Over the years we have been lucky enough to cater many marquee weddings and parties in beautiful homes, gardens and venues across Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and beyond. For many couples, the idea of being able to host a wedding reception in their family home is very special and romantic! We are very accustomed to working with our couples and their families to create the perfect day with unforgettable food.
Many people don’t realise that a caterer plays an important and pivotal role in the logistics and planning of a marquee event. During our initial planning meetings, we always like to offer to liaise directly with our fellow suppliers to be sure that all will run smoothly on the day and that we are all on the same page. It is so important that you chose suppliers you can trust, so you can be certain that if something goes wrong, such as a power failure, you can be confident that it will be fixed straight away and not impact the rest of the event.
A few important details we like our couples to consider early on are adequate supply of power and water as well as vehicle access to a suitably sized kitchen area. It goes without saying that sufficient power is key, this could be the difference between a band cutting out mid set or ovens going down in the middle of service with the party plunged into darkness! Most marquee companies will recommend and install a generator if there is any doubt that the supply from the house is not enough - and in our experience the extra cost is well worth it for peace of mind.
When it comes to water, a less expensive option is fine, we can work with a tap and a clean hose pipe attached. To stop any risk of contamination we suggest buying a new hose pipe especially for the event.
Finally, suitable vehicle access to the kitchen marquee area ensures the caterer can deliver and collect all of its equipment and food safely and efficiently at the start and end of the day.
Marquee catering poses unique challenges that wedding venues typically do not. The chosen menu will need to be achievable from a field kitchen, we therefore work with our couples to make any changes necessary. We strongly believe that our marquee wedding and party menus are every bit as creative and delicious as our other menus. That being said, it is also the perfect opportunity to include bespoke menu elements, to further personalise the day to fit the hosts and their surroundings. Several new canapés for last summer, for example, were introduced to our menus after successfully serving them as special requests, including handmade Vietnamese summer rolls, as a memory to the couples time traveling in Vietnam and mini toasted corn, avocado and black bean tacos in anticipation of a Mexican honeymoon.
In conclusion, it is important to choose a caterer and other suppliers that have experience in this unique field. A well organised marquee event should be such a special and personal occasion, yes there is a little more work from all sides to make it happen, but it is so worth it!
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