Planning your wedding menu can seem like a daunting endeavour. From establishing a per-person budget to selecting your food choices, all while accommodating a variety of dietary preferences, figuring out where to begin can pose quite a challenge. We spoke to Gareth Palmer, founder of luxury event caterers Vanilla Bean, for advice.

"Canapés should be a sophisticated way to line the stomach whilst the cold champagne flows."

 

A wedding breakfast needs to be planned well beforehand to arrive at the perfect menu. We start with the 3-course format and then immerse ourselves in what our couple loves to eat/a particular country's food, and what time of year they will celebrate (autumn, winter, spring, summer wedding). Once we have this information, we then design a menu that is perfect and represents the couple. The couple will then sample this menu at our detailed wedding meeting. Following this, once all dietary guests have RSVP, we would design dishes to suit all guests so everyone experiences an exceptional dining experience on the day.

The best way to create a budget for catering is to speak to your caterer, as they will be able to advise you on the preferred format, menu, styling options and staffing levels. Once you have these main elements pinned down, you should receive a quotation with a complete breakdown so that you know exactly what you're spending your budget on.

We advise not to serve staining items like beetroot pork dishes due to a drop in popularity and unsustainable produce.

The reception is a vital part of the day. When the bride and groom have their photos taken, get time to catch up with guests over a glass of champagne. Canapés should be a sophisticated way to line the stomach whilst the cold champagne flows. We recommend 4-6 canapes as you don't want to fill up before the wedding breakfast.

We have a vast range of canapes to entertain guests, but an interactive canape station is a great way to add some theatre. Popular choices this year have been sharing starters, which are excellent icebreakers for guests around the table when passing these plates to each other. A dessert carousel of miniature desserts brought to each table is a lovely way to finish a meal.

It is all about guidance from the professionals, ensuring that your 100 + guests all have the same wow experience when tasting the food. The most common pitfall is when couples try to please all dietaries with their menu choice when they should focus on their perfect menu. We will always take care of all dietary guests with a special menu.

The increase in dietary requests has moved from 2% 15 years ago to around 20%. It is important to offer the same experience to all diners, so we tend to replicate each course with the dietary or allergen replacement. We would rather do this than sacrifice 80% of the room with a compromised dish.

The best way to create a budget for catering is to speak to your caterer; they will be able to advise you on the preferred format, menu, styling options and staffing levels. Once you have these main elements pinned down, you should receive a quotation with a full breakdown so that you know exactly what you're spending your budget on.

A few factors influence the costs, for example, how long we would be looking after the guests, which could range from 8 to 15 hours. Also, ingredients tend to adjust the menu price if you want scallops as a starter with a fillet of beef main course. A vast range of detailed tableware makes the dining space look stunning; this does have slight variations in costs.

Torched British mackerel, plankton risotto, artichoke hearts and balsamic caviar

Ballotine of poached chicken, tarragon mayonnaise, pomegranate and frisee salad

Crispy Burford blue egg, asparagus nest and velouté, split paprika and lemon oil

Fillet steak, cherrywood smoked cheek, triple cooked chips, tomato jam, shitake mushroom, rich veal jus

Smoked saddle of lamb, wild garlic stuffing, purple truffle mash, chargrilled tender stem broccoli,

redcurrant & rosemary jus

Roasted loin of monkfish, smoked Alsace, white beans, lemon and sauvignon sauce

Assiette of strawberries, lemon marshmallow and vanilla macaron

Chilled chocolate fondant, salted butter caramel, toasted hazelnuts

Rhubarb & custard “trifle”, toffee crumble, rhubarb foam

Staffing levels are based on the activities and the complexity of the food and drink service. We advise starting with one experienced staff member to look after ten guests.

Vanilla Bean Event Catering

At Vanilla Bean Events, we specialise in premium-level event catering for private parties, weddings and corporate events. Food is our passion, and so is creating incredible occasions. 

Contact us here.