South Coast Publishing approached Kingfisher for our expert advice on selecting a wedding caterer for the big day. We were very pleased to team up with lots of other wedding experts and you can download the E Book now to ease the stress of planning all aspects of your day.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/B006YPCHUG/ref=sib_dp_kd#reader-link

Enjoy the read!

Top Tips for Finding Your Perfect Caterer…

Planning a wedding can be a confusing and stressful time. The biggest elements tend to be the dress, the venue and of course …the food!

At Kingfisher we speak to clients about their individual needs on a daily basis and we thrive on helping our clients to enjoy a perfect and memorable day. We know how important it is to find the right caterer for your event.

Let us help you to make the food part of your day memorable for the right reasons…

• Research… The Internet, magazines and wedding shows will give you plenty of information about caterers in your area. These are all useful tools, but nothing beats personal recommendations. Have you recently experienced great catering at an event? Ask around friends, family and on social networking sites. People will be delighted to offer their recommendations, and of course those to avoid!
• Location… The location of your reception will help to determine the caterer. Often venues have a list of “recommended” caterers, but should you wish to use a caterer independent from your venue, check whether there will be any additional charges. Marquee and tipi weddings will require a specialist caterer who has good experience catering from a tent! It’s quite a fine art, so ensure your caterer can handle it.
• Experience… Check your caterer has experience providing food for the number of guests you will be entertaining and that they have all the necessary equipment and experience to cater in the environment you are hosting your reception.
• Theme… Have you got a theme or preferences in mind for your catering? Make sure your caterer will be flexible and think creatively so your end result is perfect for your day.
• Budget…Know how much you want to spend and ask your caterer to develop a menu for you, based on your budget. Don’t be afraid to negotiate – especially if your wedding is being held outside the peak wedding season. You may be able to negotiate a reduced per head cost, or get the caterer to throw in elements of your meal free of charge e.g. the evening food.
• Tasting… Check if your caterer offers a tasting experience. A few caterers may offer this free of charge. Others will charge for the tasting, or require your deposit beforehand. Make sure the caterer will be able to provide you with the same standard of food on the day and don’t be afraid to discuss changes to courses or presentation. The idea of a tasting is to make it perfect for the big day!
• Planning… Check that your caterers will be available for a site visit long before your big day. The last thing you need is your caterer turning up to the wedding and not being able to provide you with the food you were expecting because there is no water supply, enough electricity etc… Also check when your caterers will be on site to lay the tables and finalise preparation for the big day. Some caterers will attend the day before, so you can be directly involved with the set up.
• Additional costs… Check that your quotation includes adequate staff, equipment, VAT and any other additional costs such as some caterers charge corkage.
• Other services… Do you require an additional service, such as a cash bar? Check the prices your caterers will be charging are reasonable – and your guests will not be ripped off. Also ensure they are licensed to run a bar. The last thing you need is the police turning up to shut down the bar.
• Gut feeling… It’s really important to like and trust your caterer. They are providing such a huge part of your day, and you want to be certain that they will ensure your wedding breakfast is perfect.

We hope you have found these tips useful and we wish you the best of luck with your wedding planning and of course the big day!

Rebecca and the Kingfisher Team

Parsnip fact!!-
In Italy pigs breed for top quality Parma Ham are often fed on a diet of parsnips.

Parsnip fritters with blue cheese walnut whip

Deep-frying these fritters gives them the nutty caramel amber edges so recognisable when roasting the white roots. Not difficult to make, they are the perfect warm snack and the blue cheese and walnut whip is the perfect dip for them. A selection of blue cheeses can be used, but my favourite is the Irish cow’s milk Cashel Blue, made in roughly the same way as Roquefort, but with a slightly softer texture and less salty finish. The whip is put together with mayonnaise, lime juice, double cream and walnuts.

Serves 4-6 as a snack or starter

(makes 30-35 fritters)

1kg parsnips, peeled

salt and pepper

1/2 onion, very finely chopped

2 eggs

25g butter, softened

25g plain flour

For the blue cheese walnut whip

75g blue cheese, crumbled and at room temperature

150ml mayonnaise

juice of 1 lime

8-10 walnut halves, chopped into small pieces

pinch of cayenne pepper

100ml double cream

oil, for deep frying

Quarter the parsnips lengthwise and remove the central woody core. Cook in boiling salted water until completely tender, then drain. Place the parsnips back in the saucepan and stir over a low heat, allowing them to dry. Then purée with a potato masher for a coarse finish or blitz until smooth in a food processor.

Rinse the chopped onion in a sieve, dry it and add to the parsnips along with the eggs and butter. Add the flour, beating it in well. Season with salt and pepper.

While the parsnips are cooking, make the whip. Whisk the cheese into the mayonnaise, breaking it down until reasonably smooth. Add the lime juice and walnuts, and season with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Lightly whip the cream into soft peaks, then gently fold it in to achieve the required whipped consistency. It can now be chilled for a firmer consistency or served at room temperature for the creamiest of finishes.

Preheat the oil for deep-frying to between 160o°/325oF and 180°C/350°F. The parsnip mix can literally just be spooned into the hot fat (oiling a spoon first helps create a non-stick effect). Turn the fritters from time to time, until a deep golden brown. Once they are cooked, remove them from the hot fat, drain on kitchen paper and lightly salt. The fritters and walnut whip are now ready to be enjoyed.

Other foods to look out for this month-

Sprouts ,Beetroot ,Celeriac, Leeks ,Swedes, Pomegranites ,Turnips ,Apples ,Pears, Goose, Rabbit ,Crab, Mackeral ,Brill ,Turbot

Perfect for a wedding, private party or corporate event, our chef will cook this classic Spanish dish in the large pan in front of your guests served simply the way it should be………with fresh breads and salads

From £6.95 per person (based on 50 guests), our new paella menus are a fantastic and affordable option for any event and we can provide menus to suit all tastes from Vegetarian to Traditional and Squid Ink.

Evening guests were then treated to our hot mini buffet selection which included chicken noodle boxes, mini steak pies and fish and chip cones

The whole day was a massive success,the happy couple looked fantastic and we received lots of very positive feedback.

Thanks for taking the time to have a look at what is happening in the world of Kingfisher Event Caterers.

Things are moving along quickly now as we enter in to the wedding season in what looks to be a busy and exciting for 2011 for Kingfisher. Some of the venues that we will be working at in 2011 include Walkern Hall, Chenies Manor, Heythrop Park, Sandridgebury Farm, Hexton Manor and Dulwich College just to name a few.

With our new purpose built kitchen premises, brand spanking new web site beautifully created by TYGA and a great team in place, we are looking forward to bringing ‘a taste full experience’ to all of our fantastic clients!