THE Journal
CONSIDERATIONS; FOOD CREATIVITY AT EVENTS
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER
THE CREATIVE NATURE OF YOUR FOOD?
Almost every event has a food element – even if just a few canapés or breakfast bites and therefore considering how the menu fits with the messaging of your event is so important. You tend to require food at your event so not linking this feels like you’re missing a trick.
It’s a brilliant chance to showcase the creativity of your business, your brand or to introduce personal elements of you as a couple or individual. For this reason, at The Golborne Collection we always consider the menu of an event and how we can adapt this each time, to work perfectly for the event and to include as much creativity as possible.
LINKING YOUR CREATIVE EVENT MENUS
TO THE NATURE OF YOUR VENUE
When designing the creative event menus for an event we often take inspiration from the venue we are hosting within.
For example, the recent Chanel exhibition at the V&A South Kensington saw us creating dessert milliners’ stations complete with ‘Chocolate & Berry Cotton Reels’, ‘Salted Peanut Praline Thimbles’ and ‘Button Encrusted Gateaux’. Taking inspiration from the fashion subject of the exhibition lead us to such exciting menu options which really grabbed guests’ attention.
When working at Heckfield Place, focussing on sustainability and their Circular Farming concepts helps to create the perfect creative event menus. From bright red beetroot soups through to popcorns and snacks for the cinema private views using ingredients from the grounds. The culinary team at Heckfield are so passionate about their food and linking this to the event resulting in amazing creative menus.
We’re very lucky to work at Spring within Somerset House, an exciting restaurant headed up by Skye Gyngell. The menus are designed really close to the event and always on a bespoke basis. The ingredients are so seasonal and can be personalised very easily as they’re designed so closely to the time of the event and on a bespoke basis.
MAKING IT PERSONAL
When it comes to private celebrations, we love to work with the couple (if we’re designing a wedding or anniversary celebration) or the individual (for a private birthday celebration) to make the menu very personal. We spend time to understand the loves (and hates!) from a food perspective, in order to design the perfect creative event menus. A fun example from a wedding was designed by the creative caterer Jimmy Garcia Catering. Our groom was called Benedict therefore the ‘Eggs Benedict’ canapé – Seasonal asparagus served in a mini eggshell of hollandaise was served but alongside this the ‘Eggs Sarah’ – a twist on the same canape to incorporate some of the bride’s favourite flavours. A little touch which raised a smile with guests.
Equally loves of an individual make the perfect inspiration for a menu. A client who loved sushi and also G&T’s was very happy with the Monkey 47 gin cured salmon canapés suggested for her party. It’s all about having fun and introducing little twists and touches rather than making a menu feel ‘themed’.
CREATIVE EVENT MENUS TO SUPPORT YOUR BRAND MESSAGE
When launching a product, celebrating a brand or showcasing an element of your business, the food is the perfect area to reinforce this. A great example of an event we delivered at The Golborne Collection with creative event menus includes introducing beauty-boosting ingredients at a Pinterest event highlighting the beauty technology of the platform. The menu featured collagen jellies, set within lipstick holders which guests twisted up to eat! A hydration station was made into a big feature as water is one of the key ‘hacks’ to clear skin and a well-functioning body. Other elements were styled to fit within the visual context of the event and featured health boosting properties such as matcha, vitamin infused berries and omega 3 rich ingredients.
Whenever we receive a brief, we always ensure that the menu is well considered and where possible features as many creative touches as possible. Sometimes this can be more about the creative naming of dishes rather than changing the dishes themselves too much. This allows the menu to not feel gimmicky in any way but instead, well considered and thoughtful. Get in touch to discuss your event and how we can elevate it with some truly creative food and menu ideas.
