Food for thought

Tasty trends in catering will keep your guests wanting more…

Mixing up your wedding day menu by including one of the hot new trends in food and drink will add a surprise ingredient to your celebration and give you and your guests a delicious treat. Try one of these mouthwatering ideas to set your celebration apart and make it a meal to remember.

In the award-winning kitchens of the Macdonald Hotel group (macdonaldhotels.co.uk), the ingredients are all locally sourced and ethically produced, so you can tuck into your wedding breakfast safe in the knowledge that you are eating top-quality food. Motivated by the group’s founder Donald Macdonald, who was brought up in a crofting family, the hotels are eager to ensure each wedding meal stands out. “People are becoming more aware of the importance of serving good quality food at a wedding,” explains Macdonald Hotels’ catering director, Alan Swinson. “They’re looking for something that their guests will enjoy and remember as being one of the best meals they’ve ever tasted.”

The hog roast is an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional wedding meal. Gerfried von Kynhoff of King Boar Catering (kingboar.co.uk) has had growing success since he brought the idea over from Germany. Suitable for both indoors and outside, and with vegetarian options available, it’s a less formal option that can create a focal point at your venue too. Kurt von Kynhoff explains the hog roast’s popularity: “They’re eye-catching, and the aroma that comes off them while they cook gets everyone’s tastebuds going.”

One of the most popular new trends for this year was inspired by none other than Posh and Becks. The celebrity couple, if you remember, had individual His’n’Hers menus on their wedding day. The Lodge on Loch Lomond Hotel (loch-lomond.co.uk) offers this option too and is finding it to be a big hit. As well as building in flexibility for those who have specific dietary requirements (or even just different tastes), having two menus for your wedding breakfast is a great way to encourage your guests to interact. “It is a unique, quirky idea and provides a good talking point for guests on the day, as you will find couples or male and female friends swapping meals if they wish!” says Anne Marie Mason, the hotel’s senior wedding coordinator.

Once you’ve got through the wedding meal, it’s time to cut the cake. But suppose you don’t have a sweet tooth? One of Glasgow’s renowned cheesemongers George Mewes (georgemewescheese.co.uk) can supply a cheese cake that will look and taste delicious. “It is very different to the usual wedding cake but it makes a great centrepiece to a wedding,” he explains. There’s no need to be concerned that your cheese cake might not look as pretty as the classic white tiers, as they can be decorated with flowers, ribbon and fruit to match your colour scheme or look.

If, on the other hand, you are a fan of the sugary stuff but feel one cake isn’t enough, you could opt for a dessert buffet incorporating all your favourite sweet treats. “Dessert tables could be described simply as a grown-up version of our childhood party tables,” says Lynsey Mclaughlin of Custom Cakes (customcakes.biz). “The buffet of pink wafer biscuits, party rings and iced gems of old has evolved into pastel-shaded macarons, gourmet cake pops (yummy bites of cake on a lollipop stick) and mini wedding cakes that take centre stage, all beautifully styled and presented to tie in with the wedding theme.”
As well as candy buffets, Lynsey also provides cakes jars and cake pop trees, both popular ways of presenting your wedding cake in America. They are cute and delicious, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

Images: Clockwise from top, Give your guests a unique experience with a his’n’hers menu www.amjphotography.co.uk; a cake tree is yummy treat, Custom Cakes by Lynsey; for those who prefer savoury flavours, a cheese cake is a great option, George Mewes