The traditional idea of a sandwich buffet in the evening is disappearing and gourmet food trucks and stations are taking over; innovative, fun and different.
A lot of these ideas can be booked with a total package price, or price per head, but ultimately the cost is almost the same as the traditional buffet. If your venue does not allow outside catering, talk to the chef to see if they are happy to create a bespoke menu.
It is also much easier to do this as it means the food is in one place and the supplier is responsible for the cleaning up!
I will start with crepes as this is what we used for our reception in Cambridge. We hired Verrecchia Catering to serve a combination of sweet and savoury crepes to our guests for a period of 2 hours from the traditional crepe van. The package was a set price for unlimited crepes which went down very well with the younger guests!
Pizza, who doesn’t love pizza? Mobile, stone-baked pizzeria companies are the ideal evening food solution for weddings. After a formal sit-down meal, your guests want to dance the night away and grab a bite to eat. The whole set-up of stone-baked pizzas being freshly made in front of your guests is an attraction in itself and you can even tailor the menu with your own personalised pizza names! I originally planned to have stone-baked pizza at our reception – it is surprisingly quite affordable for large groups!
Summer weddings would not be complete without ice cream. Ice cream is a great alternative to canapés and vintage style ice cream trucks are perfect for rustic, shabby-chic weddings!
You could even hire the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Tricycle from Events Factor.
Alternatively, if budget is an issue, place ice buckets in traditional wooden buckets and fill them up with mini ice cream pots and ask your bridal party to distribute to your guests!
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Photo credit: http://www.fengsushi.co.uk[/caption%5D
If your wedding is a chic, stylish affair then Japanese food, in particular a sushi stand, is a fabulous idea! Hire a sushi chef from as little as £40 per hour from Feng Sushi and set up a specialist sushi station for your evening reception. Again, if budget is an issue, you can purchase sushi platters from M&S and create a wonderful sushi display. Be sure to add food labels so your guests know what the items are!
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Photo credit: http://www.sweetdreamevents.co.uk[/caption%5D
S’mores bars are essentially toasted marshmallow bars, significantly popular in America but less so in England. These are absolutely amazing for Winter weddings or outdoor wedding receptions where you need food to warm your guests up. They are also interactive and fun and would work well with a hot chocolate (whipped cream, sprinkles etc) stand too! A few companies offer this service in the UK like Sweet Dream Events and Simply Smores.
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Photo credit: yourpaella.co.uk
Vegetarians are often left with last-minute stuffed vegetables or food that, well quite frankly, is far from appetising. Which is where paella dishes are your answer! Of course you can offer meat and fish paella but they are especially fantastic as the vegetarian option for wedding reception catering! Cooked onsite with fresh ingredients, it offers something a little different and is incredibly affordable too.
Other ideas:
– Hog roasts. Been there, done that. Include a lamb or chicken spit roast option instead!
– Cheese and charcuterie board with grapes, crackers, olives etc.
– Donuts, candy floss and pop corn.
– Strawberries and cream for a Summer wedding.
– Smoothie bar for health fanatics!
– Mexican feast of mini crudités cups, salsa and nacho crisp pots and taco stations.
– Mini Indian style buffet canapés.
– Fish and chip vintage-style trucks.