Wowzers! What a year 2022 was at Thomas the Caterer. After two years of being locked down and never-ending postponements, we finally got back to the kitchen and to what we do best – awesome wedding catering across the East Midlands. Before we knew it, we’d catered over 90 amazing weddings. That’s a lotta hungry wedding guests and a shed load of epic dishes, so we know a thing or two about the most popular dishes in wedding catering East Midlands.
We are all about bespoke wedding menus, giving every couple exactly what they’d like to eat on their wedding day. It’s what makes every day different and every menu unique. That said, we’re seeing some strong trends and variations on some fabulous dishes cropping up again and again on the wish list. These little rockets are taking the roof off at Thomas Towers and causing a taste explosion with wedding guests across the East Midlands.
Crowd Pleasing Canapes
The perfect partner to your welcome drinks, keeping your guests’ stomachs lined and any potential snozzledness under control. We can turn almost any dish into yummy little canapes. If you can eat it, we can make it… only smaller. But, there are some little crackers that keep on making an appearance and always go down a treat. Warning these beauties may cause a mini stampede across your wedding venue:
Crispy Duck & Hoi Sin Sauce in Pancakes
Mini Yorkshire Puddings with Braised Beef & Horseradish Sauce
Steak Wrapped Chips Béarnaise Mayonnaise
Pork Belly Poppers with Pineapple Salsa
Salt & Pepper Squid, Aioli
Tempura King Prawns, Sweet Chilli Sauce
Vietnamese Prawn Nem
Goats Cheese, Walnut & Sweet Onion Jam Crostini’s
Mac & Cheese Bites
Tomato and Mozzarella Arancini (risotto balls)
Black Bean Chilli Nacho, Lime Salsa
Brie & Cranberry Toasties
Pulled Pork Taco, Burnt Apple Puree
Smokin’ Starters
This is the course where people can get a little confuzzled, couples often ask “Do we need a starter? How much is too much food? Is a single plate each guest or a sharing board best? It can all be so confusing. Fear not, Team Thomas know what works best and can design the ideal dishes to fit perfectly with the rest of your menu.
Sharing boards and tapas style are always winners, guests can have as much or little as they want and it helps to break the ice when you’re mixing it up on your table plans. For the plated options, it’s all looking rather cheesy, creamy burrata or whipped goats cheese are popular, a dreamy accompaniment to our warm homemade breads.
Burrata, Confit Cherry Tomato, Pesto, Focaccia Crisps
Chicken Liver Parfait, Oatmeal Granola, Pineapple Chutney Herb Salad
Mixed Antipasti Meats, marinated Artichokes, Olives, Sun-blushed Tomatoes, Roast Red Peppers, Rocket Salad and Grissini
Picnic Style – Black Pudding Scotch Eggs, Ham Hock Terrine, Tomato and Basil Tart Fine, Freshly baked Breads, Olives, Root Veg Slaw and Tomato Chutney
Tacos! Panko Prawn Tomato and Herb Salsa, Garlic Sauce and Tempura Cod Cucumber, Lime and Ginger Salsa, Sriracha Mayo
Warm Goats Cheese, Crispy Bacon, Frisse Salad and Honey Mustard Dressing
The Main Event
The star of the wedding breakfast menu, there is a lot of pressure on the main course but the perfect blend of delicious ingredients and creativity always hits the mark. Chicken and beef hold strong at the top spot with steak and a duo of beef being some of the most loved dishes. Think less of the traditional roast dinners and more fresh summery flavours with light and crisp sides and salads to celebrate the best of British summer.
We’re also seeing some full on veggie menus making a smash. As a vegetarian, it can be a conflicting and tricky decision whether to include meat in your wedding menu. With so many cool and tasty vegetable dishes, you can showcase some plant power without your guests feeling cheated. Pies, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern style dishes are sure fire winners.
Sharing style menus offer the variety to add in more than one meat and a range of funky accompaniments. You can build up an incredible menu that wraps up all your favourite dishes and flavours into a tantalising wedding spread. Here are just a few of the absolute belters stealing the show when they touch down on the wedding breakfast table.
Plated
Sliced Roast Beef, Slow-cooked Beef Shin Pie, Summer Beans, Peas, Courgette and Chantenay Carrot, Crushed New Potatoes, Light Beef Jus
Duo of Beef, Flat Iron Steak and Flaked Beef Shin in Sweet Onions and Red Wine, Steamed Green Beans and Tenderstem Broccoli, Dauphinoise Potatoes and Red Wine Jus
Steak and Ale Pie, Creamy Mash, Braised Red Cabbage, lashings of Gravy.
Roast Lamb Rump, New Potatoes, Lamb Shoulder Bon Bon, Sweetheart Cabbage and Chimmichurri Sauce
Ratatouille Vegetable Pie, Molten Mozzarella Centre. Hand Cut Chips, Dressed Leaf Salad
Roast Cauliflower Steak, Mushroom and Truffle Macaroni Galette, Sautéed Garlic Spinach, Herb and Parmesan Salad
Sharing Style
Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken,
Sea Salt roasted Rump Steak, Chimichurri Sauce, carved by chefs (6oz) Hand cut Coleslaw, Roasted Thyme New Potatoes,
Jewelled Couscous, Charred Corn,
Pea, Pomegranate, Radish, Tomato, Fresh Herbs and Lemon,
Mixed Leaf Salad, Mustard Vinaigrette
Slow Cooked Lamb in Cumin, Pomegranate Molasses,
Persian Rice,
Asparagus and Orange, Saffron Cured Cauliflower,
Aubergine, Zaatar and Chickpea Stew,
Lentil and Bulgur Wheat Tabbouleh
Crispy Sticky Cauliflower with Ginger and Chilli
Vegan Chive and Truffle Croquetas
Mushroom Shawarma Taco
Avocado, Pomegranate, Cress and Baby Gem Salad
Pea Protein Kofte
Bean Ragu with Chilli and Spinach
Salt and Pepper Calamari
Goats Cheese Stuffed Piquillo Peppers, Spinach, Hazelnuts and Honey
Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks
Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli with Black Garlic Drizzle
Pisto Manchego
Crispy Cauliflower, Ginger, Chilli, Smoked Almonds
Pil-Pil Prawns
Chicken Wings Sweet Chilli Sauce
Patatas Bravas
Something Sweet
Whatever the menu, there’s always room for a little something sweet. Refreshing the pallet and providing a much needed sugar rush just in time to hit the dance floor. Trios and duos are taking the lead over single plated desserts because why just pick one when you can have three. Even better, opting for dessert boards and sweetie tables give you oodles of choice and lets guests go back up for seconds and thirds.
Keeping it simple seems to be the secret to a winning formula. The classics like Chocolate Brownies, Eton Mess and Sticky Toffee Pudding never go out of style.
Trio of Dessert
Chocolate and Honeycomb Ganache, Raspberry
Passionfruit and Lime Eton Mess
Banoffee Pie
Churros and Chocolate Sauce
Choose Your Own Eton Mess
Red Berries, Passionfruit Coulis, Chocolate Sauce, Toasted Nuts, Whipped Cream
Patisserie Boutique
Lemon Panna Cotta with Limoncello Jelly
Tiramisu
Chocolate Tart
Sticky Toffee Pudding, Vanilla Ice Cream, Salted Carmel Sauce
Summer Fruit Meringue Towers,
Caramel Sauce, Strawberry Sauce, Chocolate Sauce
Sharing on boards
Chocolate brownies
Strawberry and Elderflower Trifle Terrine
Lemon Curd Victoria Sponge
Slutty Brownies
Triple Chocolate Cookie, Reece’s Peanut, Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice cream
Wedding Catering East Midlands – It’s what we do!
So that was a snap shot at some of the most popular dishes and trends in wedding catering East Midlands.
To discuss these or any other ideas that you might have for your wedding catering East Midlands get in touch for a chat.