Daisy and Martin's Wedding

Yesterday we spent the day at Ufton Court to cater for Daisy and Martin's special day. 

Daisy and Martin invited their guests with a unique 'save the date' canvas bag

This couple shied away from a traditional Christmas themed wedding and instead followed Martin's roots to Japan. The whole of Tithe Barn was full of 1000 paper cranes which the couple had made together as a Japanese tradition to represent hope and happiness. Some were hung on the tree decorations in the middle of the tables, others hung on strings from the barn's rustic beams and individual cranes were given as favours. 

Paper cranes hung from the big rustic beams of Tithe Barn

Beautiful Japanese paper was used in the origami cranes

Tithe Barn decorated with festive fairy lights

At the back of the barn was a 'best wishes' cherry blossom tree which lit up and featured all the guests best wishes for the couple. Cherry blossom was also featured on the table plan as the guests entered and brought the whole theme together beautifully.

Instructions for the guests to use the 'best wishes' tree

The 'best wishes' tree before the guests decorated it with their messages

The 'best wishes' tree covered with guests wishes for the bride and groom

Beautifully decorated tables and chairs

The mother of the bride knitted unique napkin rings for the place settings

Canapés were served in Ufton's lovely Archery Hall whilst champagne and mulled wine were served for reception drinks. The guests enjoyed teriyaki beef, edamame beans in a soy and chili glaze, tempura vegetables with a chili dipping sauce, salmon blinis, duck and hoisin pancakes, lime and garlic king prawns, lamb koftas and pork belly with black pudding all cooked by our wonderful chefs.

Our delicious canapés

The guests made their way into the barn for the speeches before their three course meal. It was one of the most touching and heartfelt speeches we'd heard and the groom had everyone in tears, including us! A starter of seasonal gnocci garnished with pine nuts was served and followed by a traditional Japanese rice wine called Sake. The bride stood up and made a small speech in Japanese and everyone toasted to the couple with their Sake in hand. The meal continued with pork belly, braised cabbage, roasted baby carrots finished with caramelized braeburn apple. Vegetarians could enjoy the option of carrot fritters with halloumi cheese. 

Gnocci with ricotta and pine nuts

Pork belly, baby carrots, braised cabbage and caramelized apple

For dessert the naked wedding cake was cut and presented on platters with beautiful roses and festive cranberries. There were two different flavours; spiced apple or a traditional Victorian sponge. Our chefs served the cake with cinnamon and vanilla icecream.

Naked wedding cake with origami paper cranes and roses

After the three course meal, space was cleared to make way for dancing to a live band. The bar was opened for the evening and included a Japanese Lager called Asahi which was very popular with the guests and went down a treat. 

Festive Favours!

The tradition of distributing wedding favours is an old one. The first wedding favour was said to have been known as a bonbonniere which is a small trinket box made of crystal, porcelain and/or precious stones. Sugar or delicate confections were given in these boxes which were a symbol of wealth and royalty. Sugar was an expensive commodity at this time. Luckily times have changed, and now there's hundreds and thousands of ideas out there for your own wedding favours...

We've searched high and low for the perfect festive favours for your winter wedding, whether it be this year, next year or any date in the future! On our pinterest board you can find the perfect favour for you from edible Christmas treats to miniature grow your own trees. http://www.pinterest.com/potkilnanywhere/festive-favours/

We know that in amongst all the wedding chaos, favours for your guests may seem like another thing to get your head around. But a lot of the favours we've included in our mood board can be easily sourced, or created yourself! Christmas cookies are a great, simple wedding favour and are extremely popular this year. They can be as unique for your guests as you like, you could even decorate them with your guests names and use them as a table names! If you're not a DIY kind of couple, Etsy is a fantastic place to source really unique wedding favours for your guests.

Beautiful wedding favours make a beautiful wedding table. But what's a wedding table without food? For the perfect winter menu for your Christmas wedding, head over to https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pot-Kiln-Anywhere/273751529394166 and get in touch with us.

Christmas Party at Well Barn Estate

On Thursday we catered for a Christmas Party at Well Barn Estate. Deeply in picturesque countryside the shooting lodge boasts a large reception area ideal for weddings, parties and corporate dinners. The barn is decorated with a mixture of country, luxury and modern fixtures from all over the world.

The roaring fire set the Christmas mood perfectly last night, as the evening started with pink champagne and canapés which included devils on horseback and salmon gravlax on a bed of cucumber with dill. After the reception the guests were seated for their festive feast.

The food was served onto tables named after Christmas icons, including Santa Claus! Each of the tables were decorated with tinsel, Christmas crackers, holly, cinnamon and baubles.

Each guest had a choice of starter, main and dessert; with a festive choice within each course. This included a traditional smoked salmon starter, Christmas dinner with all the trimmings for the main course and Christmas pudding with custard for dessert. Other choices included a deliciously rich Chicken Liver Parfait to start and a Mandarin and White Chocolate Trifle for dessert. Delicious!

For those daring to shy away from the Traditional Turkey Christmas dinner, venison was on offer. If you feel that you don't know where to start when it comes to venison, The Full Venison Course at The Mike Robinson Game and Wild Food Cookery school will ensure you can to try something new in your kitchen. Visit http://www.gamecookeryschool.co.uk/our-courses/the-full-venison for details.

Clare and Dave's Big Day

Yesterday, we catered for Clare and Dave's wedding at Folly Farm in Brightwalton. The reception took place in a rustic barn situated in the middle of picturesque rolling hills.

The theme for the wedding revolved mainly around winter and Christmas; There was an enormous Christmas tree on the dance floor, covered in twinkling fairy lights, that really set the mood for the bar and evening entertainment. All of the table decorations featured festive pine cones and sprigs of fir trees. A country theme was also brought onto the table with pheasant feathers and jute string to tie the napkins together.

 Other winter decorations included the big stag heads that were featured on either side of the entrance hallway and festive blooms suspended from the rustic beams of the barn. Jane Lawrence Flowers did a fantastic job on decorating the barn, it looked breathtaking! Visit www.janelawrenceflowers.com to see her beautiful work.

 The food carried the winter and country theme as well as all being locally sourced. Canapés were circulated during the reception drinks; there were mini Yorkshire puddings with rare beef and horseradish, honey mustard sausages, carrot and cumin filo pastries, fish cakes with a chilli dip, lamb koftas with mango chutney and lime and garlic king prawns.

To start, the guests shared baskets of locally baked bread followed by a comforting winter meal. Our chefs prepared butterflied legs of venison with caramelized shallots, creamy dauphinoise potatoes with rosemary, bowls of buttered curly kale and braised red cabbage. It was a perfect winter warmer and there were compliments to the chefs all round! The guests had a choice of a hearty sticky toffee pudding or classic creme bruleé with homemade shortbread biscuits.

The evening food was a selection of cheese from the couples unique cheese cake tower, a range of breads, carving ham, game terrine, olives, sunblushed tomatoes and different chutneys. Pippin Doughnuts provided a range of chocolate, cinnamon and berry jam doughnuts which went down a treat! 

All in all it was a lovely event, stunning location, beautiful barn and friendly guests. Everyone enjoyed the food and drinks and had a wonderful time.

This Week's Winter Weddings

Today, we are at the wonderful Ufton Court, celebrating Sally and Lisa's big day.

This weekend marks the first of the winter wedding season and we're all very excited to be involved! Ufton Court have already decked the halls with a beautiful traditional Christmas tree complete with magical fairy lights and red baubles. Tithe Barn now has the perfect atmosphere for the perfect Christmas Wedding.

Check out our 'Christmas Wedding' Pinterest board for the latest Christmas Wedding trends; http://www.pinterest.com/potkilnanywhere/christmas-wedding/. You'll find everything you need from decor to dining so you can create your perfect day! Here is a sneak peek at what you can expect. 

Berries are very popular this winter, you can even incorporate them into your wedding menu, perfect with poultry dishes.

Sally and Lisa's menu is certainly not straying from winter themes! With the options including Rosemary Roast Chicken with Roast Garlic Mash, Winter Greens and Red Wine Gravy, followed by a comforting Apple and Blackberry Crumble with Madagascan Vanilla Custard. Winter comfort food executed with the upmost quality by our wonderful chefs!

Take a look at our twitter and website and browse through our favourite winter recipes and wedding breakfast menus to tantalize your taste-buds this Christmas. Ufton Court have posted a festive photo of today's happy couple and we're excited to post about tomorrow's winter wedding and our delicious food to be served.