Thank you!

Dear Julie,

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

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

Nothing was too much trouble, our guests were looked after extremely well and every detail was executed beautifully!  Words cannot capture just how fantastic a day Ted and I had, and Bovingdons played the leading role in ensuring that was the case. 

It was also such fun organising it with you and I want to say a really heartfelt thank you for that - never has a control freak felt 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

Brain Food: How to Keep Delegates Awake

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

Matching Venue to Menu

“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

Thoughts on a hog roast

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

When it comes to discussing wedding menus with my clients, the ‘hog roast question’ 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 all squeamish (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 their high heels, trying to eat a hot bap elegantly without ruining their manicure or dropping ketchup on their beautiful dresses, tutting as their other halves wipe greasy hands on their new suit trousers. Please, if you are having a hog roast, mark it clearly on your invitation so that people come prepared wearing wedge heels and with wet wipes to hand.

3.  …it was all his idea

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

4.  …you’re worried about the weather

Hog roasts involve fire so cannot be done indoors, hence good weather is essential. In the UK it can rain on up to 200 days of the year, so I urge every couple planning their reception in Britain to “hope for the best but plan for the worst”. However, if you are willing to bet that your wedding day will be on one of those precious remaining 165 days (minus those in freezing winter) then go for it. If you are set on an outdoor extravaganza, better to move the location to Bondi Beach or Provence.

5.  …you want a relaxed atmosphere

Hog roasts (like buffets) do not, as you might think, provide a relaxed ‘eat what you like when you like’ meal. In fact the opposite can be true. The hungry people rush in first, other guests wait politely and end up with less, family cliques move 20 chairs round one table and (ironically) a lot of guests choose to sit and wait for someone else to bring them their food anyway. If you really want a relaxed 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 roast but never a particularly pretty way. For good, see Vintage at Goodward, for bad see local rugby club. No two hog roast providers offer the same thing, 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, embellished bridal 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 bustiers look 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 their own pig for the purpose of having it butchered for their wedding. They provided the finishing touches to the meal (herbs, greens, flowers) making it so very personal. I love creating bespoke menus; it is a message to your guests and a reflection of who you are. We had the most amazing day in their Orchard and it all felt absolutely right.

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

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

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!

Multi-Sensory Eating

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.

Christmas Cracker: 45 Millbank

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/.

Five Unforgivable Wedding Food Faux Pas

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.

How to Throw a Corporate Ceilidh

Last week marked Burns Night and, as regular readers of our old newsletters will know, a time that we highly recommend you consider as an alternative for festive entertaining. Deck your chosen venue in tartan, with heather floral displays on every table and wow your guests with a Chieftain Haggis ceremony, lots of whisky tots and (of course) a piper. This menu was created for challenging clients who needed us to ensure that every ingredient of an otherwise traditional menu reflected their proud Scottish heritage and include plenty their own brand of premium whiskey.

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,

Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!

Aboon them a' ye tak your place,

Painch, tripe, or thairm:

Weel are ye wordy of a grace

As lang's my arm.

Canapés

Oatcakes topped with Lanark blue cheese and fig

Venison sausages with port amd redcurrant sauce

Filo tartlets with Finnan haddock mousse

Starter

Smoked Scottish salmon, baby salad leaves

with homemade brown bread, Ballantine’s butter and lemon wedge

Haggis

 wi’ bashit neeps an’ champit tatties

Main

 Roast sirloin of Scottish beef, roast potatoes, braised red cabbage,

fine green beans and a rich whisky jus

Dessert

 Pear and thyme tart
served with whisky cream

Afters

 Fresh teas and tisanes

with tablet and whisky truffles

Free Thinking "Free from" Menus

For some reason January seems to be the time of year when clients begin to worry about the health of their guests, perhaps after information gleaned and lessons learnt around the festive dinner tables.
Many of my clients are apologetic about allergies but in fact I love the challenge of finding a menu that delights and surprises their more sensitive guests.

Gluten Free

Salmon trio – tartar, Gravadlax and parfait with micro shoots and herbs

Rack of Salt Marsh lamb with creamed golden polenta

and a symphony of summer vegetables

White chocolate and passion fruit bavarois with summer fruit compote

Wheat Free

Aubergine palette - involtini, walnut, parsley stuffed baby aubergine

and Iman bayaldi with wild rocket with chargrilled wheat free flat breads

Roasted fillet of scotch beef on a lemon and thyme new potato cake,

fine French beans and homemade Béarnaise sauce

Lemon and banana parfait with Verona chocolate and banana wafers

Nut Free

Ham Hock and Foie Gras terrine

with round lettuce hearts and curried apple compote

Toasted brioche

Pan roasted filet of Sea bream on a roasted garlic

and spinach pomme puree with pepperade and a lemon beurre blanc.

Trio of citrus – lemon brulee, fresh lime cheesecake and blood orange sorbet

It is important for me to point out that unfortunately although a caterer can select an allergen free menu choice,  it is viturally impossbile to guarentee an allergen free kitchen. When I am working on a nut-free menu we sanitise everything and remove nuts from the kitchens but this merely reduces the risk of trace rather than irradiating it.

Winter Feasting

Food is a winner in the winter and there is possibly never a better time in the year for a foodie to wed. The cold compels us all to seek solace from our plates, to gather with other like minds, to feast, indulge and celebrate.

If you are seeking inspiration for a winter menu, think British and focus on seasonal. Winter is the time when the tastiest of ingredients come to fruition and markets groan with fabulous and inspiring ingredients ready to be transformed into comforting feasts.

Whilst most foods are available all year round, they can taste awful when eaten out of context with the season. Never trust a caterer who wants to serve you strawberries in December!

My advice when planning a winter or late autumn menu is to go for a hot starter with homemade bread, a deep and rich main and a nostalgic favourite for desert. Mouthwatering and delicious.

IDEAS: Forest mushroom soup, dark venison, local game, Cumberland sausages, braised red cabbage, sticky toffee pudding, molten chocolate fondant, fruit crumbles, jugs of hot chocolate...

Waitrose Magazine - The Professionals

Five experts come to the aid of the party - yours. It's a big once-a-year occasion and you'll want to get it right.

(I was asked for my opinion for their Christmas season edition magazine, here it is)

When organising a party, think "less is more". People often try to get clever and complicated - and then can't deliver. Concentrating on quality elements is key. With drinks, don't offer too much choice, but be sure to have something for everybody.

Soft drinks should reflect the alcoholic drinks in every way: colour, look and glass - so it isn't obvious who is not drinking. With mulled wine, make a separate batch by the same method, but with low-alcohol wine, it should taste the same. Find a low-alcohol alternative beer too.To make a soft cocktail, mix Bottlegreen Ginger and Lemongrass cordial with sparkling water and a stick of lemongrass to stir. Schloer also does a lovely sparkling red grape, elderberry and clove drink.