Wedding case study - Nicole and John

"I wanted to thank you both for a great day!

I had such a great time at my wedding...much better than ever imagined.I can't believe how lucky we were in the end with the weather...but still I think I would have enjoyed it even with floods.  The organisation was great, the food was delicious, the cocktails, the music,the 'revealed dance floor', and everything ran so smoothly thanks to you. We have had so many compliments on everything you can think of at the wedding!"

Nicole Marsh, Henley on Thames

Nicole and John wanted a wedding day that would reflect both their backgrounds - English and Mexican.  Nicole's mother had been Mexican, and was sadly not around to help with the wedding plans, so it was important to Nicole to find a way to include her mother in her day.

Nicole asked us to help with all aspects of planning the day so we sourced and recommended suppliers for the marquee, bouquets and church flowers, cocktail bar, wedding cake and car, while Nicole sourced the photographer and mariachi band, and the reception flowers were taken care of by a family friend.

The wedding ceremony took place in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Henley. The florists provided a beautiful arch of flowers over the main entrance and decorated each pew end with a beautiful cream rose with ivy and organza ribbon.  The church window sills were filled with cream candles and there was a gorgeous low flower arrangement in front of the altar.

Nicole and John then travelled by Beauford Tourer, from London Legend, to the reception which was held in an L-shaped marquee in the garden of John's parents.

There the English & Mexican theme continued, with frozen lime, melon or strawberry margheritas and Pimms and lemonade arrival drinks, and the guests were entertained during the drinks reception by a traditional Mexican mariachi band.  Canapes were served, again a mix of Mexican and English, along with dipping bowls of guacamole and tortilla chips.

The L-shaped marquee was comprised of a welcome foyer with chill out areas, in which the bar was set up, and then off to the left was the main dining area, beautifully decorated in ivory and creams, with gorgeous arrangements of traditional English country flowers including roses and peonies in creams and pinks.  In the archway between the two areas was the white chocolate wedding cake, decorated with summer berries.

The wedding breakfast started with goats cheese and red onion marmalade tartlets and moved on to a pre-ordered choice of fillet of beef medallions with pink peppercorn sauce & dauphiniose potatoes or fillet of sea bass on a bed of crushed new potatoes and artichoke hearts.  Dessert was the wedding cake with a delicious summer berry compote and fresh cream.

After dinner, and the speeches, the mood changed and the Mexican flavour really took over.  The chillout marquee was lit up with red and orange uplighters, stunning bright hot-house flower arrangements appeared and the dividing lining wall was spectacularly ripped away to reveal a hidden black and white dance floor and swing band. 

Nicole and John had told us of a wedding they'd been to in Brazil, were the guests were able to make their own cocktails from a selection of white spirits - either rum, vodka or gin and add in fruits from the bowls on top of the bar full of berries.  We arranged for the same idea, with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, the range of spirits and mixers and a couple of flair bar tenders thrown in!  The guests really got into the 'spirit' of it (sorry!) and a great many cocktails were sampled.

The evening food was also Mexican - steak fajitas cooked in a giant pan in front of the guests and served with soft tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, grated cheese, shredded lettuce and salsa.

The party went on until well into the night, and the next morning we were back there to clear away the debris!  John and Nicole had such a wonderful day that they have subsequently recommended us to many family and friends.

If you'd like to tailor-make your wedding day to suit any aspect of your life or heritage, then why not give us a call - our bespoke service means we can be as flexible as you need us to be, and with weddings being the investment they are, why not be sure you're paying for something you really want, unique to you?

Look who came to tea!

Yesterday, we spent a beautifully sunny day by the banks of the Thames, watching boats glide past in the water, families picnicking around us, Pimms on tap....  And then around about 4pm, Sir Matthew Pinsent himself dropped by for a cup of tea and piece of fruit cake!


Sounds idyllic doesn't it?  We were lucky enough to be asked to provide the catering for the Henley Boat Races 2012, which sees the Oxford and Cambridge University boat teams pitted against each other for a series of races, with the finish line being up by Temple Island Meadow.  

We were set up in a marquee, offering hog roast pork baps, barbecue burgers and hot dogs, some lovely middle eastern inspired kebabs using prime Copas turkey, and delicious carrot and sesame burgers for our vegetarian friends.  Along with this was a selection of fresh fruit and snacks, with some tasty homemade cakes to round off the day.  The 'Best Chocolate Brownies in the Universe' were definitely the best sellers!

We also had a full bar service on offer, who provided draught Brakspears bitter, along with a selection of other draught products, wines and ciders and soft drinks.

We had a fabulous day, everyone was in such high spirits, the sunshine really made the day, and we can't wait to be asked back again next year!  


Our thanks to Devinia and Hugh for letting us be involved.

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.

That's the way to do it!

Further to my recent blog post regarding vintage tea parties and their resurgence in popularity, take a look at this amazing post on The Pretty Blog for some real inspiration!

Quirky Tea Party - pink & turquoise decor inspiration.


Now I'm off to pretty up my plans for tomorrow's market stall decor!

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Now, let's face it, how many of us could cope with 60 years in the same job?  


Although there are clearly some perks to being Queen - nice houses, travel for work, extensive clothing allowance.....  


Anyway, celebrating the Jubilee seems like a great excuse for a party, and if you missed out on a street party for last year's big Royal event, the wedding, then maybe you're thinking of getting something organised for this year?  




But you don't know where to start, right?  So go along to www.thebiglunch.com, where there are some great ideas and a pack you can request which includes posters and invitations - everything you need to get the ball rolling. 

And if you want some inspiration for a theme, then why not go Best of British, or do some research and get everyone to bring a dish from each of the 6 decades.  

And don't forget the themeing - disposable bunting, plates, cups, napkins even multi tier cake stand and sandwich stands are all available to really set the mood - how about a union jack printed chocolate bar for each guest? We know just the place for these...






Let us know if you've got anything planned, and we'll keep you up to date with anything else we hear about.  Don't forget to invite us along - we'll bring the best chocolate brownies in the universe!

More tea, Vicar?!

We're very excited to be working on a new collaboration with our friends at Fuschia Design.  Fuschia provide beautiful vintage china hire and also themeing and dressing items for all kinds of events, and we're teaming up to offer beautiful vintage afternoon tea parties.

With scrumptious menus including delicious sandwiches and rolls and homemade cakes, not forgetting of course, scones, jam and cream, there's also a lovely selection of teas.


For that special occasion, or something a little more grown up, why not upgrade and include a glass of Pimms or even Champagne for your guests?


We'll be writing more about this exciting new development over the coming days, and hopefully sharing some lovely images of Fuschia's vintage china, along with some of their themeing ideas.