Life as a Kalm Kitchen Event Manager

Working as an Event Manager at Kalm Kitchen means a mix of planning, preparation and busy wedding days at venues like LIMEKILN in West Sussex, with plenty to keep you on your toes.

We caught up with one of our Event Managers, Molly, to find out what a typical working week looks like for her, the moments that make the job worthwhile and what she’s learnt along the way.

My working week usually starts with an office day at Kalm Kitchen HQ. It’s a chance to take a step back from the fast pace of wedding days and focus on the planning that goes into making each event run smoothly.

I spend much of the day going through the event planners for the weeks ahead, checking that everything is correctly allocated for each job, from food and glassware to all the smaller details that need to be in place before we arrive at a venue. There’s a lot to keep track of, so it’s important to make sure everything is organised well in advance.

I really enjoy office days, as they give me the chance to catch up with the wider team and hear how everyone’s events have gone that week. We’re also treated to a lovely staff lunch from the kitchen, and if we’re lucky, a brownie from Caitlin in pastry!

It’s a different pace from being on site, but it’s just as important. Getting the preparation right makes all the difference when it comes to delivering a successful event.

A typical wedding day for me is at LIMEKILN in West Sussex. From the moment I arrive, my focus is on bringing the couple’s vision to life and making sure everything reflects both their plans and Kalm Kitchen’s standards.

We get straight into setting up the dining room, arranging the linen, glassware and crockery, along with any tablescapes or finishing touches the couple have chosen. LIMEKILN is a beautiful venue with lots of character and intricate details, but every wedding feels different depending on how each couple chooses to style the space.

Once the room is ready, the day starts to gather momentum. I oversee the drinks and canapé reception, making sure my team are circulating and guests are looked after as the celebrations get underway. Before long, it’s time to move on to the wedding breakfast.

There’s a lot happening at once, and as the Event Manager, it’s my job to keep everything moving while making sure the experience feels relaxed and enjoyable for the couple and their guests.

My favourite part of the wedding day is always the room reveal. This is the moment when the couple, often accompanied by their photographer, get to see their finished dining room for the first time.

It’s such a special moment. They’ve spent months, sometimes years, imagining how their wedding will look, making decisions about everything from the table styling to the smallest details. Seeing it all come together is often an emotional experience, and there are usually a few tears.

For me, this is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. The couple have put a huge amount of trust in us to bring their plans to life, and being able to deliver something that means so much to them is an incredible feeling.

Once guests are seated, my attention turns to the wedding breakfast service. This is one of the busiest parts of the day, and certainly one of the most exciting.

There’s a real sense of teamwork between the event staff and the kitchen, with everyone working together to ensure each course reaches the right table at the right time. I rely on my plans and on the team around me, making sure everyone knows what they need to do and that communication stays clear throughout service.

Dietary requirements are a particularly important part of this. From complex requirements to serious allergies, every detail needs to be communicated accurately and handled with care. There’s a lot of responsibility involved, and I need to know that the plans we’ve put in place are being followed.

As each table is served and the courses make their way out of the kitchen, there’s a real sense of achievement. It’s fast-paced and requires a lot of concentration, but watching everything come together is incredibly satisfying.

After the wedding breakfast has been served, the drinks have been poured and dessert has been enjoyed, the pace eventually begins to slow. Guests move on to the next part of their celebrations, and we start to clear and pack away the dining room.

It’s often the first point in the day when I get a chance to sit down, although there’s still plenty to do before we finish. All the details that went into creating the room need to be carefully cleared away, ready for everything to happen again at the next event.

There’s something quite satisfying about this part of the day. You see the room return to how it started, knowing how much work and care has gone into transforming it for the couple. By this point, the day has usually been a whirlwind, but you can take a moment to appreciate what the team has achieved.

I’ve been part of Kalm Kitchen for two and a half years, and during that time I’ve learnt a huge amount about myself. I’m a very different Event Manager now compared with when I first started. The role has taught me resilience, given me greater confidence in my own abilities and shown me that I can deliver all kinds of events while creating an enjoyable working environment for my team.

It’s certainly not an easy job. The days are fast-paced, the responsibility is significant. But what keeps me motivated is knowing that we’re helping to create one of the most important days in someone’s life.

People sometimes ask how I can keep doing wedding after wedding without getting bored. The truth is that every couple is different, every celebration has its own challenges, and every day brings something new. No matter how many weddings you work on, there’s nothing quite like seeing a couple’s plans come together and knowing you’ve helped make their day everything they hoped it would be.

That feeling, and the knowledge that you’ve achieved it alongside a team who have worked just as hard, is what makes the job so rewarding.