What Is Street Food?

Street food is one of the most exciting elements you can add to your event, whether it’s a wedding, party, corporate function, market, roadshow, concert, sporting event, fair or other celebration. The idea of ‘street’ food comes from Asia, where standing in amongst the mouth-watering aromas, sounds and smoky atmosphere of street food stalls is a must-do experience, but the trend is now inspiring caterers all over the world. There are even dedicated street food events popping up where consumers can go and sample bites of heaven from lots of different cultures, giving them a taste of foods they may not have had the chance to ever try. The food is high in quality, delicious, vibrant and offers talented chefs and caterers the opportunity to put their own spin on various cuisines.

Cooking With Fire & Smoke

As our name suggests, we’re no stranger to cooking ‘with fire’ and smoke, and we love creating street food options for all different types of event. These elements are essential ingredients in what makes people feel so passionate about street food. It’s a cooking style which ignites all of the senses, which is why it causes such a buzz and brilliant atmosphere at events while also conjuring up feelings of relaxed, wholesome food you can enjoy and share with others.

Street Food Ideas for Events

One of the best things about street food is that you can tailor it to your event, allowing caterers to inspire you with menus ideal for your theme, venue, size and occasion. You can incorporate flavours and ingredients from all around the globe, whether it’s Mediterranean style salads, meats rubbed with local spices or fresh Neapolitan pizzas. You could even stick to one theme such as recipes from a particular cuisine, with Mexican and South American foods standing as two popular choices. Or why not think about lots of smaller dishes which people can put together as they wish, such as roast potato sides, pulled pork buns and delicious meats which fall off the bone?

Street Food Catering for Any Event

Street food can be served in both formal and informal settings, which makes it ideal for any occasion. For example, if you love street food and want to incorporate it into your wedding theme, lots of smaller dishes could be served to guests who can then build their own plate from the temptations before them. Or if you’re having a private party, why not invite your street food caterer to cook live and allow guests to attend the station themselves as they would at a festival, creating a real talking point.

Tailor street food catering to your event.

Looking for a skilled caterer?

At With Fire, we have years of experience, offering event catering using smoke and fire in locations such as West Sussex, Kent and Notting Hill. Contact us now to get started.

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Here are some inspiring grazing table ideas for your event food.

Seasonal Event Food

The type of food you serve should be absolutely delicious, so thinking about seasonal ingredients is a must. If you’re struggling to think of grazing table ideas for your event, why not design it around the time of year, helping attendees to enjoy the best of the season? For example, summer is a fantastic time to bring out a few more spices and international dishes. This could be something as simple as a paella station or theming your catering around a particular nationality such as Greek or Mexican. If your event is taking place in the winter months, think about incorporating flavours such as warm cinnamon spices or some seasonal pulled pork.

Match Your Catering to the Event Theme

Matching your grazing table to your event theme is a sure-fire way to enhance the day. So if you’re planning a nautical-themed evening, think about creating a grazing station with some delicious seafood bites on offer. Or if you’re having a banquet themed night, imagine show-stopping food platters which ignite all the senses. Even if you’re organising a relaxed, festival themed event, you don’t have to compromise on quality.

Chef Run Grazing Stations

One of the most exciting ideas for grazing tables is to have a real chef running it. This means hot food can be freshly prepared and made to order. For example, you could provide guests with an Italian grazing station with the option to ask the chef for a wood fired pizza to be cooked within minutes. Or you could have a whole meat roasting on display, which is served up in baps at the table once it’s slow-cooked to perfection.

Vegan & Vegetarian Grazing Tables

Plant-based diets are on the rise, so it’s important to think about catering for all those who attend. Even if you’re planning barbecue food for your event, there are still plenty of ideas you can use. Check out our vegetarian and vegan BBQ food blog for inspiration.

Looking for an event catering company?

With Fire are experienced caterers in the South East, providing delicious food cooked over smoke and fire at events in areas such as Sunningdale & Virginia Water, Reigate & Dorking and Twickenham & Teddington. Call now on 07825 533440 to discuss your event catering.

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Many vegetarians and vegans miss out when it comes to delicious BBQ offerings, but we think there are some incredibly tasty options available which can be cooked over fire. So whether you’re planning a vegan BBQ or have guests who need a meat-free meal at your wedding banquet, here are some inspiring ideas.

Delicious Tasting BBQ Veg

Many people make the mistake of thinking vegetables are simply an accompaniment to a meal, and can’t stand alone as a flavoursome dish. If this is the case, you haven’t been creative enough with some of the gorgeous flavours which can be achieved, especially when vegetables are slow roasted. You can also marinade vegetables with many glazes which are commonly used for meat, producing outstanding flavours which your guests will love.

One of the ideas we use that goes down a treat is miso and maple roasted aubergine. The miso is a Japanese seasoning make from soybeans and has a salty taste. When you mix this with the sweetness of maple syrup, it makes a beautiful glaze, which is commonly spread over meat and fish dishes such as pork or salmon. However, it also works exceptionally well with vegetables such as aubergines as their size holds the stickiness well. Expertly barbecued and they will become deliciously tender and flavoursome.

Meat Inspired Vegetable Dishes

Another great idea is to replace your meat cuts with a vegetable product. Meat substitutes of the past have lacked flavour and texture, so it’s important to choose wisely when you’re looking for alternatives. One of our favourite ideas is celeriac steaks. Also known as celery root, celeriac is ideal for slicing into a thick steak shape and is a popular, scrumptious option for those who still want something hearty which can be roasted on the BBQ.

Another alternative is cauliflower cutlets. It’s a vegetable which can be cooked as a substantial dish and goes with many other spices and marinades to bring out some mouth-watering flavours.

Vibrant Salads

Don’t forget about creating salads which everyone is going to be piling high on their plates. This is an excellent accompaniment to any BBQ menu, especially if you use fresh, in-season ingredients. Why not create some themed salads for your BBQ, including ones with Indian spices, Mediterranean vegetables or even mix with some pasta for variety if you’re looking for a vegetarian option.

Looking for a BBQ caterer? With Fire can help you to plan your party, wedding or event, covering areas such as Croydon and Crystal Palace, Woking, Leatherhead and Godalming. Contact 07825 533440 now for a no-obligation chat about what we can do for you.

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Weddings

Weddings can be stressful to plan when each element of the day needs to come together perfectly. At With Fire, we’re a knowledgeable, reliable Hampshire wedding caterer, who can offer you different menus tailored to anything from the number of guests to your theme. We also work alongside other local caterers who can help you create the feast you want, including the Gourmet Hog Roast Hampshire team. They offer authentic hog roast catering, served by skilled chefs.

We work in many different types of venue across the area, including hotels, golf clubs, vineyards, barns, country houses and more. Our style of catering is suitable for all types of wedding, from those who want a traditional sit-down wedding breakfast to informal celebrations with grazing stations. We can cover all aspects of your menu, including canapes, sides, starters, mains, desserts and evening snacks.

Private Parties & BBQs

Many people want a BBQ for their celebration, especially in Hampshire, but the thought of the same old chicken drumsticks and burgers doesn’t quite cut it. We offer BBQ and private party catering for events of all sizes. This could be anything from a big birthday bash for your friends and family to an event with guests to mark a special occasion. Our BBQ menus can be incorporated into your event theme, and you can choose some unique ideas to really impress. This includes gourmet burger bars, wood fired pizza stations and international cuisine (think Asian BBQs or American low and slow feasts).

Corporate Functions

Businesses are always looking for innovative and exciting ways to enhance their corporate functions, whether they’re treating staff, entertaining clients or showcasing their products and services. We offer specialist corporate event catering, designing menus around the atmosphere you want to create. This could be something as simple as a delicious buffet or street food style stalls to a three-course meal. Our cooking techniques using smoke and fire are always a real talking point of the day, creating a buzz and excitement. We can even slow-roast whole meats in front of your guests, creating exciting visuals, aromas and theatre to enhance the atmosphere of the day.

Book Our Hampshire Event Caterers

At With Fire, we love talking to our clients, whether you’re an event organiser, planning a party or recently engaged. It’s a pleasure for us to inspire you with the full range of ideas we can offer you, through our exceptional cooking techniques to delicious menus for everyone. We work across the South East, including Hampshire locations.

Call now on 07825 533 440 or use our contact page to get started.

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Mistake 1: Serving mediocre food

Office Christmas parties are well known for several things, but serving up good food isn’t one of them. The thought of the same tired buffet or your average meal out just doesn’t cut it for many people, skipping the event altogether. One of our favourite ideas, which is ideal for festive parties, is group feasts, but we’re not talking about bowls piled high with crisps and sausage rolls. Imagine a banquet of delicious, slow-cooked meats which fall off the bone…roasted vegetables which have come into season…and impressive desserts which you can’t pick up at your local supermarket. The promise of delicious food options should get more of your staff interested in attending.

Mistake 2: Forgetting to create a buzz

Those who organise events often miss a trick when it comes to the food and entertainment, treating them as separate entities. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a party just for your employees or you’re putting together an event for multiple organisations; there are plenty of ways you can use cooking styles to drum up excitement and add to the atmosphere of the night. This includes stunning presentations, live cooking and the use of fire and smoke to create sounds, sights and aromas which attendees will long be talking about after the event. We all know how essential visuals and scents are to the festive season, so the food can become a huge part in making corporate Christmas parties memorable.

Mistake 3: Not using a professional caterer

Nobody likes going to an event which feels like it’s a bit ‘amateurish’. It could get everyone talking about your Christmas party for the wrong reasons. Hiring a professional corporate caterer is an easy way to add the professional touch to proceedings, ensuring the preparation, presentation and serving of the food is timely, as well as wowing guests. They can even cater throughout the party to help with the sequence of the night, including melt in the mouth canapes, a sit-down meal or grazing stations where attendees can build their own plates. Structuring the evening around your food and caterer will get guests talking for all the right reasons.

Looking for a corporate Christmas party caterer? Speak to the skilled chefs at With Fire. We use the art of smoke and fire to create a buzz at your party while serving delicious festive food menus. We cover a wide area of the South East, including Richmond upon Thames, Oxshott and Weybridge. Get in touch for more information.

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Choosing an Unconventional Venue

At With Fire, we love working at a huge variety of venues, including those which take place somewhere a little different. Back in September, we were chosen to cater for a wedding near Haslemere in Surrey, where Rachel and Kai were tying the knot. The celebrations were held at the bride’s family farm, making guests feel at home for a fun and enjoyable day. They even had photos taken with the bride, groom and bridesmaids on a tractor, creating some fantastic shots they’ll remember forever. We love couples who inject their personalities into their plans as it makes the day even more memorable.

Creating a Feast to Match the Theme

We wanted to create a wedding menu which would complement the location perfectly and add a real sense of excitement to the day. We worked with Rachel and Kai to plan every part of their wedding food, supplying their canapes, each course and sharing platters for the wedding breakfast, as well as evening snacks. Each part of your menu should come together to delight and surprise guests at every turn, and that’s certainly what we achieved for this couple.

The Delicious Wedding Menu

As you can see from some of the photographs of the day, the feast we produced for wedding guests was truly mouth-watering. We started by serving canapes of seared tuna with wasabi and avocado cream, lamb lollipops with chimichurri and mushroom ragu, and blue cheese brioche sliders. For the wedding breakfast, we slow-cooked orange and fennel duck breast to perfection on our fire, accompanied by Mediterranean vegetables, pomegranate and tahini. This was served on large sharing platters, delivered straight to the tables in a banquet style presentation. Dessert was a delicious Eton mess, complementing the beautiful weather. In the evening, wood fired pizzas were the perfect pick-me-up for guests, fresh from our ovens.

If you’re feeling inspired to create a wedding menu which is ideal for your needs, speak to With Fire. Our talented team will work with you to design the best menu to complement your plans while cooking over fire to add an extra special touch to your day. We work across the South East, including areas of Surrey, such as Esher & Epsom and Kingston & Guildford. Contact us now by calling 07825 533440.

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Why Throw Your Staff a Christmas Party?

Christmas also marks the end of the year, so it’s often a time to look at what’s been achieved and the direction you’d like to go in the year ahead. For businesses, staff have often put in a lot of time and effort over the last 12 months to meet their goals, so throwing an office Christmas party is a great way to thank them. Showing your appreciation for everything they do can help to motivate them and give a positive end to the year. However, many office parties can struggle to encourage people to attend, with many tired of the same clichéd options time after time. So, one of the best ideas is to provide a refreshing twist on traditional options and surprise them with something a little different, which will get staff attending who wouldn’t normally consider it.

Choosing Sharing Feasts & Platters

If your staff are tired of the usual bowls of crisps, nibbles and cheesy music, spice things up with sharing feasts. It’s an excellent way to help everyone let their hair down a little, break the ice and provide talking points. Sharing platters from an expert caterer keep that informal feel you want while ensuring attendees feel they’ve been treated to something special. One of the things many people miss about the warmer months is barbecued food, which is why you often see a surge in popularity of hog roasts on festive stalls and at Christmas events.

Festive Menu Ideas

When it comes to the style of catering or sharing platters you want for your staff, there are plenty of options to choose from. You could even base the theme of your office party around your menu. We’ve seen with wedding banquets how dishes such as hog roasts with crackling and delicious sides can be piled high on platters on long tables, for example. You could even set up your office party in-house rather than hiring a separate venue if you have the space. A good caterer can also incorporate seasonal flavours into your chosen menus, so speak to them about festive options. In December, ingredients such as apple, chestnut, cranberry, clementine, dates, pear, pumpkin and turnip are really delicious, not to mention an array of meat options.

Chat to With Fire about the ideal sharing platters for your team. We’re a professional caterer, specialising in the art of cooking over smoke and fire, creating exciting dishes for your corporate event. We cover areas in the South East such as the City of London, Mayfair and Berkshire. Call now on 07825 533440 to discuss ideas.

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Perfect Feast Food

By working with a wedding caterer who loves sharing platters and innovative wedding food ideas, you’ll receive lots of inspiration for your banquet menu. Popular foods for this style of wedding breakfast including hog roasts with crackling and side dishes piled high in bowls to create that real sense of a ‘feast’. The presentation used should make the dishes easier for sharing, where people can dig in and create the plate of food they want from lots of different options on the table. Slow roasted meats are always a tantalising choice, as the meat falls off the bone and can be easily pulled apart and shared among your awaiting guests.

The Right Venue Space

This type of wedding breakfast doesn’t always work as well if you have many smaller tables, especially if you want everyone to tuck into what feels like a feast. In history, banquets were typically held on long tables, so this is a great idea if your venue space allows it, especially in outdoor areas, marquees or barns. It’s also the perfect idea if you have a long and narrow space to fill. Don’t worry if you only have the choice of round tables. Smaller sharing platters could also be placed in the centre of each one, so guests still get the informal food sharing experience you want them to have.

Pick a Theme

Wedding banquets create a great atmosphere in your venue, but so can a good theme. You can often match your wedding menus and venue to each other if using an experienced caterer who doesn’t just specialise in traditional wedding breakfasts. For example, if your wedding takes place in a large historical hall, you could create a medieval-style feast. Or if you’re going for an outdoor banquet, big sharing bowls full of zingy salads and sizzling, vibrant flavours is a great way to create a summer-themed wedding. Speak to your caterer about in-season ingredients and how to deliver a wedding banquet menu which fits your theme perfectly.

Plan Your Wedding Menu Now

If you’re looking for a wedding catering company who can provide banquet style menus and sharing platters, the team at With Fire would love to help. We specialise in the art and theatre of cooking over smoke and fire, so the food menus we offer are perfect for large feasts. We cover a wide area of the South East, including Surrey, London and Westminster and Chelsea. Contact us now to discuss your wedding breakfast plans.

The post How to Create a Banquet Style Wedding Breakfast appeared first on With Fire.

A Laid Back Atmosphere

A festival style wedding isn’t just for those who love attending them but for anyone who wants something a bit more laid back on their big day. This type of wedding is great for helping guests feel more relaxed, offering an alternative to some of the events you may have attended in the past. Use music and food to create a real buzz on the day, allowing your friends and family to mingle, chill and unwind. Your guests will love throwing themselves into the celebrations, especially if you choose a theme within the festival such as ‘summertime’ or food you love, including gourmet burgers, wood fired pizzas or an international twist such as American food.

Worried about Rain?

One of the main concerns many couples have with any type of summer wedding celebration is the weather. We all know how unpredictable the Great British summer is. One minute you can have bright sunshine perfect for an outdoor wedding, and the next, you’re grabbing an umbrella as the rain pours down. If you’re planning a festival style wedding, consider venues which allow you to use a marquee tent. Experienced wedding caterers will understand how to set up in a variety of environments, so you can still create a festival vibe, even if it’s raining. In fact, sometimes it’s easier to decorate a marquee in the style you want, including bunting, lights, wildflowers and rustic touches. There will also be extra warmth if your festival style wedding is being held in colder months.

Informal Serving

One of the best ways to achieve that relaxed atmosphere you look for in a festival style event is the informal serving options for your food. If you’re trying to create an alternative to the usual sit-down wedding breakfast, why not choose ‘grazing station’ style food in which guests can dip in and out, building a plate of food with as much or as little of the different options as they want. This takeaway style is going to help your guests to break the ice, talk about the food on offer and feel more at ease. You could even go for a pig pan option such as paella with fresh seafood or chicken, which is really easy to serve and has guests coming back for more.

Planning a festival style wedding?

Get in touch with the team at With Fire. We offer wedding catering services in the South East, including South London, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire, including festival style wedding food.

The post Non Traditional Wedding Food – Create a Magical Summer Festival on Your Big Day appeared first on With Fire.

BBQ Wedding Food

Cooking using smoke, wood and fire is a great way to add those festival style elements to your wedding food. Creating a festival themed wedding isn’t just about the napkins you lay out or the bunting you choose, but the sounds, aromas and excitement you create with your food. This is where BBQ style options, rotisseries or hog roasts are a great idea, as guests will delight in the sizzling sounds, the vision of delicious food being slow cooked in front of them and their mouths watering throughout the day.  Perfect for weddings in Mayfair or events in Westminster.

International Delights

When attending any type of festival, one of the best parts is trying popular foods from different cultures from around the globe. So why not choose some of your favourites for your wedding dishes? If you’re opting for a BBQ feast, you could combine your menus with anything from Asian flavours to Mexican spices. You could even include various cooking styles from around the world, including Argentine Asado style cooking. It uses wood and fire to slowly roast food so that you end up with succulent meat on the inside while the outside becomes crispy and smoky.

Summer Flavours

Whatever the time of year you’ve booked your festival style wedding for, there’s no doubt that this style of food is going to bring out the summer vibes. When thinking about summer flavours to add to your party menu, ideas include choosing in-season ingredients. Speak to your wedding caterer about the freshest flavours at this time of year and how they can be incorporated into your dishes. You could even think about adding some fiery spices in combination with cooler flavours such as sour cream which cut through the heat.

Wood Fired Pizzas

Pizzas are a great option for those who want a few fun aspects to their festival style celebrations. Wood fired for a crispy base and packed with the taste of fresh ingredients, this type of festival style wedding food is ideal for all ages and could be chosen as your main food or an evening snack.

Sweet Treats

Think about the desserts you’d like to serve, as you can veer away from traditional options and go for something a little different. If your wedding is in the summertime, something like strawberries and cream, or Eton mess are great ideas or incorporate some of these flavours into other treats such as doughnuts. You could even go for smaller bites to stick with the informal theme, including chocolate brownie bites which you could serve with vanilla ice cream.

Planning your wedding menus?

Speak to the team at With Fire. As an expert outdoor wedding caterer, we can help make your festival style wedding in Surrey, London or further afield a success. Call now on 07825 533440 to tell us about your ideas.

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