Charlotte Penniceard, CEO PenniBlack shares some thoughts and a recent case study of concept catering
There’s so much creativity in catering and food, which is so joyous as the medium has infinite possibilities. It’s wonderful to work to a brief and see exactly what is possible.
The whole industry has come a long way since I completed my training at Leith’s School of Food & Wine. Back then conference service was a buffet of something brown served with little imagination, or a sit-down dinner with a salmon starter, chicken supreme and something chocolatey to follow. Or it was a canapé reception with smoked salmon, cheese straws, mini quiches and perhaps a sausage on a stick served on plastic platters!
All of a sudden bowl food came along. What a revelation! Something more substantial but you could eat and chat to whomever you wanted to or avoid those you didn’t. Brilliant.
Then there was all the novelty stuff, chocolate fountains, beads in cocktails and canapés, nitrous ice-cream, gin bubbles and mist orbs. Some of these are still very popular and entertaining which is great. Food and drink should be fun.
Around the same time, we had the invention of left-field catering, fusing dishes, cultures and interesting ingredients. Micro-cress, flowers and ingredients you weren’t quite sure of but looked intriguing and exciting which you wanted to try.
Now we’ve reached the point of it being about the whole concept. I don’t mean experiential or immersive, I mean all-encompassing down to the last detail. It’s not just chiming in with the theme but taking your event to the next level in a seasonal and sustainable way.
Depending on where you start, whether it’s with a concept or the venue, everything else should enhance the experience from menu and drink creation, down to the colours and ingredients used, the glassware and servers for the food. Music and lighting will amplify or nullify as needed. This might sound expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. At PenniBlack we love to repurpose things for different events ensuring the look is just right, whether it’s giving it a new coat of paint or styling it with something bizarre to enhance the look. Personally, I love to forage for beautiful things in nature which can be used again and again and which are largely free.
Let me explain with a case study. For our recent Harvest Moon showcase it began by creating three impactful invitations in front of a high-resolution harvest moon which were drip fed to guests over three weeks.
To enhance the autumn equinox vibe, we chose a brick arched venue in Shoreditch. Against the back wall there was a backlit projection featuring a reel of dark-lit harvest pictures, it looked like the images were emerging from the brick wall, creating an ethereal ambience. Straw bales and corn sheafs were carefully placed, adding texture to the warm brick arches and a harvest aroma. Lighting was minimal and low and against a background of hooting owls and crying wolves. Violinist supremo Matthew Glossop played Vivaldi’s Autumn, among other pieces, which were interspersed with music from a DJ.
The bar and waiting staff were dressed simply in deep grey shirts, black aprons and swept back hair but adorned with glowing neon bracelets or earrings and simple makeup.
All these aspects brought the concept together and enhanced the food which was carefully styled on a vast table so guests could enjoy as they wished, constantly topped up by attentive staff.
Dishes included smokey boar bao buns with apple sauce and crackling pots, failed harvest charcoal buns with smoked chicken, micro rocket and lemon and chive mayo and pumpkin and goats cheese half-moon pasties, to name but three.
Lucinda Baldwin from Orange Events said of the experience: “I feel I’ve been transported into another world.”
These things take time to research however for brands who want to immerse their guests into their world. The end result is so worth the effort and really delivers.
Contact: www.penniblack.co.uk
