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Capesthorne Hall – Cheshire Wedding Venue

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As many of you will already know Vanilla cater at many beautiful venues across the North West for a range of different functions, but Capesthorne Hall has been one of our favourite venues for many different reasons.

Capesthorne Hall is set in the heart of Cheshire, which makes it a stunning venue for weddings, corporate events, receptions, dinners, business meetings, conferences, presentations, exhibitions and festivals. You can visit the grounds and tour the hall between April and October on Sundays, Mondays and Bank Holiday weekends and you can also enjoy afternoon tea in The Butlers Pantry after your visit.

To fully appreciate the history behind this unique Hall special guided tours can be booked with the venue.

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You can join the wonderful people at the hall at Capesthorne for their next open evening on Thursday 17th of March 2016 to see the unique venue itself. Between 5.30pm and 9.00pm you will be able to see our showcase of wedding facilities, please call 01625 861 221 to confirm attendance.

This is an opportunity to see this perfect wedding venue first hand. You will get the chance to speak to our dedicated wedding team who will be able to discuss all requirements and show you around the venue dressed as it could be on your wedding day. There will be canapés and refreshments available at the open evening.

Vanilla In Allseasons can provide a full catering service from light snacks to fine dining, when you book the hall or the lakeside garden rooms at Capesthorne Hall. If you would like Vanilla to cater for your event at Capesthorne Hall or another venue contact our lovely team Vanilla In Allseasons on 01625 421 685 or via Email: info@vanillainallseasons.co.uk.

Friends of Vanilla

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Here at Vanilla we don’t just provide a service we’re all about creating memories that last and relationships that endure. We know that planning an event is about more than just the catering and that all of the many details are provided by a host of different suppliers, which can make organising your big day very stressful! We work closely with our clients to make sure that their event is perfect with as minimal fuss as possible.

Over the years Vanilla has established links with some of the finest suppliers and service providers around. We utilise these relationships to ensure the food products and ingredients we select always meet our exemplary standards. It also means that we are able to deliver the very best contacts and recommendations when it comes to planning your event.

Whilst working closely with Chetham’s Library we’ve recently updated our “Friends of Vanilla” section of our website with a host of new suppliers:

• Kate McGrath / Venue Perfection / Design / info@venueperfection.com / http://www.venueperfection.com/

• Jonny Draper / Jonny Draper Photograpghy / Photography / info@jonnydraper.co.uk / http://www.jonnydraper.co.uk/

• Johnathan / Lightech Lighting / Jonathan.Heywood@lightech.co.uk / http://www.lightech.co.uk/

• Marise Kaye / Bloomsbury Wedding Cakes / Cake / marise@bloomsburyweddingcakes.co.uk / http://www.bloomsburyweddingcakes.co.uk/

• Sean / Green Hot Clover / Band / Info@greenhotclover.co.uk / http://www.greenhotclover.co.uk/

• James Langton / UTC Events / Band / james@utcevents.co.uk / http://utcevents.co.uk/

• Helen Erickson / Helen Eriksen Weddings / helen@heleneriksenweddings.com / http://www.heleneriksenweddings.com/

• Andy Murphy / Andy Murphy DJ / DJ / andy@andymurphydj.co.uk / http://www.andymurphydj.co.uk/

• Stacy Neil / Love Lights the Way / Word Props / stacy@lovelightstheway.co.uk / http://www.lovelightstheway.co.uk/

• Kai Adi / Verdure / Flowers / very@verdure.co.uk / http://www.verdure.co.uk/

• Kyle Hassall / Kyle Hassall Photography / Photography / info@kylehassall.com / http://www.kylehassall.com/

• Mark Hendry / Live Piano Experince / Piano / admin@thelivepianoexperience.com / http://thelivepianoexperience.com/

• David / Didsbury String Quartet String Quartet / info@didsburystringquartet.co.uk / http://www.didsburystringquartet.co.uk/

If you’re interested in working with Vanilla at your next event Call us on: 01625 421 685 or Email us via info@vanillainallseasons.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.

Owen House Barn & Our Upcoming Open Day

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On Sunday 14th of February the Vanilla team had a wonderful time catering for the Owen House Barn Open Day. Owen House Barn, located in Mobberley in the Cheshire countryside, is a popular wedding venue. The family run setting offers a unique wedding experience, utilising its recently converted barn, that still maintains its rustic and countryside charm, as its primary space. A fantastic day was had by all, we always love visiting our friends at Owen House Barn, the venue is spectacular and the people are lovely!

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Vanilla’s next open day will be taking place at Chetham’s Library:

Chetham’s has been in continuous use as a free public library for over 350 years, however the beautiful building is also open as a fantastic function space. The library can hold anything from ceremonies and drinks receptions to wedding breakfasts which are all hosted in a series of period rooms with flexibility to accommodate the most intimate gathering or much larger event.

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On Sunday the 21st February from 11am to 3.30pm our catering team will be offering refreshments for you to take into the gorgeous building. This is a good opportunity for couples to come and see for themselves how unique this location is whilst wetting your appetite with our scrumptious selection of samples.

We look forward to seeing you there!

If you would like to contact Vanilla In Allseasons or Chetham’s Library please find our phone numbers and email addresses listed below:

Vanilla In Allseasons:

Call Vanilla on: 01625 421 685
Email Vanilla on: info@vanillainallseasons.co.uk

Chethams Library:

Email Chethams on: librarian@chethams.org.uk
Call Chethams on: 0161 834 7961

Valentines, Strawberries & Chocolate

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Sunday 14th February. Valentines Day.

Jewellery, Flowers, Fluffy Teddies? All of those things spring to mind when you’re thinking of presents for your nearest and dearest. Fun Date, Night-in, Romantic Meal out? All great options for the Valentines evening but what we’re most interested in is the food. Chocolate specifically. It’s synonymous with this romantic time of year. Whether you’re cooking for your partner or planning on eating out, Strawberries and Chocolate are always a safe bet for Valentines…

The Valentines roots are in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration commemorated annually on February 15th. Pope Gelasius I recreated the holiday as a christian feast day, declaring February 14th to be St. Valentines Day. Since then the date has lost it’s religious significance and the day is celebrated by loved ones throughout the world with people buying gifts for their partners as a display of their affection.

So why do we buy chocolates? It is something that has been identified with love for centuries. Chocolate is an aphrodisiac that holds an endorphin called Phenylethylamine, which has been linked to falling in love when found in the brain which makes it a great gift for you’re sweetheart.

If you’re thinking of preparing a delicious dessert for someone on Valentines day we recommend Chocolate and Strawberries. They compliment each other beautifully, in taste and aesthetic and there are plenty of options to try. We love Chocolate Strawberry Truffle Brownies, Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes but our favourite is Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake.

If you want to make a Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake here’s what you’ll need:

300g white chocolate
50g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
400g cream cheese
50g icing sugar
100ml double cream, whipped to stiff peaks
2 punnets strawberries

For the biscuit base:

1 pack digestive biscuits, crushed
100g butter, melted

Vanilla In Allseasons are experts at catering for all occasions with both main meals and gorgeous desserts. If you would like us to cater for your event, contact our lovely team on 01625 421 685 Or INFO@VANILLAINALLSEASONS.CO.UK

Chetham’s Library Wedding Open Day

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There’s a brand new wedding venue in the North West and we’re very excited about it. Welcome to Chetham’s Library.

You may have seen our blog a couple of weeks ago taking a look Behind the Scenes of a Bridal Shoot at the venue. This week we thought we’d bring you some history about the library.

Chetham’s Library was founded in 1653 and is the oldest public library in England. As an independent charity it remains open to readers and visitors free of charge, although a minimum donation can be made of £3. The collection of books in the library have been designated as one of national and international importance, an accolade of which they are extremely proud. Chetham’s is a place steeped in history which makes it a perfect wedding venue.

Wedding ceremonies in this fascinating setting, are truly days to remember. Ceremonies are mostly held in the Baronial Hall, within the beautiful old sandstone walls of what was, other than the neighbouring church, the largest building in the medieval town of manchester.

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Vanilla in Allseasons are delighted to say that we are the official event caterers for Chetham’s Library. Ceremonies, drinks receptions and wedding breakfasts can be hosted in a series of period rooms with flexibility to accommodate anything from the most intimate gathering to larger groups. If the beautiful Chetham’s is a venue that appeals to you then why not visit the Chetham’s Library Wedding Open Day on Sunday 21st February between 11am and 3:30pm where our expert catering team will be offering refreshments for you take in the gorgeous building.

For more information and details of how we can work with you on your special day, please contact Vanilla in Allseasons or Chetham’s Library on :

Vanilla in Allseasons :
phone : 01625 421 685
Email : info@vanillainallseasons.co.uk

Chetham’s Library :
Email : admin@chethams.org.uk

Behind the scenes look at our styled bridal shoot at Chetham’s Library

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We are delighted to announce we’ve partnered up with the historic Chetham’s Library in Manchester. To celebrate, we brought together a number of our favourite suppliers for a styled photoshoot on site to showcase just how incredible this venue really is.

Designer Charlotte Balbier provided the stunning Iscoyd Park dress – ivory in colour, it perfectly complements the elegant surroundings. Rebecca Anderton styled the model’s hair and makeup, with soft, warm tones and a vintage inspired up do, which was in keeping with the simplicity and sophistication of the venue.

A collection of wild flower bouquets and table centres adorned the room, provided by premium table designers Special Days, with top quality crockery and glassware from Wythenshawe based supplier, Whitehouse.

Despite the cold weather, the shoot went smoothly, taking full advantage of both the variety of locations and the pool of creative talent that worked together to produce some beautiful images to really showcase the venue in its entirety. It’s fair to say our model Katie did a sterling job braving the elements – her smile never wavered despite the arctic temperatures. Katie, we salute you!

We’ll be hosting an open day on Sunday 21st February for couples to come and have a look around the venue and see for themselves how unique this location is. It will start at 10.30am and run until 4pm, where guests will be offered a drink and a tour of this one of a kind wedding venue.

Our Supplier
Vanilla in Allseasons (caterers)
Chetham’s Library (venue)
Charlotte Balbier (dress)
Special Days (table design & flowers)
Whitehouse (crockery & glasses)
Rebecca Anderton (hair and make up)
Chelsea Shoesmith (photography)

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Left Over Sunday Dinner Recipes

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A Sunday dinner, can’t beat it. One of Britain’s traditions, served on a Sunday with roasted meat, roast potatoes Yorkshire puds, stuffing, vegetables and gravy. The veg is subject to choice and personal preference but Parsnips, Brussel Sprouts, Peas, Carrots, Broccoli and Cauliflower often make the menu. the meal is often compared to a less grand version of a christmas dinner.

The typical meats that will be served with a Sunday dinner are roast beef, chicken, lamb or pork, sometimes seasonally it can be duck, goose , gammon or turkey.

The traditional accompaniments :

– Beef – Yorkshire pudding, suet pudding , english mustard or horseraddish
– Pork – crackling and sage and onion stuffing , apple sauce or english mustard
– Lamb – Mint sauce or red currant jelly
– Chicken – pigs in blankets , sausages , stuffing , bread sauce , cranberry sauce or redcurrant jelly.

The leftovers:

Leftovers from a Sunday dinner can be used to form from the basic meals for the rest of the week. Meats might be used for sandwich fillers, extra veg could be used in a hearty stew, blended into a soup or used as the basis for bubble and squeak and Lamb might be used in the filling of a shepherds pie.

The pubs and restaurants in the UK serving food usually have a Sunday menu that features a roast dinner. Regularly there will be a variety of meats and often vegetables and often is cheaper than the normal everyday menu.

A Sunday dinner left over recipe :

Moroccan-style stew roasted meat

Ingredients :

– Olive oil
– 15g butter
– 2 onions , finely chopped
– 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
– 1 tin of chickpeas (400g), drained and rinsed
– 1 tin of tomatoes (400g), chopped
– 1/4 teaspoon freshly grounded black pepper
– 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
– 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
– 450ml vegetable or chicken stock (plus more if needed)
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 large bunch of fresh coriander or parsley, finely chopped (or a mixture of both reserve some for serving)
– 2 teaspoons mint, dried or a couple of sprigs of fresh mint
– 1 teaspoon paprika
– 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
– leftover roast lamb (or chicken or beef)

Christmas Baking

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Christmas Pudding – The traditional British, Christmas dessert. Sweet, scrumptious and seasonal the only bad thing is that we have to wait for that certain time of year to spoil ourselves with it.

The best Christmas Puddings are made with dried fruits held together by egg and suet, moistened with treacle or molasses and typically seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg , cloves, ginger and other spices with it’s high alcohol content preventing it from spoiling during time.

The history behind the popular christmas dessert goes back to medieval England with the quote “pudding should be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, that it be prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles, and that every family member stir it in turn from east to west to honour the Magiand their supposed journey in that direction”. Whilst most of us are less concerned with it’s religious significance it’s still mostly reserved for that festive time of year, but maybe that’s because of it’s lengthy cooking time and it’s rich taste.

Usually families will buy there puddings to considerably reduce the cooking time. Traditional methods require many hours of steaming however readymade puddings can be heated in the oven over a much shorter period of time.

However, there are those traditionalist who still like to do it themselves. Many people have there own recipes for Christmas Pudding but if this is your first time, we’ve included some ingredients below to get you started:

Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 8 hours
Makes two 1.2 litre/2 pint puddings (each serves 8)

Ingredients :

– 50 g blanched almond
– 2 large Bramley cooking apple
– 200g box candied peel (in large pieces) or all citron if you can find it
– 1 whole nutmeg (you’ll use three quarters of it)
– 1kg raisin
– 140g plain flour
– 100g soft fresh white breadcrumb
– 100g light muscovago sugar, crumbled if it looks lumpy
– 3 large eggs
– 2 table spoons brandy or cognac, plus extra to flame
– 250g packet butter taken straight from the fridge

Afternoon Tea

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Afternoon tea – A Great British Tradition. Tea, Biscuits, Sandwiches, what more could you want? Not to mention it’s a great way to get together with friends, have a catch-up and relax.

Introduced by Anna the Seventh Duchess of Bedford in 1840 to ease the ‘sinking feeling’ she had between meals during the afternoon. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread, butter and cake be brought to her room around 4pm. Anna soon made a habit out of it and she began inviting friends to join her. It became popularised in the 1880’s amongst the upper-class and society women who would change into long gowns, gloves and hats.

These days, however, Afternoon tea isn’t reserved for the wealthy and privileged. In fact in the last 5 years or so Afternoon Tea has become a popular past-time, with many restaurants and cafe’s adding it to their daytime menus. Consisting of light bites and the quintessentially British Tea, afternoon tea is as much about social aspect as it is the food, often used as gifts or celebratory events for friends and family. There is even now a brilliant trend of using Afternoon Tea / Coffee Mornings as a way of raising money for charity with the host inviting friends over and making various charitable donations!

If you are thinking of hosting an Afternoon Tea event here are some traditional bites to include –

Classic afternoon tea sandwiches:

– Cucumber
– Egg mayonnaise with cress
– Smoked salmon with cream cheese
– Coronation chicken
– Ham and mustard

Traditional Afternoon Tea Menu:

A selection of freshly prepared finger sandwiches
Warm scones with clotted cream and preserves
A variety of home made cakes and pastries
Your choice of a range of tea

We love traditions like afternoon tea, they make us proud of our British culture. All of Vanilla In Allseasons Ingredients are locally sourced to ensure that we provide to best produce for our events. If you would like us to help you with your event please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

A Glowing Review

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It’s always wonderful when we receive kind reviews from people that we’ve worked with, especially when they are as glowing as the one below! You can review us on our Facebook page and give us a rating too. We love feedback and it would be fantastic if we could speak wth every venue and person we’ve worked with. You can find the wonderful review from Mr & Mrs Tomlinson below, we catered their Wedding not long ago and had a fantastic day! Thank you for the wonderful words.

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“Just wanted to say a massive thank you for catering our Wedding on Saturday, the food was truly amazing and the staff service was impeccable and they were so friendly!! Unbelievable team and wish I had gone into the kitchen to personally thank the chefs! The Weddings I have been to the foods always average but everyone commented how gorgeous the food was from the canapés all the way to the evening food! I actually managed to eat 3 canapés which is 3 more than I thought I would!! Mini Yorkshire puds we were all raving about! The main wedding breakfast was spot on! So glad we went for what we did! I think the groom Gavin would like to eat it all again please as unfortunately he chose to do his speech after the food which he is now regretting!! Thank you so much again for everything. Love Mr & Mrs Tomlinson xx”

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