, ribboned garlands of rosemary, sage and lavender were tied to the back of each chair releasing a soft scent of English summertime whenever guests moved. Never use scented candles or incense during the meal – it’s just too much. And of course, no smoking!

3. Sounds – one of Heston Blumenthal’s most infamous dishes is “Sound of the Sea” which is served with an iPod so that you can listen to waves crashing on a beach as you eat it. This, he believes, enhances the taste and helps people to take their time whilst savouring every mouthful. What music or sounds will accompany your meal? If you are providing your venue with an iPod for background music, make sure that the playlist avoids anything with a fast or heavy beat – your guests will be finished in seconds! My recommendation is soft jazz, gentle swing or classical guitar. If you’re printing a menu, read the food aloud (perhaps in your best impression of those M&S ads) and check that it sounds irresistible.

4. Touch – the texture of a dish is often overlooked, but it’s important to remember that your palette craves variety. If the main element of a dish is soft and creamy incorporate an element of crunch and vice versa. Think across the courses, for example a soup starter with brulee dessert is a mistake (too much liquid) as would a tomato tarte tatin starter with a lemon tarte dessert (too much pastry). Cream in every course is too much even for the most adamant Francophile. When it comes to styling, good cutlery, crystal glassware and crisp linen will all help to enhance the experience but the most important element of touch? Easy. A comfortable, wobble free chair with a good back and plush seat pad.

5. Taste - of course! In Western cultures, we describe taste in terms of four flavours: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. I prefer to use the Chinese palette philosophy with the added dimensions of spice (piquance) and savoury. This final flavour, known as “unami”, is that xfactor ingredient that makes you crave more and more. 100% natural ingredients, it’s becoming so popular that you can now buy “unami paste” in Waitrose. This is a fabulous product to have at home, it makes something ordinary food taste utterly delicious! I love using it and am thrilled that someone has captured “the fifth flavour” in a squeezy tube. Try it yourself http://www.laurasanttini.com/. Remember that whatever flavours you incorporate in your menu, good caterers will season to perfection, they may not even put condiments out (we don’t).

6. The Sixth Sense – never underestimate the power of intuitive service. Our managers have been called mind readers on more than one occasion and have the magical power to put guests completely at their ease. Meeting this final sense sets the best caterers apart from the rest.

July Big Picture

2010-07-22T14:14:00.003+01:00

It's been a busy few weeks - Summer is always fast and fun - watch this video to see us in action! http://www.nmm.ac.uk/business-and-hire/venue-hire/weddings-and-private-events/

In Season - British Peas

2010-07-15T07:00:00.003+01:00

I've spent many a happy half hour this month shelling fresh peas, the smell is delicious, Summer through and through. I am reliably informed that this years pea season has been a little late but also very bountiful. I am not complaining!

How to have your peas:

Simple - Green pea soup with beignets and minted crème fraiche
Fancy - long white plate of seared scallops on pea puree with crisp pancetta wafers
Rich - Ham hock ravioli with pea veloute and truffle oil
Crisp - Fresh pea tarts with pea shoots
Retro - Chicken Kiev with fluffy butter mash and a panache of peas and beans

June Big Picture

2010-06-22T11:19:00.004+01:00

His Royal Highness Prince of Wales on his special visit to the recently refurbished Leighton House. It is always a privilege to cater for Royalty. Read and see more here on photographer Lloyd Dobbie's blog... www.lloyddobbie.com/blog

In Season - Elderflower

2010-06-15T08:00:00.011+01:00

Last week the Bovingdons team threw themselves (literally!) into the hedgerows of Ripley and picked three huge sacks full of elderflowers. Chef David has since made bottles and bottles of syrup (about 102 litres!) and the office smells distractingly of English summertime.

Our syrup recipe is secret but you can find plenty online, it’s a very similar process to making homemade lemonade. You’ll need about thirty to fifty perfect heads of flowers (no brown ones), a kilo of sugar and some citric acid (find it in Waitrose or health food shops) plus any variety of secret ingredient depending on the chef. Once made, here are some ways to use your syrup:

- Make Bovingdons signature Apple Fez, cloudy apple juice, ginger ale, elderflower and mint sprigs.
- Whisk with creme fraiche, gooseberry compote and lemon zest for a perfect Fool
- Suspend summer fruits in elderflower and prosecco jelly
- Flavour pannacotta and serve with raspberries garnish with the flowers
- Fritter the flowers in the lightest tempura and serve beside strawberries
- Elderflowers can also be used in pork and duck recipes but I would proceed with caution here! It can be very, very sweet.
- Or simply add a drop to champagne, pink gin, vodka martini’s, Pimms … sip and enjoy...

Christmas Cracker: 45 Millbank

2010-06-10T06:53:00.045+01:00

Here's my pick for Christmas 2010. I love Number 45 not only for its incredible riverside location but also because of its sheer size. The rooms and chic decor all point to a building steeped in history yet it has an open almost boutique hotel feel and the spaces are unexpectedly roomy.

The Banqueting Hall is the largest (and I think best) space and really comes into its own when full. It is pillar free so even with 200 people you still have clear sight across the whole room. It has a stunning and elaborate ceiling and plenty of Edwardian splendour to impress and wow.

If you still havn't booked anywhere for Christmas, you should definately consider it. Call their team direct for diary information on 020 7514 8514 or if you need any more convincing visit their website http://www.45millbank.com/.

Seven Course Summer Heaven

2010-06-02T05:43:00.001+01:00

Every so often I am lucky enough to meet a couple for whom their special day is quite literally all about the food. Here is an example of a seven course degustation menu which I took great delight in creating for Daniel and Frank.

Some course choices are personal to their story, some were inspired by their travels, some were just an excuse for a seasonal treat. Everything was utterly delicicious and enjoyed over the course of a long midsummer's evening by sixty special guests in The Orangery, Holland Park.

Canapés

Wasabi seared beef and watermelon with pickled ginger and coriander

Ricotta cakes with oven roasted plum tomatoes and basil

Fresh herb blinis simply topped with crayfish tails and a spaghetti of cucumber

First Wine:

Lugana Doc Trentino, Tenuta Rovegelia, Italy

Amuse Bouche

Demi tasse of chilled grape and white almond soup

Starter

Ham hock ravioli with pea veloute and truffle oil

served in a saturn bowl

Second Wine:

Chablis, Henri La Fontaine, France

Fish

Stuffed sardine

filled with pine nuts, brioche, chervil and raisins

Sorbet

Lemon, parsley and gin sorbet

served in saucer champagne glass with lemon slices

Third Wine:

Gigondas Domaine de la haute Marone, France

Main

Guinea fowl filled with spinach and ricotta

on smoked garlic mash, wilted spring greens and tarragon jus

Cheese

Trio of European cheese

with membrillo, grapes and walnut bread

Dessert

Sicilian lemon cheesecake with macadamia crust,

lime mousse with frosted berries and glazed tarte au citron.

Aperitif

White sambuca shots with coffee beans

To Finish

Fine tea, cafetiere coffee and fresh mint tea

Hand made petits four

Five Unforgivable Wedding Food Faux Pas

2010-05-28T13:23:00.000+01:00

I am privileged enough to be the food expert at The Wedding Community offering wedding specific advice to hundreds of couples in the throws of organising their big day. Here is a taster of a recent article...

I have worked on over one thousand weddings and the following choices have never, ever worked well for the guests, the couple nor the caterer.

1. Replacing Pudding with Cake
I am evangelical about this, so much so that I have dedicated a whole article about it, here.

2. Marrying Early but Eating Late
Beware the “black hole” between the end of your ceremony and the first bite of food. If you are marrying any earlier than 3pm, your guests will not have had lunch (trust me, they wont) and will need feeding twice. Some form of food should be made available within half an hour of your nuptials and guests should be taking their seats for the main meal within two hours of the confetti falling.

3. Changing Seats after the Starter
If you’re intending to play musical chairs, don’t make the first move until after the main course. As a caterer and a passionate foodie, I can think of nothing worse than a beautiful dish drying out and crusting over in a hot cupboard as the post-starter speech inevitably drags.

4. A Selfishly Whacky Menu
There is a difference between serving delicious food to delight everyone and food so unique that the majority of your guests won’t touch it. Yes you might have eaten stuffed sardines on your first date, yes I appreciate that Nigella is heralding a fois gras renaissance but what goes uneaten goes unappreciated. Oysters, veal, fois gras, offal... proceed with caution and ask you caterer for advice. They’ll know what will leave guests full versus what will leave them famished.

5. Icecream in a Hot Marquee
There is a memorable episode of BBC’s The Restaurant where one hapless duo learn the hard way that marquees don’t come with freezers. Instead of ice cream and poached pears, they end up serving lukewarm “vanilla soup” to one hundred horrified VIPs at the Hurlingham Club. Caterers can do incredible things but keeping sorbet, icecream and frozen desserts at the necessary minus 23 degrees Celsius in outdoors in the sun using only a cool box is beyond even our magic.

May Big Picture

2010-05-22T08:44:00.002+01:00

The Orchid Room at Nonsuch Mansion as taken by the wonderful Lloyd Dobbie.

To me, this photo captures the sense of calm anticipation felt by wedding caterers like Bovingdons. It also highlights the attention to detail needed to "set the scene" before the guests walk through the door.

Just looking at it gives me pre-event butterflies!

In Season - British Asparagus

2010-05-17T17:00:00.004+01:00

Be quick! You've not got long to enjoy this superfood delicacy. Asparagus has a teasingly short and notoriously unpredictable season which falls sometime between May and June depending on the fickle British weather. I am reliably informed by the British Asparagus Growers Association website that the 2010 season is well and truly here.

Appropriately perhaps for an aphrodisiac, the key to ensuring the best flavour is tenderness rather than length or girth. Colour is a good indicator, seek light green with closed tips and a hint of purple. British Asparagus is a hand grown crop which requires a huge investment of time and patience for a relatively low yield. Cooking it however, is almost totally the opposite case!

- Simple: Steamed with a splash of olive oil, black pepper and parmesan

- Hot: Fresh asparagus soup with crème fraiche and sage and parmesan bread

- Brunch: Asparagus bundles tied with chives served with a vanilla and pomegranate mayonnaise

- Fish: Asparagus icecream with salmon toasts - recipe here!

- Main: Pan roast asparagus with rare roast beef, wild mushroom jus, thyme and talegio potatoes

- Summer Buffet: Prosciutto or Parma ham involtini of chargrilled asparagus

- Stuffed: Baby Pousin with fresh asparagus stuffing, lemon risotto, French beans and tarragon jus

- Vegetarian: Fresh handmade asparagus ravioli with herb emulsion and micro shoots

Pull! Westminster Tug of War

2010-05-13T00:00:00.006+01:00

Part of being a professional and discreet corporate caterer means never, ever disclosing details about a client's event before it occurs.

Not so when the event in question is the Westminster Tug of War! This event is one of the highlights of the Parliamentary calendar, and, unlike the incredible barbeque I mentioned in a previous post, everyone is invited to buy a ticket and attend.

Held in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, the 23rd annual Tug of War will be held on Tuesday 8 June from 5.30-10pm in the stunning venue that is Westminster Abbey College Gardens.

You can join 600 guests to enjoy an exclusive champagne reception with canapes and tasty bowl food (all delicious, I promise!) whilst you witness Lords and MPs, choristers, rival City firms, embassies, fire fighters and military teams all battling it out over a Tug of War rope.

If you have never attended, this is the year to go. After yesterday's news, it is sure to be an particularly unmissable occasion.

Click here for more details form Macmillan Cancer Support.

West End Charm: Fulham Palace

2010-05-05T13:52:00.000+01:00

I am delighted to say that after a few weeks of anxiously waiting for "the phonecall", Bovingdons have been awarded a privileged place on the catering list at Fulham Palace.

There are so many reasons why I love this venue; its impressive courtyard entrance, the way that it nestles quietly beside the Thames, the romantic atmosphere of its wild walled gardens, its maze of achingly graceful rooms, its intriguing thousand year history, the graceful tall ceilings and elegant furnishings... I could go on. Fulham Palace is a venue that has won top awards and high praise as well as my heart.

The ink on our contract is still wet but I'm already looking forward to catering for some sublime summer soirees. In my mind, a perfect palace party would involve Courtyard canapés, a delicious dinner in the Chaplain’s Garden Marquee, a dance floor in the Great Hall and a corner for quiet conversation in Bishop Terrick's Drawing Room.

Fulham Palace has a great management team with a flexible approach to how you choose use its cluster of various sized drawing and dining rooms. For availability and more details call 020 7736 8140 or visit http://www.fulhampalace.org/, then call me to start talking food!

Westminster's Vote Winning BBQ

2010-05-01T09:10:00.000+01:00

What do you think of when you think of Westminster? Politics? The election? When I think of Westminster I immediately think of prime Scottish beef.

No, not the PM! I mean delicious meat sizzling on a barbeque. Why? Because for the last eight years, summer at Westminster Abbey Gardens for Bovingdons means the privilege of catering at the annual Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board event (formerly the Meat and Livestock Commission).

As you can imagine, this showcase offers the biggest variety and best possible quality of this country's meat - Scottish beef, Welsh lamb, English sausages... every single ingredient (including the sauces) must be of British origin, the meat must be labelled and fully traceable almost right to the animals name. My yearly challenge as appointed caterer is to surpass my last menu. It's an irresistible brief for Chef David and I. We have just pitched our ideas for 2010 but my lips are sealed! Instead, here are just some of the items from the 2009 barbeque to tempt the carnivore in you.

Canapes

Seared fillet of British beef in little Yorkshire puddings with horseradish cream

Crisp new potatoes filled with dry cure smoked bacon and English blue cheese

Little spiced lamb and aubergine falafel

BBQ

Conisbees Cumberland pork sausages

Home and hand made beef burgers with chilli and fresh parsley

Shoulder of lamb, marinated in garlic and lavender yoghurt

British pork shoulder steaks with apricot glaze
Sticky BBQ lamb slices

Salads

Minted new potato mayonnaise

Roasted vegetable with red onions, purple basil and barley

Garden leaf and herb salad with rape seed oil dressing

Tomato and cucumber salad with Bovingdons honey dressing

Condiments

Good grain mustard

Home made mayonnaise

Good horseradish sauce

Bovingdons Famous BBQ sauce

Dessert

Mini waffle cones of assorted sorbets

Bowls of delicious Eton Mess with strawberries and cream

Cheese

English, Scottish and Welsh Cows cheese

with crostini fingers and oatcakes

Breads

A selection of rustic country breads made with Doves flour

(and yes, of course the full menu includes a fair proportion of vegetarian, Halal and special diet considerations)

April Big Picture

2010-04-23T06:20:00.000+01:00

In Season - Winchester Watercress

2010-04-14T20:04:00.001+01:00

It’s only a couple of weeks until the Alresford Watercress Festival which takes place just a few miles down the A3 from me. During a day of community celebration, the elected Watercress King and Queen travel down the main street atop a horse and cart and distribute the first of the season's harvest to festival goers.

Iron rich, vitamin fuelled, nose twistingly peppery and utterly delicious, watercress is often overlooked as an ingredient despite its similarity to rocket. For the best of the crop look for fat clusters of wet, deep green leaves and eat as soon after picking as possible (it is notoriously perishable)

Here are some delicious watercress menu ideas for your next event...
- Starter: Gingered watercress soup with toasted sesame seeds
- Main: Duo plate of watercress blinis with smoked trout and cucumber vermicelli
- Salad: Organic watercress with roasted sweet potato and toasted walnuts
- Canapé: Seared fillet of beef in Yorkshire puddings with watercress hollandaise
- Fish: Roast monkfish on crushed potatoes topped with watercress
- Afternoon tea: Finger sandwiches of wafer honey baked ham, cream cheese and watercress

London in Surrey: Nonsuch Mansion

2010-04-07T20:21:00.000+01:00

It's been just nine months since the end (or I suppose the beginning!) of our most epic project to date - refurbishing, rebranding and relaunching Nonsuch Mansion

To say that this Surrey venue has become a labour of love for Bovingdons would be a huge understatement. Well before the contract was won, we had fallen completely in love with this treasured venue and could not wait to throw open its doors and help make it the success it deserves to be. The 2010 / 2011 diary acts as reassuring evidence that plenty of others feel as passionately as we do.

Set at the heart of 300 acres of sumptuous parkland, its features appeal to both head and heart. In a practical sense it has a prime location (half an hour of London Victoria, minutes from the A3 Tolworth), space for up to 250 guests, a fascinating history and a perfectly flat lawn with plenty of scope for marquees.

But the real test of a venue is always in the way that being there makes you feel and the first few hosts have told us that they felt "cherished", "serene", " and "like royalty" on their important night.

You can read more about the venue the website, or for all of the mansion happenings and news you can read the Nonsuch Mansion blog or join the hundreds of followers and fans on Twitter and Facebook. And, of course, watch this space!

The Sweet Smell (and Taste) of Success

2010-04-02T01:36:00.000+01:00

As you can probably tell, the chefs and I adore any opportunity to work with a client with exacting standards, impeccable taste and high expectations. A challenging (or even impossible sounding) brief fires my imagination, as does the chance to transform a brand into a dish or distil its message into a bite.

Last week we served the result of a really great brief for the private launch of a new scent collection at Leighton House. We had been asked to create a menu to satisfy the tastes of eminent fashion, beauty and lifestyle editors as well as present food that would be a perfect representation of the well-known fragrance brand. Every item served needed to reflect the values of the company and entice the busy journalists to linger on and learn about their fabulous new product.

This bespoke breakfast and brunch menu was served during two separate morning and afternoon sessions. Each item was designed to be especially petite, smaller than a typical bite sized canape. Perfectly cooked, carefully prepared morsels to suit our client's perfectly tailored guest.

(If you are curious about the launch, click here to read a full report)

Breakfast

Tiny crisp new potato filled with sausage, bacon, tomato and mushrooms

Mini waffle cones with creamed eggs and smoked salmon with chives

Fresh blinis with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers

Quails egg Royale

Brioche French toast with orange infused rhubarb

Ricotta cakes with fresh blueberry compote

Prism skewers of morsels of fresh fruit

Shot glass of light granola and yoghurt

Brunch

Seared fillet of beef on watermelon cubes with pickled ginger

Sultana bread croute with Dolcelatté, caramelised fresh fig and pomegranate

Julienne vegetables wrapped in Bovingdons cured salmon

Asparagus bundles tied with chives with a vanilla pomegranate mayonnaise

Cucumber cups of lemon, tarragon chicken

Herb blini with Crayfish tails and mirin spaghetti of cucumber

Ricotta cakes with oven roasted plum tomatoes and basil

Herb ficelle of lime cured cerviche of sea bream

Chilled Juices

Blood orange and grapefruit

Cranberry and watermelon

Fresh pear and vanilla

Refreshing Pressè

Watermelon, cranberry and rose water

Apple juice, elderflower, lime and mint

Pomegranate pressè with sparkling mineral water

Hot Beverages

Espresso shots

Fresh sweet mint tea

March Big Picture

2010-03-23T05:25:00.000Z

The Orangery Holland Park decked out for a recent ceremony.

In Season - Forced British Rhubarb

2010-03-16T08:31:00.000Z

I was delighted to read this morning that forced rhubarb has recieved EU protected status officially making it a jewel in the crown of British foods.

The North of England has long been known amoungst chefs as "The Pink Triangle" as this is where this humble vegetable (yes, vegetable) is still grown in darkened sheds and harvested by candlelight.

Now is the best time both to eat and to sow a crown or too. A great option for anyone seeking a guaranteed high-return for the bargain price of the occasional bucket of manure.

- Orange braised rhubarb with cool ginger soufflé
- Cardamom scented panna cotta with rhubarb coulis
- Rhubarb crumble and fresh vanilla ice cream

Hidden Treasure: Leighton House

2010-03-07T17:45:00.000Z

Last week I was offered a first glimpse at the completed refurbishments at one of my all time favourite venues, Leighton House. It took my breath away, or (to quote The Independent's Charlotte Philby) "It has never looked better."

Bovingdons have been a listed caterer at this Holland Park gem for fifteen years and I must admit we have missed it dearly over the last 17 months. Leighton House has always been of those rare venues that feels both extravagant and intimate, opulent and elegant. I imagine this is why it has always been a favourite venue amoungst media and publishing fraternities.

If you would like a shortcut to their rapidly filling diary, call me quickly.

* Hidden Treasure: London's Leighton House is about to re-open after a £1.6m facelift, The Independent, Saturday 6 March 2010
* Leighton House Museum will open after revamp, The Metro, Monday 9th March
* Front Row (listen again), BBC Radio 4

Very Vegetarian

2010-03-01T09:43:00.000Z

It’s very rare (but not unusual) for me to be asked to cater a whole event for one special diet – although once or twice a year we do find ourselves creating a completely vegetarian menu. More often than not, the host presents us with a range of meat / no meat related menu requirements that need to be met anything from religious considerations and ethical sympathies, to fad trends and phobias (yes food phobias) and everything in-between.

Whilst I am a definite carnivore, my sympathies truly go out to those poor guests destined to spend most of the wedding season eating quiche and roulade because of uncreative, uncaring catering. I always design any special diets around a main menu and find something that looks similar. This level of attention to detail always helps a host to show that they care. For example...

Canapes

(these example cover all bases and are delicious for all guests)

Tea marbled quail’s eggs with smoked paprika and herb mayonnaise

Shots of warm white bean cappuccino with lemon oil

Brick pastry parcels of artichoke hearts, parsley and lemon

Broad bean falafel with pecorino and a fresh mint dipping sauce

Bamboo pots deep fried feta with prism skewers

Vegetarian Buffet

(examples from our first 100% vegetarian wedding of 2010)

Chickpea, spinach and coriander Tagine with apricots and dates

Warm cous cous with quinoa, orange and pistachios

Cauliflower and cumin fritters with lime yoghurt

Roasted sweet red peppers filled with Kosheri rice

Roasted winter vegetables with sage and roasted garlic

Jerusalem artichoke and Swiss chard gallette

Vegan Three Course

(remember vegan often means no dairy or fish as well as no meat)

Saturn bowl of fresh asparagus, artichoke hearts, blistered
cherry tomatoes and avocado, with chervil and mustard dressing

Roasted vegetable stack with marinated aubergine, char grilled zucchini,
piquello peppers on grilled radicchio with pine nuts and salsa verde

Muscat marinated fruits with a fresh mango and vanilla bean sorbet