Not much sums up summer better than a dessert bursting with freshly picked berries, and our Summer Berry Dessert Station certainly caused a sensation this year. Loaded up with pavlova, berries, whipped double cream, wildflowers and meringue kisses, it’s almost too good to be true.

This year, we set out to create an abundance of delicious and beautiful desserts that could be built live during at your wedding celebrations. We love food that gets people talking. And what could be more fun than your guests helping themselves to a bowl of hand-served dessert to graze with on the lawn.

Made up of a 3.5 foot square of pavlova, we pile up this all-time favourite base with an abundance of berries and florals. It looks stunning and we have it on good authority that it tastes just as amazing too!

To create it, Camilla @camillascreationsflowers helped us dress an elevated round table with florals. Interactively building it in front of your guests is all part of the theatre. Layers of lovely flavours makes this a unique station within our list of sharing desserts and it’s all finished off with edible flowers to make it pretty as a picture.

Click here to see a video of this stunning dessert being created: Summer Berry Pav – VLA

Are you thinking of incorporating a unique dessert concept into your wedding plans? For further wedding menu inspiration, talk to one of our team at Kalm Kitchen. Get in touch at info@kalmkitchen.co.uk or call us on 01483 813360.

Credits:
Florist: @camillascreationsflowers
Cloth @maisonmargauxltd
Photographer/ Videographer: @vlaweddingphotography

Seated desserts are making way for spectacular dessert tables and we are increasingly being asked to create stunning Patisserie Boutiques. All our stunning displays include a choice of three beautifully styled, delicious desserts, which can include macarons and chocolate lollipops.

This wonderful spread of sweet treats gives guests the opportunity to graze long into the night. And they look amazing too! Whether you’re catering for 30 or 300 people, a Patisserie Boutique is a fantastic, interactive feasting experience for your wedding or event. This relaxed approach to dining is a great way of bringing people together to eat, chat and mingle.

Kalm Kitchen has developed endless options to provide plenty of tasty flavours and create the ultimate showpiece that makes a real statement. Here is a selection of our Top Five most popular Patisserie Boutique displays:

Classic

A clean and contemporary collection of tiered acrylic shelves. Let the food and flowers do the talking with this simple and elegant option.

Flowers: Hannah Berry Flowers

Photography: Marianne Taylor 

Rustic

Rustic props including a selection of vintage crates and scales, for a beautiful summery, relaxed vibe.

Flowers: Carrie Macy-The Topiary Tree

Photography: VLA Photography

Gold

Gold and mirrored elements conjure up a luxurious and elegant visual display

Photography (image 1): Anneli Marinovich

Flowers (image 1): Kate Avery Flowers 

Photography (image 2): VLA photography

Flowers (image 2): Hannah Berry Flowers

Botanical

Three layers of acrylic, circular shelves creates a jaw dropping 360 degree grazing display

Flowers: Hannah Berry Flowers

Photography: Philippa Sian Photography 

Colonial

Colonial styling presented on an industrial structure with hanging rattan baskets and neutral toned foliage

Photography: Hayley Bray

Find more Patisserie Boutique inspiration, head over to the Kalm Kitchen pinterest feed. Also, follow us on Instagram for the latest inspirational ideas.

For further wedding menu inspiration, talk to one of our team at Kalm Kitchen. Get in touch at info@kalmkitchen.co.uk or call us on 01483 813360.

Main image:

Photography: VLA photography

Flowers: Hannah Berry Flowers

Who: Holly & Will | When: September 2020 | Where: Chelsea Town Hall

 

>> Tell us more about your wedding planning:

This wasn’t the original plan. Like so many couples, we had our big two part wedding all planned for May 2020; a small legal ceremony with just family, followed by a big celebration a few days later with all our friends. When the lockdown was announced in March, no one could have predicted what the future held so. Like so many others, we didn’t know whether to hold out, cancel or postpone the wedding.  Initially, with optimism in our hearts, we postponed both parts of the wedding to September 2020. But as the months rolled on, it became clear that we weren’t going to be able to get hundreds of people into a room anytime soon.

We decided to cancel the big event and stick with the plans for the legal wedding. We kept everything crossed that we’d be able to go ahead when the time came and salvage at least some of our 2020 plans. It was actually a huge relief once a decision was made and all the pressure was taken away. A micro wedding wasn’t what we ever thought we’d have, but in hindsight I’m so glad we did.

 

>> How did you choose your venues:

Both sets of our parents got married at Chelsea and Kensington Registry Office, a month apart from each other back in 1979. So there was a sentimental aspect to the decision, meaning we never really discussed other options. We originally planned to go to a local restaurant for a meal following the ceremony. But because we were no longer able to have Kalm Kitchen cater at the big celebration and we were desperate to still have their incredible food, we decided to hold the reception at Holly’s father’s home. It worked perfectly for the guest numbers. We had drinks and canapés on the roof terrace and set up a banquet style dining table in the living room for the meal. The kitchen was turned into a dance floor later in the evening.

 

 

>> How did you choose the menu:

We wanted an Italian theme running through the meal, as our very initial plans after getting engaged was to hold the wedding in Italy (Thank god we didn’t!). We also felt that, because it was a small event, a sharing meal would work best. It encourages interaction and connects people, and Italian food lends itself perfectly to the sharing concept. Kalm Kitchen took our ideas and created a completely bespoke vegetarian menu for us. It was perfect! We felt so comfortable in the hands of the team so really let them run with it.

 

>> What was on the menu:

 

>> What was your favourite part of the meal:

We had a bespoke Kalm Kitchen sharing pavlova for dessert, which doubled up as our wedding cake. It was just incredible.

 

>> What did you have to drink:

We kept it simple with a bespoke Kalm Kitchen drinks package. For the canapé reception we had Prosecco with optional Aperol or Creme de Cassis upgrades, and some bottles of Corona (very fitting). We had red and white wine for the meal and the Kalm Kitchen team made delicious Espresso Martinis and Margaritas for an after dinner “Cocktail Hour”

>> How did you choose the styling:

We followed Kalm Kitchen’s advice with the table styling. Being a living room, the table surroundings were quite ‘busy’, so we kept the table decor simple and neutral, with potted Italian herbs rather than flowers for decoration. The styling worked perfectly in the surroundings and was complemented by fairy lights galore.

 

>> Are you going to have a bigger celebration:

For sure, at some point. We can’t wait to eat Kalm Kitchen’s food again.

 

>> Would you recommend a micro wedding to other couples:

Absolutely. We are so glad we went ahead with the wedding and had the opportunity to get together with our closest loved ones at a time when we’ve seen so little of them this past year. A small wedding means you get to spend quality time with all our guests on the most important day of your life and that is pretty invaluable at the moment. There was no stress and the pressure has been taken off now, so when we do have the big wedding, we’ll be so much more relaxed and be able to fully enjoy the day.

Credits: Sarah Legge photographed the ceremony for us and we can’t recommend her enough. She made us feel so at ease and captured so many beautiful photos. (https://www.sarahleggephotography.co.uk)

We contributed to the beautiful Coco Wedding Venues blog recently. Curated by founder Emma Hla, this style-focused wedding venue directory and blog is a great first port of call when searching for your perfect wedding venue.

Wedding planner extraordinaire Katrina Otter picked our collective brains on all aspects of planning the catering for your big day. The result? A wealth of wedding planning advice. Find out more including setting your catering budget and our top trend predictions for 2020 here.

Do you want to speak to one of our capable team about any aspect of the catering for your big day? Give us a call on 01483 813360 or email info@kalmkitchen.co.uk

 

Photography: Hannah Duffy {www.hannahduffy.com}

Who: Lara and Dan | When: December 2018 | Where: Hackney Town Hall

Most brides are buzzing with excitement when discussing their wedding plans. But from the first moment we spoke to Lara, we were all swept away with her enthusiasm. Lara had lots of ideas and we were delighted she chose to work with us to bring them to life and create the catering for this most amazing occasion.

The couple got married at super cool London location Hackney Town Hall – a space filled with stunning architectural details. We made the most of the dizzying height of the Atria and created a spectacular Bubble Bar. Dressed with dreamy florals by Liz at Blue Sky flowers, we elevated the station and decked it with luxurious golds and an abundance of gorgeous fruits. Guests were able to dive in and create their own bespoke fizz and ‘pimp’ their Prosecco.

Golden touch

In fact, the gold theme ran right the way through these proceedings, along with an art deco mood which was inspired by the venue. The wedding was styled with touches of gold from the cutlery to the beaded charger plates and rimmed glassware. We completed the look with clear water goblets, chalk urbane linen and white hemstitch napkins.

After canapés and more refreshments from the Bubble Bar, Lara and Dan offered their guests a choice of two main courses. And they both agreed that the dessert had to be a wow factor. Guests chose from roasted Rump of Hampshire Lamb or Pan fried wild sea bass for their main course, and then came a highlight of the day.

For dessert, Lara and Dan created a real talking point with one of our trademarks – a slice at the table sharing pavlova. They added their own fun element by placing a golden ticket under one person’s chair from each table. The lucky recipient was given a branded apron, a chef’s hat and the task of slicing for the table while ‘Pure Imagination’ by Gene Wilder from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory played. The couple described this moment as absolutely hilarious and one of their favourite moments of the wedding.

Although the couple didn’t have a cake, they opted for a pick ‘n’ mix station in honour of Lara’s sweet tooth. This full size stand had 16 different kinds of sweets and a scoop to help yourself. Later in the evening guests danced to music provided by a DJ and electric violinist Sally Potterton. Meanwhile, we circulated pots of gooey mac and cheese with a personalised sticker – which matched their invitations and stationery – to refuel the exhausted crowd.

‘I can’t recommend them enough’

Afterwards, Lara shared these kind words about her experience with Kalm Kitchen…

‘We used Kalm Kitchen as our caterers. They were AMAZING! They make the most incredible food and presented in the most incredible way. I can’t recommend them enough. They layed the tables and ordered all our crockery etc. We went for gold cutlery, gold beaded charger plates, gold vintage style glasses, the tables all looked as I dreamed them!’

You can read more about Lara and Dan’s beautiful day on www.smashingtheglass.com. If you’d like to talk to us about creating dreamy food memories for your wedding or event give us a call on 01483 813360 or email info@kalmkitchen.co.uk.

Credits… Photography: Rebecca Goddard {rebeccagoddardphotography.com}. Videographer: Wagtail Productions {wagtailproductions.co.uk}. Bar Company: UK Mobile Bars {ukmobilebars.com}. Florist: Liz at Blue Sky Flowers {www.blueskyflowers.co.uk}. Wedding Planner: Katy Cresner {katycresner.com} DJ: Wedding Smashers {weddingsmashers.com}. Venue: Hackney Town Hall {hackneyvenues.com}