November Big Picture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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