Long Table at The Orangery

Our own snaps of a beautiful long table at The Orangery in Holland Park. Less is so often more.

A Stylish Italian Wedding Part 2: The Menu

Start

English asparagus duo 

Asparagus vichyssoise 

Petite salad with quails eggs

Home made herb bread a wide selection 

of semi dried tomato, rosemary and olive breads

Main

Guinea fowl: breast and confit leg

with smoked garlic mash potato, savoy cabbage, 

French beans and char-grilled courgettes

Baked butternut squash, feta, sage and pinenut strudel

with smoked garlic mash potato, savoy cabbage,

French beans and char-grilled courgettes

Finish

Apple tart tartin with rich vanilla icecream

Espresso coffee, teas and petit fours served to the table

To see other photos, see A Stylish Italian Wedding: Part 1: The Venue

Photos by Kjersten Madden http://www.kjrstenmadsenblog.com/2012/07/francesca-david.html 
For more information on Weddings at The Orangery in Holland Park email us info@bovingdons.co.uk

The Orangery, Holland Park

The most beautiful photo shoot arranged and styled by The Ebury Collection and taken by Sarah Gawler.
See more here...
http://www.theeburycollection.com/wedding-blog/A-styled-wedding-shoot-at-The-Orangery-Holland-Park-367/

Dresses: Claire Pettibone, Amanda Garrett, Cymbeline and veil all Blackburn Bridal / Venue: The Orangery, Holland Park / Photographer: Sarah Gawler / Model: Zsanett from MOT / Stylist: Hannah Gooch / Styist Assistant: Emily Nicholson / Florist: LK Lily / Hair and Make-up: Daniel K Palmer / Stationery: Artcadia / Cakes: Victoria Made / Table linen: The Linen Works / Jewellery: Alex Monroe / Plates: John Lewis / Bell Jar: Ebury Home and Garden / Cutlery: Zara Home

Birthday Dinner at The Orangery

The Brief

A relaxed summer party in the park, laid back Italian sophistication meets high class West London style. A warm, friendly greeting and champagne reception, a seated dinner with informal and impromptu toasts throughout, coffee, cake, cheese and digestives in the marquee on the lawn and cocktails  and conversation into the night.
The Menu
Canapes
  - Rare roast fillet of beef on watermelon cubes with pickled ginger and coriander
  - Chorizo and Cumberland sausages with roasted red pepper ketchup
  - Ricotta cakes with slow roasted vine tomatoes and basil wafers
  - Smoked salmon, poached quails egg on brioche croute with hollandaise
  - Mini bagels of smoked salmon and cream cheese

Start 

Home cured salmon, fennel carpaccio, pink grapefruit with purple shiso and radish salad

Great seeded granary sour dough bread

Main

Breast of guinea fowl filled with spinach and ricotta, confit of leg, smoked garlic mash, wilted greens and tarragon jus

Desert 

Retro Trio of chocolate profiteroles, strawberry and blueberry pavlova and a Sicilian lemon cheesecake

Cheese

An elegant grazing station full of delicious and yummy cheeses

Drinks

  - Champagne

  - Peroni

  - Apple Fez (soft cocktail)

  - Bottles of Russian Vodka at the table for shots

  - Gavi di Gavi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortese_di_Gavi

Late Evening Cocktails 

  - Express Martini

  - Amaretto Sour

  - Lemoncello fizz

Here is the thank you from the grateful ospite...

"Well it is now one month since the big event at The Orangery and I have been travelling quite a lot since then so I have not had the chance to email you, but I do want to say that it really was the most FANTASTIC evening.  It took me at least two weeks to recover from all the fun.

The tent worked brilliantly for pre and post dinner drinks, so glad we had it.  The food was wonderful...everyone has commented on this, and the late evening cocktails were VERY popular.  And the beer and champagne were COLD. And there were no olives or capers to be seen anywhere !!!

The organiser for the evening, Tony, was excellent and so accommodating...

Thanks again for everything...Bovingtons are THE BEST"

BW

Big Picture: Lemon Posset

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

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

Birthday Celebrations: The Thank you

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

Thank you

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

Political Event at Leighton House

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

A thousand thank yous...

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

Small is beautiful and this wedding celebration was certainly both. Rachel and Guillaume were looking for a venue 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 brief perfectly. One long table down the middle provided the perfect intimate platform for their specially chosen menu. The was filled with plenty of speeches and laughter in between every course.

Start

Chermoula red mullet and braised baby fennel
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

Vanilla pannacotta with oven roasted peaches in amaretto syrup and almond praline

Seven Course Summer Heaven

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

March Big Picture

The Orangery Holland Park decked out for a recent ceremony.