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About suppliers,
Sicilian flour, menus,
wine, catering locations,
reportage.
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webQ.
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Christine...........
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Christine, we've spoken about a mass of things, from this
lovely house to speedway but I'd like to talk now about how
you work, how you go about putting together a function, a
wedding breakfast, who you buy from and why - things like
that.
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It starts with
the food. Always the food. Everything else is just to get
the food to the people who have come to eat!
One of the many pluses for me about my work is taking time
to source my products; it's not only exciting but informative.
I have always said to my young chefs that if you start with
top quality food you are halfway to producing a quality menu.
I try to buy as much as possible from local suppliers but
there are times when this is not possible. For instance there
is a very good company called 'Minola', a traditional Welsh
Smokers with a list of products as long as your arm. I buy
from them on a regular basis.
I have to buy Sicilian flour from London - I had to phone
the River
Cafe to ask them if they had a supply....
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..why Sicilian flour?
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Because for
some recipes, such as my breads, there can really be no substitute.
It is a wonderful yellow and makes a golden bread. I first discovered
it in Sicily when I visited Maxine
Clark. She served this marvellous bread every morning with
her home-made yoghurt and I've used it since then for nearly
all my breadmaking.... |
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My meat comes from a butcher in Norfolk,
Phillip Edge & Son of East Hurling. We have these long
discussions on what is likely to be the best joint or cut
for a particular dish. He hangs his meat properly and you'd
be amazed at the difference in taste and tenderness between
two steaks from the same entrecote (strip sirloin), one half
hung for just a few days and the other much longer.
All these things have to be taken into consideration
when I put a menu together.
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How do you decide on a menu?
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I tend to
sit down for quite a while with a client and chat about what
they expect from a wedding or a dinner party. Some have very
definite views, others are a little less sure and I'll often
have menus with me that I've just catered or that are shortly
to be done to give them some ideas.
I do tend to guide people a little, but that is what a catering
service should do. People are spending a tidy sum on a function
of whatever type and the menu must work in the balance of the
courses, the practicality of service, and have ingredients available
at their best. |
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I always have problems ordering wine - what do you do about
wines?
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Wines
— I do not charge corkage! I am in the business of giving
a service and while I'm happy to supply wine, I give some
advice regarding wines a client should consider to compliment
the menu we are discussing. I am more than happy just to supply
the wine service and have some really excellent wine waiting
staff. I don't expect my waiting staff to do both tasks!
It is always important to drink the wine
that you enjoy.
It is not always necessary to have Champagne,
some of the sparkling Loire wines are excellent; if you are
inviting a large number of guests the price can be important.
Champagne is lovely, but apart from the toast is usually served
as an aperitif, so the label would never be seen in any case.
And perhaps a little less spent on the 'fizz' allows a better
wine to go with the main course where it might be more appreciated.
I am asked from time to time 'how much wine
should be provided?' Usually a half bottle per person is about
right; the most we have served was two bottles per head! One
of the things often missed is to order enough water - so I
always put a reminder in unless it's already on a clients
list.
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Where do you work?
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Oh, almost anywhere
one can get to!
I do have a quite wonderful location where
I caterer, both for inside and outside catering.
It's this incredible permanent marquee right
next to Cockfield
Hall in Suffolk. The marquee is just about as good as
they get and it's right next door to this Grade I listed building
within gardens to die for. And they have their own wedding
licence. So the Summer months are mainly weekend weddings
with the midweek days corporate functions of one type or another
and celebrations such a birthdays.
I often work in a company dining or board
room for lunches, formal or buffet style and quite often in
a private home. This can be for just a few persons perhaps
as part of an important business meeting or presentation.
I have a list of regular clients varying from smaller local
businesses to a very successful horse stud in Newmarket.
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What's this about reportage?
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I'm sometimes
asked to visit a place, perhaps a catering school or institution,
and spend some time there on a course or similar. Then I get
to write about it. It's great fun - sometimes it can be really
hard work but there is always something to learn. The Masters
Table magazine commissions quite often for their glossy
articles but I consider anything - it's a privilege to go to
some of these places. |
| To be continued....... |
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