This weekend I did one of my most favourite events ever - a classic afternoon tea. I panicked at first when requested for a traditional afternoon tea menu for 80 people, picturing images of me cutting uniform sandwiches for hours on end and placing with exact precision on doilied platters. I need not have worried. Rather unusally I shared the catering with the lovely ladies who booked me to help them.
When we met 2 weeks ago to discuss the venue, staffing and details, they were telling me about their recent challenge to rebuild a very old bungalow into a new living space, Sarah said they had a good size kitchen and all the facilities we would need. They were hoping for good weather so people would be able to make use of the outside patio area. One of the best things about my work is I travel all over the country and have catered functions in some truly amazing and not so special homes! Now pulling up into their driveway I could only describe the house as a Grand Designs project. I was blown away by the size of said bungalow and got incredibly excited when shown into the kitchen - well, I thought it was the kitchen as it was a pretty large room that looked like a kitchen - however, it was the utility room...the kitchen was just next door and had the most Amazing pillar box red double Aga as centre stage. I had died and gone to heaven! But the thing that really impressed me about their beautiful house was the fact it looked right out over the whole of Monmouthshire, and when the patio doors were open, the countryside came in. Magnificent!
So to the catering, out into the dining room went mini bruchetta, tiny sandwiches, chocolate brownies, mini frittatas, filled filo parcels, various quiche, savouries and cakes provided by family friends.Fresh scones topped with good old CORNISH clotted cream, couriered all the way from Redruth, and locally made jam adorned beautiful old fashioned cake stands. The table bowed under the weight, it looked fabulous and I think it was one of the most lovely buffet spreads I have seen for ages - even if I do say so myself!Wine flowed, along with tea and coffee from bone china cups, a champagne toast to the couple who were celebrating their milestone achievement of 50 years marriage was followed by a stunning fruit cake, that must have been maturing for months! A very touching musical interlude by a local cellist played the song the couple danced to the night they met all those years ago.
Its events like this that make me so love my work, working in amazing surroundings, lovely clients, fabulous feedback but above all making people happy.