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What’s in Season This September? Part II

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It is not just fruit & vegetables that are at their best during the Autumn months, fish is also particularly appetising around this time of year.

However, this isn’t just fish in regards of cod or haddock (which we love!) But much more delectable flavours. September is particularly one of our favourite months of the year as oysters are at their best – along with mussels and scallops.

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This makes for fantastic canapés which we love to serve at many dinner parties in and around the North West area. Mussels are wonderful when simply paired with a nice bread as a starter. Or add them to a fish broth along with prawns for a gorgeous warming taste.

Scallops are one of our favourite starters to serve and they do not take long to prepare. They are fabulous served as a starter perhaps very simply with salad leaves, don’t forget to add cucumber to your salad – that’s in season right now too!

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Crab is another seafood which is at its best in September. Crab cakes are a classic dish which are relatively simple to make and give a lovely taste! Or, if you would like to create a taste of the deep south then you could cook up a gumbo! Crab is such a versatile meat which can be cooked so fabulously in all manner of dishes to give you a wonderful taste sensation.

So why not out together a mixed seafood broth with a large combination of tastes to really impress guests at your Autumn dinner party?

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A tip from us: Oysters are beautiful when paired with parsley fennel and thyme.

What’s In Season This September?

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It’s very important for us to keep up with the seasons and make the best of certain foods when they are at their best. Now, the Summer has passed (although we are enjoying the odd September sunshine) which was brimming with sweet fruits. But, September and Autumn are full of many more tasty treats than you would initially think!

Many people assume that fruit is no longer longer at its tastiest once we get into September but they are mistaken! Yes, the classic summer fruits such as strawberries are no longer in season (this doesn’t mean they aren’t good anymore of course) but, there are more fruits available which work wonderfully in many baked desserts… mmm. That’s right, you guessed it! Apples are at their prime right now so get picking and bake yourself a gorgeous home-made apple pie!

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Not only that but pears are also in season at the moment so to add an extra flavour to your pie you could add pears for a little sweet surprise to your pie! Other fruits which are beautifully ripe are plums, figs and the pumpkin! So don’t forget to use the fruit of your pumpkin at Halloween – you could make a scary soup!

But, it is not only fruit which is ripe and ready for recipes this September but fantastic vegetables are at their best too!

Here is one of our dishes which utilises the french bean aka the green bean which is oh so tasty at this time of the year!

This is our roasted chicken breast finished with soft herbs, served on crushed new potatoes, with peppered french beans and a wild mushroom fricasse.

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Keep up with us here for more tips on the foods you should be cooking with throughout Autumn, and of course, the year!

Why Open Evenings Are Brilliant!

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Open evenings are not only a great way for businesses such as ourselves to network with others, but they are also beneficial for anyone and everyone!

Fantastic inspiration can be gained from these events and it’s not only venues which hold such parties. at the event expect staff members on hand to answer questions, and help to guide you around the area whilst talking you through anything that you would need to know. So, don’t be afraid to ask questions!

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Also it is a great opportunity to meet people, whether they are representing a business or not. Who knows, you could even make some friends! It’s a great chance to spend with family, friends and loved ones. You can also attend fabulous venues and experience them for a small time, for a little taster of what they could arrange for you.

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We love such events and make sure that we are in regular appearance and many of them stretching across the Cheshire and wider Manchester area. Open evenings that we have been to previously have been at many local venues around the area such as, Styal Lodge and Capesthorne Hall.

But the next one that we are getting excited about is being held at the fabulous venue that is of course the stunnig, Capesthorne Hall!

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For more information and to confirm your attendance please go to this page on their website here.

So keep your eyes open for such events as they occur more often than you would think!

So from us here at Vanilla In Allseasons, we look forward to seeing you at the next one!

Images courtesy of Capesthrone Hall.

The Summer of 2014!

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We hope you have all enjoyed the Summer of 2014! Unfortunately it’s almost over.

Here at Vanilla In Allseasons we have had a fantastic Summer! It’s been busy with meetings, events and lots of organisation and of course cooking!

We have catered for all kinds of events over the past few months. And the sun coming out also makes our work more fun for us, and for everybody involved!

So, if you have been following us across our social media and the information on our website then you will have a good idea of what we have been doing.

We would like to take this opportunity to give a big thank you to all of our brilliant staff, clients and associates for all of your support during this busy time. We have had a wonderful couple of months!

Here is a little look into our Summer…

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We have really enjoyed working with lots of venues and events companies such as:

Heaton House Farm & Heaton House Events

Upper House Hayfield

We’ve also had some fantastic responses from our clients during this busy time of the year.

One of our favourites is this beautiful handwritten thank you letter from Jonny and Jen Brereton:

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This makes us happy to know that you are happy with our service. So thank you guys, we love hearing from you!

Now we can look forward to the future – Autumn and Winter Weddings are gorgeous. Christmas is on its way around rather quickly and the New Year celebrations will shortly follow. With Valentine’s day also heading around in February!

So roll on Winter 2014 and of course 2015!

Friends of Vanilla – Red Floral Architecture

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“Red floral architecture has gained itself a reputation as a highly stylised and glamorous contemporary flower studio specialising in traditional, off the wall, modern and contemporary floral designs.”

This innovative business is managed by Mat Hepplestone and Louise Fox. Their work not only features in Weddings and events they have also been featured in mainstream media outlets such as OK! Magazine.

This business, based locally in Cheshire, has gained recognition which continues to grow throughout the area and beyond. Their breath taking arrangements and creative use of flowers and design continues to enhance their reputation.

The use of colour is a large part of their work, this can be seen here in this glorious pink, purple and green arrangement below.

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The creation of circular and spherical designs for Wedding bouquets are truly wonderful and you can view a selection of them in the Weddings section of their website here.

Their Wedding and display flowers are fantastic and the table decorations that they produce are truly stunning.

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Red floral specialise in the following:

  • Bridal Bouquets
  • The RedHeavenRocks Collection
  • Buttonholes
  • Bridesmaids
  • The Table Centre
  • The Top Table
  • Venue Dressing
  • The Wedding Cake
  • The Ceremony

So, if you fancy throwing an extravagant event with creative use of flowers and want your event to stand out then why not choose A Wedding cake which is specially designed with flowers incorporated?

Red floral have the expertise to ensure that you Wedding or event is talked about for years to come!

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So get in contact with them here via their website here.

See what Red floral can do for you on 07739709400 or send them an email via the contact box on their site or contact Mat on mat@redfloral.co.uk

Don’t forget to follow them on Facebook on Red floral architecture and Twitter @redfloralarch

Red floral architecture – ‘Innovation surpasses imitation’

All images courtesy of Red floral architecture.

Just In Case You Missed It – Here’s Charlotte Balbier!

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Charlotte Balbier:

Charlotte Balbier is a well known Cheshire based fashion designer, with a fantastic reputation for style and elegance. She has been working in the wedding industry for over a decade, and she is highly knowledgeable within the field.

Charlotte’s family history within the Wedding business expresses her natural affinity with the magic involved with creating that special day.

It was only a matter of time before Charlotte herself got married. So, whilst the rest of us paused, waiting with delight to see what she would have in place for her and her husbands special day we were all amazed with the end result!

As expected, her Wedding day was one of true beauty. Due to her involvement within the Wedding industry, this meant that her day was highly covered across online discussion and print publications across the UK and worldwide.

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Wedding blogs all over the globe have covered the highly anticipated event and it featured in several Wedding and fashion design blogs such as one of the most popular in the world, Style Me Pretty.

View Charlotte’s ‘real brides’ here

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Here is Cathy in Tabitha.

The above is a collection of photographs from real Weddings that Charlotte has perfected with her design and dress making skills.

Also, don’t forget to look out for these print publication which have covered her big day:

Wedding Venues & Services U.K – the Sep/Oct/Nov issue.
Icon – Wedding magazine in Singapore. August issue.
Hochzeit – German Wedding magazine. October issue.
Emirates- Magazine in Dubai. November issue.
Orange County Brides – A U.S title. September issue.
Confetti Marbella – A Spanish title. September issue.
Bridal Guide – U.S magazine. October issue.

We look forward to seeing her designs in the future as they are absolutely stunning!

So, if you are looking for a designer let these images make up your mind.

But the most important thing of all to say is, congratulations to Charlotte and Teddy!

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Images from: www.charlottebalbier.com

Check out our menus! We can’t wait to cater for you!

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Are you thinking about having an event soon?

Whether you’re interested in a personal party, a corporate event or even your Wedding – we can cater to your needs no matter the occasion.

To make things easier for you we have downloadable versions of our menus on our website.

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Our original menus are as follows:
Formal Menu: here
Informal Menu: here
Evening Menu: here
Check them out to see what we can do just for you.

We pride ourselves on presenting the freshest, the best and the most divine meals. We love to impress, not only our clients but their guests also!

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We always have plenty of positive responses and enjoy working in conjunction with venues to ensure your event will run as smoothly as possible. We already have built strong relationships with many venues in and around the North West of England. These venues include Upper House Hayfield.

Or if you are more specific about what you require then we are more than happy to have a sit down chat with you and design a bespoke menu especially for you!

We love creating new dishes and menus and incorporating people’s personal preferences into meals to make the most interesting and delicious menu possible.

We can provide menus for any special diet needs such as vegetarian options and a large range of tasty options for you to choose from.

“A little information on Adam and Simon:

Simon has spent his career irking in the set kitchens the North West has to offer. This includes The Juniper in Altrincham, heading the pastry department, also The White House in Prestbury. His passion like Adam is taking local produce and creating simple effective dishes.

Adam opened up two Radisson hotels as the Meeting and Events Director, the first being the Radisson SAS Manchester Airport, with the 32 event rooms anew inning awards such as the “Best Airport Business Hotel In The World” and more recently the Radisson Edwardian. He organised events such as Gordon Brown’s G8 Chancellor Summit and the first Labour Party Conference in 2006”

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“If you wish to book Vanilla In Allseasons then please just let me know by email or please feel free to call us on 01625 421685.”

Adam Evanson and Simon Bailey.

So whatever your needs are do not hesitate to get in contact with us as we would be more than happy to accommodate you and share the experience of your event with you!

WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS – MAKE LEMONADE!

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WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS – MAKE LEMONADE!
WITH THE SUMMER HERE THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN GOING ON AN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE WITH A DELICIOUS PICNIC IN TOW!
WHY NOT HAVE SOME FUN AND HAVE A GO AT MAKING SOME REFRESHING HOMEMADE LEMONADE? IT’S QUICK AND EASY AND ALSO A GREAT ACTIVITY TO INVOLVE THE CHILDREN.

Lemonade

INGREDIENTS
1 CUP SUGAR (CAN REDUCE TO ¾ CUP)
1 CUP WATER (FOR THE SIMPLE SYRUP)
1 CUP LEMON JUICE
3 TO 4 CUPS COLD WATER (TO DILUTE)

METHOD
1) MAKE SIMPLE SYRUP BY HEATING THE SUGAR AND WATER IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN UNTIL THE SUGAR IS DISSOLVED COMPLETELY.

2) WHILE THE SUGAR IS DISSOLVING, USE A JUICER TO EXTRACT THE JUICE FROM 4 TO 6 LEMONS, ENOUGH FOR ONE CUP OF JUICE.

3) ADD THE JUICE AND THE SUGAR WATER TO A PITCHER. ADD 3 TO 4 CUPS OF COLD WATER, MORE OR LESS TO THE DESIRED STRENGTH. REFRIGERATE 30 TO 40 MINUTES. IF THE LEMONADE IS A LITTLE SWEET FOR YOUR TASTE, ADD A LITTLE MORE STRAIGHT LEMON TO IT.

FINALLY, FINISH OFF BY SERVING WITH ICE AND SLICED LEMONS FOR THE PERFECT QUENCH-THIRSTING DRINK!

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR INFORMAL MENU FOR FOOD INSPIRATION TO COMPLIMENT THE FRESH, SUMMERY VIBES!

BBQ THEMED DELIGHT!

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WE ALL LOVE ABIT OF SUNSHINE IN OUR LIVES AND AFTER A LONG EASTER BANK HOLIDAY WE SURE WEREN’T DISAPPOINTED! DID YOU GET THE MUCH-LOVED BARBEQUE OUT THIS WEEKEND WHILST SOAKING UP THE RAYS?

IF YOU’RE PLANNING A WEDDING OR SPECIAL EVENT THIS SUMMER, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A MORE RELAXED AND FUN FOOD THEME FOR THE DAY? WE HAVE NOTICED AN INCREASE IN CASUAL AND SOCIABLE FOOD OPTIONS OVER THE FORMAL OR TRADITIONAL CHOICES. IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT APPEALS TO YOU, TAKE A LOOK AT OUR DELICIOUS INFORMAL MENU!

THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO SOCIALISE IN THE GLORIOUS BRITISH SUNSHINE THAN WITH A GOOD OLD BARBEQUE. WE HAVE A FABULOUS SELECTION OF BARBEQUE MENUS TO CATER FOR ALL TASTES.

WE HAVE AN ARRAY OF TASTY MEAT TO OFFER SUCH AS CUMBERLAND SAUSAGE, MOUTH-WATERING RIB EYE STEAK AND SUCCULENT CHICKEN WITH COCONUT AND CHILLI. ACCOMPANIED WITH FRESH SALADS, ROASTED VEGETABLES AND DESSERTS FOR YOU TO INDULDGE IN, YOU CERTAINLY WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED! TAKE A LOOK AND FEEL INSPIRED!

WE LOVE TO PROVIDE FOR ALL OF OUR CLIENTS PERSONAL REQUESTS, HELPING TO MAKE THEIR DAY SPECIAL AND UNIQUE TO THEM. SEEING THE GUESTS HAPPY AND HAVING A FANTASTIC TIME MAKES US HAPPY TOO!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON OUR MENUS OR WANT TO SHARE ANY OF YOUR IDEAS, FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH. WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Friends of Vanilla – Chelsea Shoesmith Photography

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If you are looking for a photographer for your event, we highly recommend the wonderful Chelsea Shoesmith Photography service www.chelseashoesmith.co.uk. Her astonishing ability to capture the spirit of an event is exquisite. The photo gallery areas of her website showcase her work beautifully.

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Ranging from weddings, charity events to portrait images, Chelsea’s varied skill set will work to enhance your event, through both professional and creative techniques. Chelsea’s advanced experience within the industry allows this lovely lady to produce photos of the highest standard.

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Chelsea’s interest in story telling through her images allows the uniqueness of your day to flow through images, bringing your day to life. Whatever memories you want to capture forever, let Chelsea Shoesmith Photography allow your happiness to shine through.

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Don’t just take our word for it, go to www.chelseashoesmith.co.uk to see differentiating versions of her completed albums. Chelsea is a Manchester based photographer working in and around the North West area. Simply get in contact via the following details to enquire about the coverage of your event!

Her contact details are as follows:
Email: chelsea@chelseashoesmith.co.uk
Phone: 07891877395

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Why stop there? You can also keep up with Chelsea on twitter @c_shoesmith

Images from Chelsea Shoesmith Photography.

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