It’s in the detail

When booking a DIY wedding or a day hire wedding venue you need to book a caterer. If you want a specific type of cuisine that the venue you have booked does not offer, you also need to book a wedding caterer. We have devised our wedding menu packages to make it easy for you to understand what it is we offer.

This guide will help you feel more informed and importantly narrow down some specifics and save time.

Save the date!

The first stage of our process is to make sure we are available on your wedding date.

• We will only consult for your event if we are available.
• We only book one event per day.
• We promise to provide you our fullest attention to give you the best service possible.

Venue Assessment

We have worked at many of North Devon’s popular wedding locations. So, are familiar with their kitchen and dining setups. We have a partnership with one of North Devon’s newest wedding venues Tawstock Court and at this location we have dedicated in-house teams for their package weddings. If you are booking this venue, please look at their wedding packages as this will save you time and money as they have organised everything on your behalf.

Equally, you can still book us as your caterers even if you don’t book their packages. We can also operate from your wedding location, create a kitchen in your family garden, barn, cow shed, or marquee in the middle of a field.

If necessary, we might need to make a venue assessment. If yours is a venue we do not know we will make a kitchen and venue assessment. We need to know what kitchen facilities are available and if required, that we can setup a mobile kitchen. Is there vehicular access, water and electrical supply? This assessment will be necessary to understand what kitchen facilities a venue has available.

Type of food

Do we offer the type of food you are looking for? You will find it helpful to find a caterer offering the type of food you need. i.e., if you want Indian food, choose a chef or caterer offering this style of food and not a general caterer who will do you a good curry; but will it be authentic? Do they have the correct service equipment to compliment your table décor and theme? Will they have to hire lots of equipment to create your desired vibe.

A large amount of our couples have turned to refined comfort food. An experience/style, which can be fun and loved by everyone even children. This rise in ‘fast food made healthy’ uses simple cooking techniques with quality ingredients. We can offer you food to satisfy you and your guests throughout the whole day. See Menus

• Arrival canapes. (Drinks packages are usually offered by venues if they have a bar or you can provide your own)
• 2 or 3 course wedding breakfast, style of your choosing…styles listed below
• Cake cutting and re-presenting
• Tea & coffee station
• Evening reception: snacks or hot buffets
• Evening reception: our speciality - hog or lamb roast

Style of service

When it comes to planning your wedding the style of food you choose will depend on your budget, your theme and type of venue. For example, rectangle and square tables lend themselves nicely to family sharing platters and social feasting (mezzes). Round tables suit individual plated service, which although very traditional, still extremely popular with many of our couples.

Consider how each of these 4 dining styles might fit in with your budget and day…which will you choose to serve?

• Al Fresco / family sharing – Mediterranean inspired, sun ripened fruits, vegetables and light and refreshing dishes, cured meat and cheese platters, fresh fish, sun dried preserves, tapenade, tapas style bites for your guests to help themselves!

• Hog Roast – Leisurely eating perfect for catering for large numbers, this style of dining is cost effective and perfectly takes centre stage on the day to create a festival feel to your day. Why not add our fresh seasonal English style picnic buffet!

• Sit down dinner – probably the most popular option for our couples, you can choose from our set menus or we can work with you to create a menu that best suits your personality and the style/theme of your day.

• Afternoon tea – one of our most popular authentic and indulgent packages celebrating all that is British about your wedding day.

Once you have decided what menu and style of food you would like we will send you a quotation which is valid for 30 days. Be realistic about your budget!

Wedding day co-ordinator

We provide our own fully trained professional front of house and kitchen staff for the entire day, including our own wedding day co-ordinator (doubles as master of ceremonies, if required) to ensure the seamless communication between the kitchen and other vendors.

It is important, although not essential to appoint a member of your bridal party as the “go to person on the day”. This cannot be you and your partner. The reason for this appointment is in case your guests have any issues on the day. Both our co-ordinators need to ensure they are working the same schedule for the day!

On the day

By default, there are several events that will drive the schedule of the day. We will provide you with an hour-by-hour day schedule allowing enough time to plate, serve and clear around all the other important events happening on the day.

Here is a typical wedding day schedule/timetable:

• Wedding ceremony
• Welcome canapes & cocktails
• Photographs
• Wedding breakfast
• Toast & speeches (wedding cake cutting – for re-presenting in the evening or as a dessert)
• Evening guests arrive
• 1st dance
• Evening reception food
• Dessert table or wedding cake re-presenting
• Band or DJ