Thursday, February 10, 2022

Three Alternative Ways to Serve Up a Storm at Your Event

 

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Sometimes a sit-down meal just doesn’t feel right for an event. Perhaps it’s the time of day. Perhaps you’re trying to avoid anything too formal. Perhaps you simply want to offer a different kind of experience, another angle to make the occasion all the more memorable.

 
Food can be whatever you want it to be at an event. It can be the centrepiece or it can be a welcome sideshow. It can be familiar or exotic, comforting or intriguing, satisfying or tempting. Above all else, quality food enhances the enjoyment of any event, it creates a talking point and helps the flow of conversation, it adds to the atmosphere.
 
How you use those qualities is entirely up to you. In planning an event, your catering plans don’t need to be restricted to the standard sit-down meal or an a la carte menu. These have their place, of course. But if you’re after a different kind of vibe, you can make food do the work for you.
 
Here are three exciting catering options to consider for the next event you are planning.
 
Street and Bowl Food
Street food is a red hot trend across the food and drink industry right now. So-called ‘street food markets’ packed with stalls and pop-up kitchens cooking up a rich variety of world cuisines are everywhere. The food served is convenient, cosmopolitan, it taps into modern diners’ love of choice and variety. Above all else, street food means quality, authentic cuisine served in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. You might call it fast food gone posh.
 
If those are the kind of vibes you want to create at your event, street food is the perfect option. The clash of aromas and flavours when you mix up burgers and chicken wings with exotic bao buns and bahn mi is exciting and invigorating in its own right. It’s a great way to offer substantial, tasty dishes that cover all bases.
 
Bowl food is an extension of the street food concept, just with less of a focus on dishes you eat with your fingers (like burgers, hot sandwiches etc). So think curries, noodles, chillis, tagines, pasta. Again, it’s all about offering an eclectic choice of the best flavours from around the world.
 

 
Grazing Tables
Think of a buffet where all the serving plates are taken away. Or sharing platters gone large. That’s in essence what a grazing table is - a large selection of finger foods, canapes, antipasti etc served not as individual dishes, but en masse.
 
It might sound chaotic. But the art of a grazing table is to arrange foods to create an aesthetically pleasing whole. Done right, grazing tables can be visually stunning - an artfully achieved pile of delicious, tempting treats that you feast on with your eyes before anything else.
 
Another big plus to the grazing table concept is flexibility. At events like weddings or evening dinners, you can set out grazing tables for sit-down meals. There is an opulent, banquet-like feel to guests taking their seat with great mounds of inviting dishes already laid out before them. 
 
Alternatively, grazing tables also make the perfect move-and-mingle catering option, where you would rather guests remained on their feet as they grazed to keep conversations flowing or maintain attention elsewhere. 
 
Afternoon Tea
Event catering can become tricky if your objective is to provide a light snack rather than something more substantial. A lot of catering companies focus their attention on full-blown meals, with a heavy emphasis towards evening dining.
 
But where does this leave you if you are hosting an event mid-afternoon? Do you just keep things simple with cakes and hot drinks? You certainly can. Or, you can do cakes and hot drinks with an added wow-factor. If that sounds more in line with your plans, Afternoon Tea is a time-honoured winner.
Much of the pleasure in Afternoon Tea is in the presentation. Fine porcelain plates, cups and saucers, finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off, petit fours - and, of course, scones with jam and clotted cream. There’s a nostalgic touch of luxury about an Afternoon Tea that transforms a simple snack into a major talking point in itself.
 
Find out more
Whatever your event, whatever flavour you are looking for, for premium quality catering in London, Humdingers has all bases covered. With a list of fully customisable menu options covering all times of day and all dining styles, our goal is to work with you to deliver the perfect meal to your guests. We include vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options in every menu as standard, and provide chefs and catering staff as required.
 
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