Example Lists of hot and Cold buffet wedding Catering Menus for A Posh Breakfast, Dinner and Evening Spread

Wedding breakfast, brunch, dinner or evening Party buffet menu Ideas – Here’s a blue print for the best hot and cold Foods and Buffet Platters that will absolutely strike it with guests and on Budget - When it comes to weddings, there comes a moment when questions about feeding the bridal party have to be answered; this is the time to think about food; and not just any other food; but food that will wow your guests. But what sort of foods are guaranteed to be a hit with your guests? Well, we bring you the answer in our best list of wedding party foods that will strike with any guest list. Wedding party foods should be delicious, kid/family friendly and healthy to the extent possible.

For many that have gone through this, it’s striking how the thought of a wedding can quickly dawn and drain all the energy out giving way to shivers and despair; well for some but for others, this has made them whoop with delight (hello, party virgin). Wedding catering either way, is something that’s hard to muster, at least not always.

So as planning guide follow these Benons Catering suggestions

·         In time – (1-2 years) consider if a wedding theme will be something worth pursuing and build rapport with close friends and families to draw up a draft itinerary. But even if you didn’t have a theme, remember your guests can still have a fabulous day celebrating with you with tasty food and enjoying themselves.

·         In time or at the latest, four to five Months ahead of the event get the venue sorted – good venues can be over booked especially at peak times in the summer. Keep it local like a local village hall for something nice and informal or local hotel for those with gallant ideas; many guests will want to keep things local to fit in their schedules.

·         Work on the invites A month to two weeks before to get all your kid’s friends and their families dairies. There’s nothing more awful get invitation regrets just because parents and families have booked something in already for your child’s birthday. Ensure you send out invites; menu and any itinerary for the day. Make parents and siblings welcome by having an alternative program for them. make your party food shopping list

·         Work on the menu for the day. If you will use a caterer. As a caterer ourselves, for us this is the most important part. We’ve had times when we’ve had to send apologies to late inquiries especially at peak times. This is the time to have this booked in. A 18-6 months or so ahead ensures you have the flexibility and ability to bargain for best prices. If you will order from the main supermarkets, again this is ample time to avoid any late disappointments. Ensure the correct date and the time is noted with these services.

·         Well, what wedding goes by without a cake? In around the same time as the food, for DIY parties, order or bake the cake and freeze it if this is convenient. If you will use a local cake artisan, again this is the time to get in touch with any specific preferences or any designs and ensure these are best captured and represented for your wedding cake. The same goes for entertainment including any fun activities, MC, DJ, etc and any visual and audio needs

·         If it’s a DIY Wedding party, three to six weeks ahead is ample time to start to sort out all the sundries like any disposables or crockery needs for your party such as paper plates/food boxes, and décor such as balloons, candles, table decorations, party-bag presents and non-perishable food;

·         The last three days to the wedding are all about final touches and will sure be frantic, such dress rehearsals, hairdressers, entertainment, as buying the remaining food; bake birthday cake if not done it already; make up party bags; work on entertainment and activities for the party and ensure every detail such as charging the camera are seen to.

·         In the last one day, this can be to decorate the cake; make any jelly pots, defrost any items in the freezer, decorate the fairy cakes, and anything else that can be made ahead. If you have enough fridge space, the food platters can be prepped in this time and stored in the fridge as it will still be as fresh for the next day.

·         On the Last day for those on DIY party, you can make the party food – i.e. sandwiches, fruit platters; filled lunch bags (if using); work on the décor such as blowing up balloons; put out extra loo roll; decorate table etc etc. Now this is about the time to relax… well NOT just yet… Ensure all children will be safe throughout the party…. Not a small ask but once this done…. Well it\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'ll soon be over.

Most importantly however and strictly speaking from a caterer’s perspective, it is important to think about how food will fit into your big day. It’s important to consider whether the guests will be sitting at tables and have food served to them or for a more informal setting with guests collecting food from different serving stations. Either way, with Benons top party foods, you are sure you won’t go wrong when putting your wedding food menu together.

Wedding Breakfast

Bacon/Sausage/Egg/ Hash browns/Black pudding/Mushrooms/Spam Baps

Continental Breakfast: (Danishes/ pastries, Jams/ marmalade, Fresh bread, Cheese, Salami/ham, Boiled eggs, Cereals, Fresh fruit, Milk, Yogurt, Orange juice)

Full English Breakfast – (Bacon/Sausage/Egg/ Hash browns/Black pudding/Mushrooms/Spam Baps)

Evening Menu Ideas

English Cheese Board

Bacon/Sausage baps served with wedges

Cold Menu List Ideas

This can more particularly suit an informal wedding dining and can cover a huge range of styles and themes. A Feast Rustic Table can be designed to wow guests while still offering an opportunity to incorporate any custom design seating plan you may have and have guests sat at tables at the same time. Think of it as essentially a buffet station where guests can come up and collect their food. This style offers a lot of choice for both hot and cold menu choices alike. More importantly however, because the table can be equipped with a variety of foods, guests have the opportunity to choose not only what they only like but also how much they would like to eat reducing waste! The Rustic Table can be hot, cold or Barbecue or even spit roast! Afternoon Tea or High Tea can be served to the tables, from a buffet station or even as canapés. Think of adding style to this by considering contemporary or vintage china that best suits your theme.

On the other hand, finger foods and mini bowl dishes allow for guests to eat whilst standing and interacting which can be a really fun way to feed your guests with lots of different options to keep everyone happy!

All the informal menus can be mixed with the more formal dining, for instance you can have an individually plated dessert for the Rustic Table or you could have a mezze starter sharing board followed by formal main and dessert dining.

Starters

antipasti selection

Traditional Snack Selection

Indian Snack Selection (Onion Bhajis, Vegetable Pakoras, Vegetable Samosas, Spring Rolls)

Mains

Salads (mango/prawn/avocado, Greek salad, potato salad, coleslaw or just normal, green salad)

Caramelised onion tart/tomato tart

Desserts

When it comes to formal dining canapés can be a great way to invite guests into the atmosphere ahead. This may be followed by up to three or four courses for a sit down waitress served menu. followed by evening food such as cheeses, meats and pates or bacon baps or mini pasties.

Hot List Ideas

Starters

Canapés

Seasonal Soup of the day served with a bread roll

Indian Snack Selection (Onion Bhajis, Vegetable Pakora, Vegetable Samosas, Spring Rolls)

Mains

Shepherds/Cottage pie

hot pot/Stews

pie and mash

mini sliders, pizza

hot dog Bar

Paella

Lasagne

Pasta Bake

Fish and Chips

Chilli Con Carne Served with rice, chips, Nachos

Curry Served with Rice

Desserts

BBQ Sample Menu plus Evening Cold Buffet

This is great for summer weddings. This sample wedding BBQ menu can be complimented with any other informal ideas that tie in with the wedding style. For example, the simple BBQ menu can form part of the informal part of the wedding while a complimentary cold buffet menu can be more suitable for the wedding reception part. Either way, the wedding buffet food should aim for a list that strikes at right through all palates whether be it for luxurious spreads, weddings that are running on a budget or those on a DIY wedding. Hog Roasts can offer a similar experience too.

Other Simple yet effective finger food Ideas to Help Spice up the Wedding Event…

1.   Pizza Sticks & Roll ups

This merely an extension of the bruschetta idea above. Pizza Sticks can be topped with Jarred bruschetta topping, chock full of flavourful herbs and veggie stuff, that can also save both money and prep time. All you have to do is simply top a refrigerated thin pizza crust with the bruschetta topping and a shredded cheese blend, bake, and cut into bite-size strips and wait to see the smiles on your guests faces. Why not try some pizza roll ups that can come together so easily and are loved by all! These party finger food treats are also perfect for a quick dinner or a snack for kids.

2.   Mini sausage/Cheese rolls

This happens to be everybody\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favourite party food and yet it always works like a charm when it comes to kids. John For those like the rest of us who have so much to do with so little time, these can be picked off the shelf in all main supermarkets and thrown straight onto platters ready to tuck in. A combination of vegetarian and meat options ensures many tastes are being catered for. Why not whack these in together with the other traditional favourites like pork pies, savoury eggs and cocktail sausages for a complete palate…

3.   Mini Quiche Selection

Perhaps berated for its lack of variety but these can now be made in a host of all fillings that appeal to kids and yet healthy too. From spinach and mushroom, to ham and tomato, the range of choices of fillings and flavours is limited by your imagination. These quick creations are a great treat and cost very little to put together. They are a great addition to any child’s party.

4.   Sticky popcorn/Candyfloss pots/cones

We’ve done many a party to understand how these little treats strike it really well with children. Once they’ve had their main food, they are ready to carry this along for the rest of the party. It’s not exactly recreating that memorable favourite movie night experience but they’re still a great pull on for many children. Cones can be made at home or bought in from the local store and very cheap prices.

5.   Cheese & fruit sticks

These can come in a range of arrays, flavours, textures and colours. These are a perennial favourite with children, and if you have a variety of these made, they will sure be away in seconds. They are best of all easy to make up. Grab punnets of grapes, strawberry, some pineapple, pickled onion and a dices of cheese, skewer them in some sort of format be it size, colour or flavour and off you go. Add a twist by using waffles, marshmallows or mini donuts to create a sensation on sticks kids will absolutely love.

6.   Marshmallows and Strawberry dipped in chocolate

Extend the previous sensation with these lovable creations that all kids will love. Indulge in the moment and get the kids to make them themselves and stand back and see the atmosphere. All kids love making these sweet chewy lollipops decorated with melted chocolate and cake sprinkles. All you need extra is chocolate dipping sauce and a favourite sprinkle. Rainbow sprinkles will do just fine.

7.   Cheese Sliders & chips

We love making these and they can be great for adults too… These homemade little burgers and chips/fries will beat shop-bought any day. Get creative by looking out for great toppings to improve the flavours even further. Onion rings, fried onions, Streaky bacon, pulled pork all add to the effect. Or why not make double and freeze a batch ready for your next do?

8.   Mini Sandwiches

These can be done on cute little rolls and a must for kids’ parties, and can be great for getting fussy eaters to tuck in. When it comes to fillings, you’re only limited by your imagination. You can get creative with fillings such as ham, jam, chicken slices, tuna and sweetcorn, egg mayo and cress, tomato, cheese, salmon and cream cheese etc. All you have to do is sit back and watch the facial expressions, kids tucking in the rolls with angry teeth or a happy smile. The kids will surely go away thoroughly entertained.

9.   Mini Pizza Selection

Again another party favourite. For those that it suits, making pizza from scratch can be so much fun for the youngsters, so much so that you can turn it into a party activity! Prepare the bases for these mini morsels, then give the kids a selection of sauce and topping and let them go wild. They\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'ll love eating their own creations, and even the fussiest of eaters will be catered for. But even if you don’t have the space or the time, you can get these off the shelf from main supermarkets are very cheap prices, finish them off with favourite toppings such as ham, mushrooms, tomatoes etc. bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes and serve them cold. They will still be a great treat for many children.

10.               Chicken or Cod Dippers

These crispy-crumbed chicken or cod strips dipped in batter are the perfect size for little hands. Their slim line shape means they\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'re ideal for dunking in your child\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favourite sauces – Best of all, these can be made them from scratch on the whim which ensures there is nothing but good ingredients in them. These can go well with chips/fries in cones so kids can move around with them while indulging in the moment.

11.               Potato Sailboats

All you need for these quirky treats is potato wedges/potato balls, cheese dices and cherry tomato to create these wonderful kids’ favourites on skewers. The potato wedges/potato balls, cheese and tomato stacks will look great and make for easy party food for the kids. They also make for the perfect quirky side to serve with mini sliders or homemade chicken or cod dippers. Stack them high, sit back and watch them simply disappear in no time. It may be wise to remove the skewers if you\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'re catering for very young children for safety reasons.

12.               Mini hotdogs

Simple, easy and quick but sure to make a hit with all children. The mini hotdogs are perfect party treat but best of all, you can have these made for the kids in very quick time. Remember to keep the kids favourite sauce on the side.

13.               Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are a delicious crunchy entrée that’s a great favourite for both kids and adults alike. They’re a great addition with an Asian cuisine twist that can be served up with sauces to give an extra edge. Best of all, these won’t break the bank. Why not go the full circle and add some samosas, pakoras and onion Bhajis for a sensational Asian snack spread…

14.               Mini Pies

Do them right and these will sure be the centre of activity at your part. These wonderful little party creations are delicious and they’re worth your effort. They can come in many fillings such as, cheese and onion, steak and onion, chicken and bacon, meat and potato etc. You can even make these for parties as snacks alongside other great creations that you may have.

15.               Cupcakes

Well, this is a main stay for all kids’ parties. Cupcakes are a great party food, and you can get really creative with them too – Getting kids involved in topping them can sure add to the party atmosphere.