Your Hampshire & Dorset Wedding - Mar/Apr 2020 (Issue 79)

GOING GREEN Sustainability is a key element for 2020 weddings, covering every aspect of the big day from food to fun, reports managing director of Hampshire’s Vanilla Catering and Events Sally Pickles. She says, “Plant-based menus are really on the rise with vegan and gluten-free options a big hit this year. Couples are also wanting to personalise their weddings with dishes replicated from meaningful moments in their lives, anything from first dates to favourite holidays.” SALLY PREDICTS: ❤ Incorporating edible flowers into food is a rising trend, to give dishes a vibrant fresh look. ❤ Street food is still popular but the way to go with this theme in 2020 is with elevated options – the same kind of menu but with a classier look.  ❤ Food stations with the emphasis on farm-to-fork produce and interactive adventurous foodie moments is something to watch for. It’s early days at the moment but look out for more of this trend in the autumn. Visit vanillacatering.co.uk FAMILY-FRIENDLY According to Michele Rae, joint head chef at event management and catering specialists 7th Wave Events, the key to making your wedding breakfast stand out from the crowd is good, fresh ingredients – locally sourced if possible. Emerging trends they’ve noticed include growing love for ‘part-plated’ and ‘family-style’ sharing platters. “One of our most popular menus includes a large selection of canapés for starters, roast port as the main course, served whole to the table for guests to carve and serve, followed by a whole Pavlova for dessert with Chantilly cream and heaps of summer berries and homemade chocolate brownies for people to help themselves. This is a relaxed, sociable way of eating; like sitting down to a large family Sunday roast. The part-plated option means the main ingredient is served individually and all the accompaniments are then brought to the table for guests to share. This is a little more formal, but still great for breaking the ice and getting everyone talking,” Michele explains. Visit 7thwave-events.co.uk FESTIVAL FLAVOUR The popularity of sharing boards has attracted more adventurous couples to take things one stage further, according to Emma Lopex of Idelica, specialists in paella and tapas-style catering in Hampshire and Dorset. She says, “Even in the more formal settings we’re being asked for wedding breakfasts where the food is not so much multi-course as free-flowing with sharing pans of paella, tapas dishes and bowls of salad between platters of sweet and savoury appetisers and desserts. We call it fiesta food and despite the laid-back appearance, it requires careful planning and orchestration.” Visit idelica.com 58