Food Glorious Food

Hello everyone, 

Ahh January! The hated month of many. Christmas is long gone, Summer is so far and yet the sickness of Valentine's day is nearing with all its mushy mushy-ness! Payday is long-awaited and the weekends never seem long enough. Getting back to work and into the swing of things is hard and truth be told I have not enjoyed the first few weeks of "my year" yet. That being said, there was one thing I wanted to get out the way, over and done with, booked and confirmed. The Wedding Catering. 

After months, nearly an entire year of searching for catering I had finally settled on something  Mr Warehouse and I were happy with. I wanted canapes and fizz reception followed by a proper sit-down meal with a starter and main, followed by a nice piece of the wedding cake to finish. Mr Warehouse, however, wanted something really relaxed and informal, street food or buffet style, everyone helping themselves when they want, how they want and what they want. A free-for-all. But we needed structure. We need to have some level of formality as to the meal as this is going to form part of our speeches and will support the following goings-on such as the cutting of the cake, first dance, etc. 

After searching around for everything from Mexicana dishes to pizza vans to fish and chips, but nothing really hit the mark. I started looking at what a simple two-course menu would look like, maybe soup or prawn cocktail and a chicken breast something dinner with seasonal vegetables. However, after settling on that as our wedding breakfast we soon realised the cost of it all and how ridiculous the price seemed to spike as soon as you mention it's for a wedding. 

Whilst it was very much me, it wasn't much of Mr Warehouse and I felt his disappointment. With this in mind, we went back to the drawing board, Mr Warehouse and I took inspiration from what we love most about other peoples weddings or events we have been to. We loved hog roasts. Everything about it was us, the stuffing and the meat, sauces and oh lordy the crackling, all wrapped together in a bun. Perfect weather you are sober and even better when your half cut. It feeds many and looks good. Perfect choice. If only they could carve off the meat and serve it to the tables with vegetables and other sides? If only they could provide a starter? 

So I asked. A lot of them immediately said that they couldn't provide starters and that serving to the tables was simply a no-no. Others just never came back to us. That whittled the list down considerably. We had approximately ten suppliers that could do all of what we were asking, but the longer that we went on talking to the companies in particular, the more they seemed to be able to offer or quote us for, including proper crockery and cutlery, saving someone (probably my Dad and our groomsmen) doing the washing up the following day. Another one was able to top that and add in table linen to the quotation, again saving us as the bride and groom the job of buying it all, housing it all, storing it all for months before transporting it to our venue. And then after we have the inevitable task of having to sell it. 

And some of the menus! Wow! Starters that consist of goats cheese and caramelised onion tart, smooth pate with melba toast and freshly baked bread. Another supplier was offering Tomato Bruschetta with pesto and another caterer pushing the boat out with "A Selection of Fine Italian Meats- Including Prosciutto Parma Ham And Salami Served With Fine Cheeses Including Buffalo Mozzarella, Parmigiano and Gorgonzola" (although they were one of the most expensive ones coming in at £3,500.00). 

The mains all seemed to be similar with the main theme being the whole roasted pig roasted slowly over flames until succulently sweet and moreish all carved and served by professional chefs. The meat, in any instance of the caterer we choose, would be served with freshly made apple sauce, homemade sage and onion stuffing and professionally presented crackling. Side dishes and accompaniments did vary from supplier to supplier, everything from simple roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables all the way to a zingy salad, tasty pasta or an exotic couscous dish. 

Following the main meal would host the speeches and once people had finished laughing (or crying) dessert would follow that, a nod to our wedding cake, yet to be cut. Three mini cake rounds sandwiched in between lashings of buttercream and finished with some fresh fruit. This would be supplied and provided by our wonderful (if a little lacking on the communication front) cake lady.  

Evening catering I had considered letting Mr Warehouse have his naff buffet idea, but I wanted the fun and socialising to continue into the night so I had thought up an idea of having all sorts of bar snacks on offer. No evening catering so as to speak, just bucket loads (in my head I was thinking literally buckets) of pork scratchings, Bombay mix, nuts, pork pies, cheese, scotch eggs, mini sausages, crisps - Everyone dipping in whilst guzzling a pint or knocking back some shots. No-one seemed to be enthused by the idea and so I settled on asking our already shortlisted caterers if they could provide evening catering, something to warm the cockles of our guests and be a quick and easy something that wasn't too messy for veggies, vegans and meat lovers alike.

That's when Mr Warehouse and I stumbled upon baked potatoes. Perfect! A simplistic idea found on Pinterest of all places, but the variety and unique toppings and dressings you could have were almost never-ending. Some of our favourite contenders were the homemade gourmet coleslaw, the perfect accompaniment we thought to jacket potatoes combining texture, colour and a zesty depth of flavour. Another one was a crispy Thai salad - sumptuously unique comprising spring green leaves, beansprouts and a sesame oil dressing. Another winner was warming chilli with mixed beans and spices to make our guests glow. So many different toppings to choose from, along with the menus and suppliers themselves - We had a hard job on our hands. 

So I was glad when Dad and his new wife (Yes they got married - No were not going to talk about it) kindly asked us to come over for Sunday Tea and to discuss the proposition of the father of the Bride contributing a large amount to the wedding. This being said, as his offer still stood many months ago, he wanted to pay for the wedding catering, maybe the single most important part of the day, all bar the ceremony and maybe the dress. It was most certainly going to be the most expensive part of the whole day and with nearly a hundred-day guests to feed and a few more evening mouths, it was unsurprising we were getting quotes for nearly four-thousand-pounds. 

However one quote stuck out, mainly because it was cheap, the cheapest in fact, but also because they could offer everything every other supplier could, and was fast at replying which was a big deal for me. I am impatient and want answers now. I don't want to wait or think about it. I want it now. She was more than happy to bend over backwards and help out with anything I could possibly need. She was on hand to have a quick reply via Facebook or emails. Nothing was too much trouble. However the price? Why was the price so cheap when compared and bench marked against competitors, they came out the cheapest? I asked her this question this morning and I got a pleasant and sweet reply "There is one simple reason the quote is a little lighter than competitors. It's the wedding word. We charge a standard fee, wedding or not, whereas a lot of companies add on extra for it being a wedding. We don't." And so, ladies and gentlemen, I think I have found our caterer - Now to book them in!

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx

Crackling Idea!

Ola!

Still we are on our hunt for a videographer, however this time they are taking a back seat as Mr Warehouse and I start to look into catering again. Following the blog posts previous with our "The Gluttonous Guest List" and the dreaded "'W' Word" we have cautiously started to embark on the next voyage of discovery and financial entrapment! After settling down to a rough number for our guest list back before Christmas, we calculated a round figure and cost per head and sent it out to as many caterers as we could find and think of, stating that the event we were catering for was a "family meal" rather than the 'W' word as it seems to add on an extra thirty or forty percent to the total bill for no apparent rhyme or reasoning. Essentially this is still true since the only difference between a genuine family meal and a wedding is that I am going to be sitting in a fat white dress. 

Ideally, we were, still are really, looking for a sit-down meal consisting of 2-courses and finishing with our wedding cake as dessert handcrafted hopefully by a family friend. The catering facilities at Stagsden Village Hall are very basic and minimal as it is an old school house, however, they do have two ovens with hobs and a fridge plus crockery, glasses and tableware we are able to use. Now I was quite understanding, as was Mr Warehouse, that we were not going to get Foie Gras or Duck Breast for our wedding breakfast, however, we were anticipating something simple yet effective.

After multiple caterers coming back to tell us our budget was outside of what they could do for us, we had not one but two catering companies that were able to supply us with a quote and even some sample menus. My fiance and I had asked commonly requested things from anyone providing food for an event such as if the price included VAT or whether they work with fresh or frozen food and how would they handle last-minute requests or changes.  However, after several back-and-forth emails and questions, the caterers stated that "After careful consideration and a discussion with the team [the catering company] are unable to cater for your event, as it wouldn't be cost effective for us to do so due to your requirements and budget. Unfortunately we may have crossed wires throughout e-mails, as [the catering company] were unaware that the catering required was for a Wedding as no mention of this throughout the correspondence and that our Wedding packages start from £30.00 + VAT per head due to the preparation involved and the high standard of service we like to provide for our brides." 

Be it a wedding, family event or Uncle Eric's funeral, you would expect the same level of service and ergo the same price per head. But Ohhh No! Furious at being asked to pay nearly treble the original cost quoted, for a menu, Mr Warehouse and I were extremely happy with, I emailed them back. The catering company replied by attempted to justify the price increase, stating that they "feel from the original enquiry, there was a different impression of the type of catering and service required and anticipated only sending a maximum of two members of staff. We understand when you have said that you would not be fussy about the preparation, but for a Wedding, there will be a lot more involvement to go towards making your Day a special occasion and we can’t offer this type of service for under our standard Wedding price of £30 + VAT per head."

At the time I was so angry and just could not believe that the mere mention of the word wedding would increase the price by nearly twenty-quid per head! That is where my gorgeous Husband-to-be came in with his idea of Italian Family style eating. Imagine heaping platters of delicious food brought directly to the guests' table. No waiting in long buffet lines or figuring out which table goes first. Family style is a beautifully presented and relaxed style of dining, that makes guests or event attendees feel right at home. Platters, full of fresh food, delivered to each table so that guests can enjoy a relaxed meal without leaving their seats. Something I had never thought of, however, the more I think about it the more I like it. And again we are back at the drawing board, sending out quotation requests to as many caterers as we could find and think of and find within a thirty-mile radius. Ideally, we would be looking for a Hog Roast man, just as it is easy and most people are happy with that for a main along with a few pasta dishes, salads and tatties. Not only that but it also lends itself to being great for evening guests too as when the dancefloor becomes too hot they can chill out with a pig in a bun and crackling on the side!

Other than the catering, most of the sourcing of suppliers has been done and the booking process won't be much far behind that. Since Mr Warehouse keeps insisting that we can't afford a holiday this year (I think we can with a variety of vouchers, money off codes and a good old haggle) I have thrown myself head first into Wedding Planning and some would say maybe neglect my gorgeous Hubby-To-Be, putting all of my focus and energy into planning our dream day. 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx