With the very first rays of sunshine bursting through what has seemed be a relatively mild winter, many people thoughts begin to turn to Spring and Summer celebrations, be it garden parties for the Queen’s Jubilee, or family celebrations.
Catering for large numbers ‘al fresco’ is a real skill in itself. A few
years back we would involve ourselves in all manner of schemes
to boost the tills. Takeaway gourmet meals, private cookery
lessons, golf club contracts, sandwich rounds, you name it, we’ve
tried it. I like to think I’ve learnt a lesson, nowadays all our efforts
are concentrated on cooking at the restaurant. Plus the monthly
cookery classes, oh, and the lovely desserts we supply to a couple of farm shops, and of course a bit of teaching at the local college, then there’s the newspaper columns, the demonstrations, and of course, books, The Pigs and the Assembly House!
Seriously though, we have cut back considerably on our workload, and one of the things I certainly don’t miss is the pressure cooking that comes with wedding catering. Amidst the fancy hats, flash bulbs and flowers, tucked behind the balloon-festooned, ant-infested marquee, just in front of the ripe portaloos and the muddy farmer’s field that has been converted into a car park, lurks the hub of the wedding breakfast operation.
The six foot square sheet of leaking canvas, on the bare patch of lawn that slopes precariously down to the lake is the gloriously titled Caterers Marquee. From this patch of England’s green and pleasant, you’ll find those of us who are foolish enough to dabble in the wedding game, trying to produce dish after dish of memorable food, worthy of Tommy Cooper in a chef’s hat. I tell you, if Cameron, Obama or anyone else wants to feel pressure, they should open an outside catering company and commit to catering for someone’s wedding reception.
Over the years we have had the honour of providing dozens upon dozens of celebrations, from the mother of the bride who contacted me on a weekly basis to discuss the menu, china, the staff, my van, the size of the salt pots, the washing-up liquid and the colour of my underpants on the day, to the couple who came in for a quick chat about the big day, disappeared off the face of the earth for eighteen months, before appearing the Thursday prior just to check “Everything OK for Saturday?”.
As with all things, it’s the best that are often simplest. The family who gets bogged down in every minor detail seems to overlook the primary objective, to enjoy the day. The advice to err on the simple side is never more crucial than selecting the menu for the big day. There’s good reason why the salmon/chicken/berry weddings are de riguer for most. But we have an advantage in this county, by perking the menu up with fresh asparagus, Cromer crabs, our famed pork pies, a simple dish of dressed samphire or the best strawberries in the world. Eaten alongside bread from our great artisan bakers and washed down with your favourite beer from one of the dozens of micro breweries, and Norfolk becomes your larder for the most important event in the calendar.
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Editorial by: The Lavender House, Brundall
This famous sixteenth-century thatched listed building houses a bustling restaurant, cookery school and, of course, a heartfelt welcome awaiting beyond the front door!
Tel: 01842 890876 Email: lavenderhouse39@aol.com www.thelavenderhouse.co.uk
