Eight questions to ask your caterer.

When planning a wedding there are a multitude of things to consider, across a range of suppliers.  Most of our clients, especially those planning a wedding, have never used caterers before and so other than the obvious questions such as menu choices, cutlery and china patterns and colour of the tablecloths, many of the more mundane, but still essential, questions go unasked.  Some of these questions may well apply to other suppliers too.

We thought it would be helpful to put together a little checklist of things you ought to know....

1) How many other weddings or events is your caterer involved with on your event date?

Unlike many caterers, we limit the number of events we work on each day so we can be sure only the best and most trusted staff work on your event.  It also means that, in the main, the Thames people you speak to from the start will work with you throughout the process and be there on the day, so you can be sure of a friendly face and know that your event team know all the carefully planned details.  This way you know that your event isn't just another day to us.

2) Who from your caterer's team will be there to manage your event on the day?

Again, because we limit the number of events, you will have ample opportunity to get to know your likely event manager over the planning period, and it will usually be one of the company's directors.  If there is a reason why another event manager will be working on your event, then we will always make sure you have met that person well before the event.  It is this level of personal hands-on service that we believe makes the difference.

putting the final touches to a marquee wedding

3) What is the staff to guest ratio?

We assign staff levels depending on the size of the event and the venue.  We allocate a service team of six waiters per 80-100 guests or 8 -10 tables. If there are more than 100 guests, we repeat the formula, so no team has to deal with more than 100 guests.  If there were 140 guests, for example, there would be 2 teams looking after 70 guests each, 400 guests would be 4 teams, and so on. Each team has at least one chef, depending on the menu type.  Each service team has a team leader and there is an overall Event Manager.  For larger events our Head Chef will oversee the kitchen.

4) Is the food prepared on-site or cooked elsewhere and transported hot or reheated?

temporary kitchen

We want our food to reach you at it's best, and that means freshly cooked for service.  If your venue doesn't have a kitchen, we can provide a temporary facility, including ovens, hot cupboards etc.  Under certain rare circumstances where there is no facility to cook on site, such as Henley Town Hall, and where the venue is within a short distance of our kitchen, we can transport food hot, although we prefer not to do this.

5) Does your caterer use strictly fresh and seasonal ingredients, or do they use frozen and pre-prepared products?

Thames Catering's chefs use the freshest and highest quality ingredients, and where possible we source these from local suppliers.  All meat and eggs are free-range and we will use organic produce if available within the client's budget.  All our dishes are made for you from scratch by our chefs.

6) Does your caterer employ their own staff or use an agency?

We have an excellent team of waiting staff and chefs that we use for our events.  We recruit them ourselves and train them where needed, ensuring high levels of friendly and discreet service.  On larger events, we may supplement these with agency staff, but we have one agency that we work with on a regular basis and who tries to send us a core team of staff for our events, so they all know how we work and what standards we expect.

The team at Henley Boat Races, 2012, Temple Island Meadow

7) What insurance cover and licences does your caterer have?

All caterers must hold food hygiene certification, so make sure you ask to see a copy of the certificate.  We also have public and product liability insurance to the value of £5m and employers liability insurance to the value of £1m.  Lastly, we are personal licence holders for the sale and supply of alcohol, and if your venue doesn't hold a premises licence, we will be happy to obtain a TEN for your event.

8) How will your caterer go above and beyond to provide a unique experience for you and your guests?

With our superb food and professional and efficient event management service, we make sure every event is a day to remember for our clients.  We offer an unparalleled level of flexibility in planning both menus and front of house details with all our clients, giving a genuinely bespoke service.  Our On The Day service means clients can relax and enjoy their event knowing all the other little details are safe in our hands.

A little thank you from one of our clients

Henley Boat Races

This weekend will be a new experience for us - we're providing the catering for the Henley Boat Races being held on the river in.... yes, you've guessed it, Henley-on-Thames.


We're going to be based in a marquee up at Temple Island Meadows, and are providing a range of yummy dishes, including roast pork baps with stuffing and apple sauce, 1/4lb homemade burgers with the works, hot dogs, carrot and sesame burgers for the veggies, and a whole host of fantastic home made cakes.  There's fruit and salads too for those more health-conscious visitors!  

In addition to the lovely food, we've got a full bar, serving draught bitter from Brakspears, who are sponsoring the event, as well as other beers and lagers, cider, wine and a few spirits.


Temple Island Meadows are up at the start of the famous Henley Royal Regatta course, and are an ideal location for any type of event.  We have catered for weddings on the site, with gorgeous marquees being provided by Henley Contracting, and with ample parking or mooring available alongside, you can choose to arrive by car or other vehicle or by boat. The venue lends itself brilliantly to either a formal sit-down meal, or something a little different and more relaxed such as a Thai banquet cooked in giant pans in front of your guests, or a barbecue.  Last year we provided a full Dubai brunch themed wedding reception with a range of Middle Eastern dishes being cooked on barbecues in an open kitchen area and then served to the guests via different buffet stations.


If you'd like further information on catering at Temple Island Meadows, drop us an email and we'll be happy to discuss your event. 

Summer Celebrations 2012

Following on from our last post about ideas for the Jubilee, we've come up with two great special offers to help get your party plans underway.


Both would be fantastic ways of celebrating the event, especially with that long weekend of 2nd - 5th June, stretching ahead of us, just crying out for a social event, whether you're a royalist or not!  Our afternoon tea offer is just the thing to give a bit of style to your weekend get-togethers with friends and family


Of course if the royal events are not your thing, then there's a summer of sporting prowess to either cheer about or cry about! 

Starting with Euro 2012 from 8th June until 1st July when hopefully a new England Manager will lead us into European football glory - will we all be using Shakespeare's immortal words: "The game's afoot: Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'"

Wimbledon next, starting on the 25th June, and with Andy Murray's recent defeat of Djokovic, dare we pray for English glory in the men's final on 8th July? And what of the ladies? Not much hope of a British victory there I suspect, but could Venus Williams add her 6th victory to edge closer to Navratilova's record of 9 wins?  In true Wimbledon style, strawberries and cream would be the perfect end to either of our offer suggestions.

And then, on 27th July, London 2012 starts with the opening ceremony.  Can we play the home team advantage and come away with a decent clutch of gold medals, and heads held high until the closing ceremony on 12th August? 


Hardly time to draw breath before the Paralympics, from 29th August to 9th September.  From humble beginnings as a rehabilitation programme for injured British servicemen held in Stoke Mandeville in 1948, this has grown into an International spectacle. Traditionally Great Britain does well at these games, and since 1960, we are 3rd on the overall medals table with 1447 in total, behind Germany and the US, although we're joint top of the golds table with 23.


Phew! If that hasn't got you all excited and in the mood for a party, I don't know what will!  So, here's the details of our offers - go on, take us up on them - you know you want to!


1) Save £200 on your summer garden party

Celebrate 2012 in Britain with a party at home, and we will provide a chef and giant pan free of charge.

Choose from dishes such as:

Paella

Fajitas

Indian or Thai curries

Oriental stir fries

Jambalaya

Applies to events held between 1^st April and 30^th August 2012.

Themed disposable partyware also available – ask for details.

  

2) Free vintage china hire on afternoon tea parties for Diamond Jubilee Weekend

Up to 10 guests.

Offer applies to events booked by 30^th April for 2^nd – 5^th June inclusive.

Offer is subject to availability.

Equals a saving of £100.00.

Contact us and quote 'pan2012' or 'tea2012' to take advantage of these great offers.

5 things to consider when choosing a caterer

For the majority of our clients, contacting us about their big event is the first time they've ever dealt with a caterer.  Not to mention the fact that with the kind of investment a wedding represents, for example, it's always wise to get more then one competitive quote. It's a daunting prospect with all the different types of menus and quotes, so here's a few things to think about.


1) Are they genuinely like for like quotes?

So you've narrowed down your food choices so that in theory your potential suppliers are quoting on a like for like basis.  Before you make a decision based purely on price, arrange a tasting with the chosen short listed caterers, and make sure the food quality and presentation styles are the same.

If the companies you're looking at are of similar size and market area, there will be a reason why one is several hundreds of pounds cheaper and it could well be the standard of the ingredients they use.  Remember, budgets notwithstanding, you get what you pay for.


2) Added value

Once you've worked out the quotes all include the same equipment, staff, and other fixed costs, find out what extras the supplier will be giving you that you're not being 'charged' for.

For instance, when you want a meeting, how flexible are they on times and places, and how many times will they be willing to meet you?

Equally, how willing are they to provide additional advice about elements of the day, particularly if it affects their profit margin.  For example, if you're about to invest time and money in sourcing vintage crockery for your wedding for 150, will they be willing to provide you with a list of what you need, and advise you whether items will be suitable for the use you're planning?

Can they recommend additional suppliers, such as florists, bands, venues etc, and at what stage of the process will they offer that advice - from the beginning or strictly once the contract's signed?


3) Flexibility of menu

Weddings and events are undoubtedly expensive things!  When you're working with the caterer to decide a menu are you getting what YOU want, or are they telling you what you can have?

Obviously there are parameters within which everyone has to work, such as budget, venue restrictions, practicality of producing the finalised menu for 200 guests in a tent in the middle of a field!

But that aside, if you want to incorporate elements into the day, such as the national dish of your fiance's Finnish homeland (yes, we've done that!), how willing are your short list to let you do that?


4) Event Management

Many caterers will say an event manager is included in your quote, but make sure you find out just how broad the service is - is it just where the food service side is related, or will it cover other things?

For instance will they make sure all your other suppliers have their mobile number so if the band gets lost on the way to the venue, none of your wedding party has to interrupt the enjoyment of the speeches to go and deliver directions? 

What happens if someone runs over the cable to the portaloos, and suddenly they stop working?  Will the event manager deal with that discreetly so you never even know about it, or will one of your ushers be crawling through the flower beds in his rented morning suit trying to find the problem...?  


5) References

Tastings are fantastic - we recommend them to all our potential clients as it makes a huge contribution to establishing a warm working relationship.

However, any caterer should be able to produce a menu for two in their production kitchen.  The big question is whether they can do that for 80 in a village hall with no kitchen facilities.

Ask them for contact details for previous clients who have had similar events and menus to yours and do take up the references.  (Bear in mind, of course, they are going to give you the names of clients they know they did a good job for!) 

Recipe of the Month

As promised, here's our first Recipe of the Month - chargrilled breast of chicken stuffed with Boursin and spinach, with a cream and white wine sauce.  

So, to start, and the ingredients you need.  These quantities are for two people:

2 x chicken breasts, preferably skin on 

handful of fresh spinach leaves

150g Boursin - you'll only need about a quarter of the pack

seasoning

for the sauce:

150ml white wine

150ml cream

150ml chicken stock

seasoning

OK, so now you've got all those, let's make a start....

We normally buy our chicken breasts from a catering butcher, but for this exercise, we took them from a whole chicken.  If you feel confident enough filleting the chicken, this is a more cost effective way of buying the breasts, and you can then use the remainder of the carcass to make the stock. 

So, feel along the breastbone to find the ridge in the centre and cut along that. Then, with one hand pulling back the breast as you remove it, run the tip of the knife along the carcass to gently remove the breast meat.  Finally cut though the skin to separate it from the leg and wing.  We leave the skin on for the chargrilled effect later, and it also keeps the meat moist as it's cooked.   You should then be left with two plump chicken breasts like so:

Reserving the legs for making something else, you can then chop up the remaining carcass into smaller pieces to make chicken stock for the sauce.  Here's Patrick's instructions for making the stock:

With the carcass that is remaining, I cut this into 8 pieces, and then brown these off in the oven for about 20 minutes on 180°C.

I will then roughly chop a carrot, onion, some garlic and some herbs such as fresh thyme and rosemary.  Brown these off on the stove top in a saucepan with a little bit of olive oil in the bottom to stop them sticking

Keep stirring these vegetables as you don’t want them to catch, otherwise you will have a bitter sauce. Once the 20 minutes is up on the chicken, add the chicken to the vegetables in the saucepan, including any juices and caramelised bits which may have stuck to the bottom of the roasting pan.

Cover these bones and vegetables with cold water, add some salt and pepper, bring to boil, and then let it simmer. Don’t let them boil dry !!!!

What you are looking to do here is reduce the stock right down, this intensifies the flavour, if you don’t reduce it down you get a tasteless stock

After the stock has simmered for 2 hours, sieve into a clean container. You should have around 150ml of lovely, fresh stock.

For those of you who bought the chicken fillets, here's your starting point.

1) remove the inner fillet from the breasts and finely chop to use with the stuffing.


2) pan fry the spinach in a little butter to wilt, and allow to cool.  Once cooled, squeeze to remove any excess liquid and then combine with the Boursin.

3) add in the finely chopped chicken, and mix well

4) Take the chicken breasts and insert a knife through the top edge, to make a pocket for your stuffing.  Make sure you don't push the knife all the way through, but go deep enough to make sure there's room for lots of the lovely garlicky filling.

5) next you need to put the filling mix into a piping bag and push the nozzle into the pocket in the chicken breast.

6) Squeeze the bag until the pocket is full of the filling mix

7) Next is the chargrilling bit.  We use a griddle pan for this, to create the stripes across the skin, but you could use a barbecue grill or even a hot metal skewer to give the same effect.  Remember, this is just for colour and presentation, not to cook through, you'll do that later in the oven.

Once the surface is chargrilled, turning the chicken through 90° to get the criss-cross effect, transfer to a clean tray or plate, lined with baking parchment if you have some, and season with salt and crushed black pepper.  

Once that's done, cover with cling film and put in the fridge till you're ready to finish cooking them.

8) When ready, cook the chicken breasts in the oven at 180°C. for 20-25 minutes depending on their size. 

9) OK, next make the sauce, which should take a few minutes, and again it's over to Patrick for this part... 

Taking 150ml of chicken stock (either the fresh stock you made from the carcass, or make up 150ml using stock cubes), add it to some finely chopped shallot in a frying pan and cook without colour.

Add 150ml of white wine once the onions become transparent, and simmer to reduce again so you have taken the acidity off the wine.

Then add a 150ml of double cream (NOT SINGLE).

Reduce down so it thickens enough to coat the back of a tea spoon. Correct the seasoning. Do not over reduce it otherwise you will end up with a salty sauce

The sauce will be ready to serve now

10) Once the chicken breasts are cooked and the sauce is ready, slice the chicken breasts across, into four pieces, and arrange on your warmed plate.  Pour the sauce over.

11)  Add your potatoes and vegetables of choice, and you're ready to go.

Why not make this for that special someone next Tuesday (Valentine's Day) and really impress them?

So, there it is, the first recipe of the month.  What did you think?  Too long? Enough photos? Too much detail? Not enough?  Please let us have your feedback in the comments section below - but be kind, it's only the first one!