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Easter Event Ideas – Table Styling

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Easter is just around the corner and with it comes a fantastic occasion for a get together.

Whether you are having a small family gathering, a dinner party with friends or a large scale event, Easter is a brilliant excuse to get creative with your table styling and decoration.

Easter Party food Ideas - Chocolate cake

Easter Party Ideas - Peach Macaroons

Easter Party Styling Ideas - pastel painted eggs

A soft pastel palette looks chic and pretty but you are not restricted to muted shades, you could choose bright spring colours for a more vibrant look.

Easter party ideas - colourful table

Easter table styling ideas - blue eggs

Easter Table Styling Ideas - Bunny Rabbit Egg Cup

Easter Table styling Ideas - pastel place setting

Sweet and delicate cakes and treats, spring colours, painted eggs and chocolate bunny rabbits – Easter has an abundance of decorative items to choose from. Add fresh flowers or blossom sprigs and dress the table for the occasion!

We think this would make wonderful decor for a wedding too, let us know if you have a special event happening over the Easter period, we’d love to see your pictures!

Mum’s The Word!

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Mother’s Day comes but once a year. Why not spoil her? Show her how much you care, give her a day off and prepare her a tasty meal – whether it’s breakfast in bed, a luscious lunch or a delectable dinner and dessert.

Today, we share some of our favourite recipe ideas with you…

Breakfast – Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and chives

Poached eggs are a healthy and delicious treat. This recipe also works well with bacon or Parma ham as a substitute for the salmon.

Lunch – French onion soup with Gruyère Toast

The weather is still chilly as we enter spring, this warming and hearty soup offers comfort and is packed full of flavours that we love – red wine, brandy, garlic and cheese . This recipe has been given a fresh touch of luxury by BBC chef, James Martin.

Dinner – Slow Roast Chicken with Homemade Gravy

Roast Chicken Dinner Recipe

Sunday’s are traditionally made for a roast dinner. No-one makes it like mum! But this ‘can’t-go-wrong’ recipe should ensure that you’ll impress her with your culinary skills.

Dessert – Apple Pie

Is there any other dessert more associated with mothers? This traditional apple pie is perfectly accompanied with custard or ice cream.

So, what are you waiting for? Show your mum that you appreciate her this March 10th and spoil her with any or all of these mouth-watering recipes.

Chirk Castle Wedding Fayre

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The beautiful Chirk Castle National Trust will be hosting a fantastic wedding fayre in on May 12th 2013.

A vast array of exhibitors will be housed in a beautifully dressed marquee sited in the grounds taking in the splendid countryside views, with the historic Castle as your backdrop.

It promises to be a wonderful day out, full of inspiration. We will be there, will you?

Chirk Castle Wedding Fayre Poster 2013

A Surprise Breakfast Celebration!

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Yesterday we catered for some very lucky staff members at Wilmslow based company, V1.

Having recently re-branded from Version One to V1, the management treated their lucky staff members to a surprise breakfast buffet!

bacon sandwich

We served up delicious bacon sandwiches, a selection of fruits and a fantastic cake from our friends and suppliers, Cherry Blossom Bakery. What a great way to start the day!

V1 cake from Cherry Blossom Bakery

We received this lovely feedback –

“Hi Adam,

A big thank you to you and your team, the food was excellent and the cake was spot on, you helped to make it a very successful day.

Kindest regards,
Shelagh”

If you are hosting a special event or party for your friends, family or work colleagues then why not give us a call? We can help you to make it extra special!

You can atke a look at the new V1 website here – www.wearev1.com

Afternoon Tea

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There is something ultimately decadent about a luxurious afternoon tea. Cucumber sandwiches, delicate cakes, scones with clotted cream and jam, fine teas and an icy glass of fizz, high tea is truly a British institution.

Afternoon tea tiered plates

A high tea works perfectly as a food option for a wedding, hen party or baby shower and adds a special touch to any event.

Afternoon tea Vanilla teacup cake

Afternoon tea sourdough bites

Here at Vanilla in Allseasons, we provide afternoon tea for all manner of occasions. We can adapt the menu to suit your tastes and requirements.

afternoon tea stacked teacups

afternoon tea - scones

Just imagine it, elegant tiered plates filled with delicate delights. What could be more chic?

Please feel free to contact us for more details.

Food: The Only Way to a Heart – Part Two

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In part one, we looked after the culinary needs for your perfect romantic night in.

In today’s post, we offer ideas to give your setting the look of love…

Spread the Love

Vanilla Valentines - Table Setting

Valentine’s Day might be filled with red but don’t scare your date off by overusing the colour of passion. Instead, use a crisp white table cloth and accessorise it with red. A candle centre piece will create a seductive glow whilst you stare lovingly into each other’s eyes.

Vanilla Valentines - Place Setting

The subtle inclusion of red against the crisp white will have their heart beating when they walk through the door. If you’ve given flowers as a gift then don’t include them on the table; as much as it’s a nice touch don’t go overboard on the flora and fauna!

Give it that Loving Touch

Vanilla Valentines - Candle Decorations

Candles are a firm favourite for Valentine’s Day celebrations; they lend a soft light to a room or table, creating a romantic atmosphere. Plain white can be a bore, so get creative with your candle displays.

Vanilla Valentines - Floating Candles

Fill a small glass dish with water and set numerous tea lights floating. Add some rose petals or their favourite flower to give it that romantic and personal touch. Or if you’re feeling particularly creative, get crafty and personalise some larger candles with hearts and patterns.

If Music be the Food of Love, Play on

Vanilla Valentines - Mix Tape

Don’t just pop on the radio or television for background noise. Make your dinner stand out by creating a playlist or mix tape. Have songs that trigger happy memories of that first meeting or first date playing whilst you enjoy your fantastic food.

If you’re just starting out and trying to impress them, check out the choices on offer by The Guardian. It may be a good idea to steer clear of the cheese or any songs that contain the words “I wanna sleep with you”. This could be considered a little forward!

Let us know what plans you have for Valentine’s Day and what you’ve got planned for that special someone.

We’d love to hear from you!

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Food: The Only Way to a Heart

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The romantic season is upon us. Restaurants are hiking up their prices whilst people clamour to get tables in the overcrowded eateries.

So why not treat your beloved to a romantic, intimate night in?

Vanilla Valentines - LOVE

Don’t pay an arm and a leg on showing that special someone how much they mean to you. Stay in and impress them with your culinary talents.

Continue reading and we’ll show you how it’s done…

Valentine’s Dinner for Two

Pre-dinner Drinks – La Vie En Rose

Vanilla Valentines Meal Drinks

Why not offer up a light and bubbly champagne cocktail whilst they wait for dinner? As well as loosening inhibitions, impress them with your language skills as you pronounce this French classic, La Vie En Rose (life in pink).

The Starter – Oysters Kilpatrick

Vanilla Valentines Meal - Oysters

This classic dish is thought to be quite complicated to prepare. However, it’s actually really simple to create. Rather than paying the increased price in restaurants, give it a go yourself. If you’re a beginner then this recipe that offers a twist to the aphrodisiac will have them eating out of the palm of your hands…quite literally.

The Main Course – Steak with Skinny Sweet Potatoes Fries

Vanilla valentines meal - Steak

Provide your red-blooded lover with a red-blooded meal. Nothing shows impressive cooking skills more than making that perfect steak. The combination of the sweet potato fries offers a healthy option. It means you won’t be breaking the diet you promised to keep in the New Year. Also, the surf and turf combination of starter and main will leave their taste buds tingling.

The Dessert – Chocolate Cake

Vanilla valentines meal - Cake

Another romantic favourite is chocolate. Why not create this light chocolate cake from Channel 4’s, The Famous Baker Brothers? A little bit of sweetness for your sweetheart will help to show ‘the One’ how much you care.

Check back tomorrow for tips on creating that romantic atmosphere for your beloved.

Event Food Trends for 2013

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With January out of the way and Christmas recovery finally over, we are looking ahead to all the upcoming weddings and events.

Today, we round up some interesting food trends that we think you’ll be seeing a lot more of over the coming year.

Personalised Cocktails

Whether rich and creamy or fruity and refreshing, cocktails are always a welcome addition to any party, wedding or event.

Try selecting your favourite recipe to inject personality into your event. You could try ‘his and hers’ cocktails, a drink that you had on your first date or a seasonal fruit.

Food Stations

In recent years, we have seen an increased demand for ‘food bars’. From wraps to tacos, fresh salad bars and delicious hog roasts, this more casual approach is increasing in popularity.

Pie Pops

Cupcakes, whoopie pies and cake pops have all taken their turn in the spotlight over previous years. This year, it’s the pie pop! This cute and stylish option makes for fantastic favours and evening nibbles.

Mini Foods

If you follow our social pages, you may have noticed our slight obsession with mini foods! This year, they are more popular than ever. Accompanied by mini drinks, who could possibly resist?

We’d love to hear your event food requests and ideas, feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to discuss your requirements.

Working Lunch at Balbier Brides HQ

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After a whirlwind weekend filled with new client meetings and event food tastings, we kicked off the new week by catering for a fabulous working lunch for the wedding industry.

Held at the Charlotte Balbier Headquarters, we provided a sumptuous feast for the lucky attendees.

We served –

* Fresh sandwiches, fruits and cakes.
* Hot chicken seasoned with rosemary and garlic
* Warm salmon in coriander, chilli and lime
* Hand made pate with Clippys jam
* Air dried ham and cheese

We hope you all enjoyed it!

Burns Night Celebrations

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Burns night is just around the corner on Friday 25th January. Are you thinking of hosting a party?

We can provide an array of traditional foods for your celebration, whether you want Haggis, Neeps and tatties or something a little simpler, we can arrange it for you.

Recently, we catered for a fantastic 18th birthday party where the food had a Scottish theme. It was very well received, especially the deep fried mini Mars bars! This is what we served –

Large wholesome Canapés
Haggis, neeps and tatties with a whiskey gravy
Yorkshire pudding with rare roast beef
Croute of sun dried tomato, caramelized red onion & mozzarella cheese
Arbroth Smokie tarts
Chicken, Bury black pudding and chorizo sausage

Dessert Canapés
Cranachan Shots
Deep fried mini Mars bar
Lemon Tart

If you are hosting a party, wedding or special event and you would like a special theme for your menu, we can help.

Please feel free to get in touch with any inquiries, we’ll be more than happy to discuss your ideas.

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