13 Perfect Canapes for your 2013 Summer Party

Bovingdons help our clients ensure their summer events are "even better than last year".

The tasty menu below works perfectly for a drinks reception with canapés and should be served a lovely Prosecco, with Pimms. Call us for more information 020 8874 8032.

A balanced, delicious menu of bitesize morsels, easy to eat, light yet satisfying.

Vegetarian

Broad bean and pecorino falafel with lemon yoghurt dip

Cucumber cups with feta, mint and parsley

Rosemary shortbreads with goat’s cheese and tomato chutney

Sultana bread croutes with Dolcelatté and balsamic glazed fresh figs

Fish

Wraps of cured salmon with fennel carpaccio

Dukkah crusted, seared tuna loin in smoked paprika

Skewers of lemon grass and chilli marinated king prawns

Meat

Macadamia blini, rare beef, honey and truffle with a rocket pesto

Chicken and lemongrass boudine, toasted jasmine rice and a cucumber relish

Confit duck, savoy cabbage with peach relish

Sweet

Waffle cones of summer sorbets and ice-creams (below)

Spoons of vanilla pannacotta with vanilla infused peaches and lavender syrup

Homemade passion fruit marshmallows

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

A Stylish Italian Wedding: Part 1: The Venue

We enjoyed helping this stylish Italian couple organise their wedding from Rome. They had met in London and had lived near Holland Park, so The Orangery was a perfect and meaningful location for them.

Planning from so far away, Francesca and David keenly took advantage of our bespoke wedding planning services, particularly our suggested suppliers many of whom were used on the day including:

Photos: Kjrsten Madsen http://www.kjrstenmadsenblog.com/2012/07/francesca-david.html

Flowers: Mary Jane Vaughan www.maryjanevaughan.co.uk

Cake: The Cake Parlour www.zoeclarkcakes.com

To see the menu we designed for them, read A Stylish Italian Wedding: Part 2: The Menu 

 Wedding at The Orangery in Holland Park, for details please email infor@bovingdons.co.uk

25 years ago today...

Today is a very special date here at Bovingdons - it is 25 years to the day since Andrew and I started the business. 1987 feels like yesterday!

Although my motto has always been "we're only as good as our last job", this seemed like a prime opportunity for me to share a little of the past with you.

See below - I've compiled a list of 25 things you might not know about Bovingdons. I've included the big milestones, a little nostalgia, some impressive figures and some fond (and not so fond) memories of some of our more notable jobs. I really could write a book!

I've also found a photo of one of our first plates of canapes - I hope it makes you chuckle as much as I did! Thank goodness us caterers left the doilies in the 1980s.

My thanks to all our loyal clients, our fabulous suppliers and my trusted team; the last 25 years have flown by and everyday has been different. One thing that remains the same; the team and I absolutely love the challenges that being an event caterer brings.

2013 is guaranteed to be another vintage year for Bovingdons, you can expect exiting new venue contracts (more details soon), growth, awards and plenty of foodie inspiration from the Bovingdons team. Onwards and upwards!

25 years - 25 facts, figures and memories

1. Bovingdons was incorporated on Sunday 29th November 1987.

2. Our first office was in Esterbrooke Street, SW1 - we're now in our own unit in Wandsworth.

3. We shared our first office with another small foodie start-up called Pret-a-Manger. We supplied their first three shops from 1982 and I think we stopped at 18 shops in 1992.

4. Our first contracted client was Christies. Lunch for eight, three times a week.

5. It only used to cost 20p to park at the meter outside their offices - no congestion charge in the 1980s!

6. Five of our first clients are still our clients today.

7. We feed over 40,000 guests every year, not just in London but at events across the south of England.

8. Most challenging brief - a chocolate menu for a beauty launch held on a 40 degree day in a greenhouse. Mission accomplished.

9. Most expensive menu - £620 a head plus wine and service. Seven spectacular courses for seven very happy diners. Email me if you'd like to know what they ate!

10. Proudest "show must go on" moment - convincing six local restaurants to let us use their ovens to cook a saddle of lamb for 80 when the venue ovens blew.

11. Most stressful moment - running up Victoria High Street to pick up Noilly Prat and gin for HM The Queen Mother (her office had told us "she will not be drinking" - ma'am was not amused!)

12. Worst nightmare - making 500 bowls of jelly for Noel Edmond's Late, Late, Breakfast Show. Urgh.

13. Biggest event - a corporate Christmas party for 3,000 in a marquee in Isleworth. Three courses served to over 3,000 in 1.5 hours, military precision!

14. Quickest main course service - our record is 660 covers in 11 minutes at Vinopolis - the organisers thought it was impossible but we proved them wrong! It was all caught on camera too.

15. Most canapes served in a single night - 12,000, even more impressive when you consider that some of them were made to order!

16. We still make our own bread and stocks - always have, always will.

17. There have only ever been five Head Chefs at Bovingdons.

18. Our longest serving member of staff is our trusted Kitchen Porter Mickey who's been with us for 16 years.

19. We have one of the lowest staff turnovers in the industry with the average stay of 4.5 years.

20. Andrew and I still work on and in the business everyday.

21. The oldest piece of equipment in our kitchen is the radio - it is on every day from 5am until late. Yes the chefs are often singing.

22. We won our first venue contract in 1993 for The Orangery, Holland Park and Leighton House and still cater there today.

23. In 2009 we launched our first venue, Nonsuch Mansion in Cheam, Surrey.

24. We celebrated our 15th birthday in 2003 by rebranding and building ourselves a new thing called a "website" http://www.bovingdons.co.uk.

25. One of the only menu items that's stood the test of time is smoked salmon and leeks nests with quails eggs - a faultless classic.

Thank you for reading! Do stay in touch.

1987 canapes vs 2012 canapes - as you can see, quite a difference!

Private Dinners - Less is More

Here's a photo of our latest private dinner. Less is definitely more.

Starter

Wild mushroom ravioli
served with a light herb emulsion, micro shoots

Main

Loin of monkfish wrapped in pancetta
with olive oil mash, wilted spinach, crispy sage and a natural jus

Dessert

Fresh Vanilla panna cotta, Roasted peach, amaretto syrup and praline wafers

To Finish

Espresso coffee

Biscotti and homemade truffles

The Queen's House - Gold!

We have loved seeing one of our favourite venues, The Queen's House, Greenwich, starring on our screens throughout the equestrian events of these Olympic Games.

If you would like to hold an event at The Queen's House, email us info@bovingdons.co.uk

More photographs here... http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/gallery/2012/jul/31/team-gb-silver-olympics-equestrian-in-pictures#/?picture=393889973&index=0

A Wet, Heartfelt Thank you

A heartfelt thank you from a corporate client whose high profile, outdoor event at Westminster Abbey Gardens was threatened by terrible weather (and a late vote) yet we ensured that 350 guests still had a wonderful time.


Dear Julie,

I know I said it last night but I just wanted to re-iterate the hugest of thank yous to you and your fantastic team for helping to make our event the huge success it turned out to be.

Despite the weather, the votes... you absolutely were integral in making the evening and going beyond the call of duty to help us in other areas outside of your direct remit!

It was the hugest of pleasures to meet and work with you and I could go on for days about the food and cocktails!  But hopefully, suffice to say that I would look to work with you again at the drop of a hat and only hope, firstly that we get the occasion soon, and secondly that you would infact work with us again.

The feedback from the client has already been superlative - I think he may still be under the influence of the gin cocktail, but I'm not going to quibble about that!

I am just beginning to dry out and am not in the least annoyed that the sun has come out today!

Warmest Regards

K

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

The Wedding Planners Wedding - The Menu

Here is the menu from our wedding planner Jade's Cotswold marquee wedding.

Selected Menu

CANAPES 
  - Pancetta rolls of celeriac remoulade with marinated red grapes 
  - Chef David's vegetarian sushi rolls 
  - Little bagels of smoked salmon, cream cheese and chive
  - Ricotta cakes of slow roasted tomato and basil wafers
  - Watermelon cubes of seared beef, wasabi and pickled ginger
START

Tomato Trio: tomato tatin, cherry tomato petit salad and gazpacho shot 
Home made herb bread
MAIN
Lavender and yoghurt marinated leg of English lamb
Served on an individual chopping board, served with big bowls of:
  - Dauphinoise potatos
  - Roasted  summer vegetables
  - Asparagus spears
Condiments of smoked sea salt aioli and redcurrant jelly




DESSERT

For the ladies 
- Fresh vanilla bean panna cotta, lemoncello tapioca and macerated summer berries with mint and Cointreau

For the gents 
- Rich chocolate pave, passion fruit mousse, tropical fruits, chocolate wafers

The Wedding Planners Wedding - The Marquee

One of our team, the wonderful Jade, was married recently and of course the Bovingdons team went with her to the Cotswolds to provide the food. Menu to follow, in the mean time here are some photos of the pristine marquee and incredible dance floor. Photos by Lloyd Dobbie, more here http://www.lloyddobbie.com/2012/07/photographs-from-wedding-cotswolds/

Less Potatoes, No Peas, More Slugs, No Bees - What Wet Weather Means For Food Supplies

This week's news seems to center around the two topics: how to hold a successful event in wet weather and how lack of foresight can lead to a dangerous lack of availability. The lesson is clear: when planning an event, never ignore the warning signs!

Similarly, woe betide the caterer who doesn't note the warning signs around the availability of ingredients, especially at the moment.

This summer's persistent rainfall and general lack of sunshine has meant terrible growing conditions for most British crops. As you can imagine, I have been keeping a very (very) close eye on farming news of late. Planning my menus around the ever-changing availability of ingredients is as important as adapting the event logistics and marquee aesthetics to suit wet weather. 

My two most reliable sources of up-to-date information are:

Syngenta - keeping an eye on news affecting crops Syngenta-Crop.co.uk

Pauleys - for watching out for crops "in the red" Pauleys.co.uk

Here are a few food related points that I noted from the last weeks reports:

Strawberry farmers in some parts of the country are reporting the "worst season in years" whilst others are suffering from a lack of demand as consumers shiver indoors with hot puddings.

BBC News - Are British Strawberries Under Threat?

Potatoes, particularly British varieties, have suffering not only from the wet soil but also the tough harvesting conditions - mud and flooding is not heavy vehicle friendly! The crop is being propped up French imports but it's a shame as I love British potatoes.

Leafy, green vegetables might be lower in quality because of the lack of sun for example broccoli, bok choi, lettuce, Savoy cabbage and curly kale.

Parsnips appear to be the surprise winners of the weather pattern although we're getting a lot of imports from Spain.

Asparagus (a famed British delicacy) has had a very odd season season. After a great early crop in March, we then had to wait for an unprecedented late start of the bulk season which didn't kick off until late May.

British Asparagus Association - End of the Season: Goodbye! 

BBC News - Wet weather hits Somerset asparagus crop 

Pea farmers are worried about a rise in disease because wind and rain creates a "perfect storm" for Botrytis Grey Mould. Wet flowers stick to the leaves and after infection cause the stem and pods to rot.

Syngenta - Wet Weather Raises Risk for Pea Diseases 

Fruit is also affected, not least because rain affects bees ability to pollinate. some farmers are already warning it might be a case of "hunt the apple" come Autumn with some predicting only a tenth of normal crop will be available this year. Imports, again, will be important.

The Argus - Sussex Farmers Count the Cost of Wet Weather

Sadly whilst the bees hate the wet weather the SLUGS love it! 

Deadline News - Wet weather causes Scottish slug population to double

Photo WikiCommons / Guttorm Flatabø

I'm going to have to upload some pictures of my new “Bovingdons” vegetable garden so that you can see how it has been turned into a veritable mollusc hotel!

Other than that, it's all about planning in advance, ordering from the best suppliers and ensuring that the majority of my clients remain blissfully unaware of what is going on in the fields.