As couples become more creative with their big day plans, the wedding menu is one element of the proceedings which is being given somewhat of a shake-up, with options beyond the traditional sit-down meal growing in popularity. So whether you want a menu to reflect the theme or season of your wedding, or you simply want to serve up your very favourite dishes, you’re going to need some experts who can produce food that tastes as good as it looks.
Fortunately, we have news of a new catering service in the North West, that can do just that…
For the first time in its 43-year history, Knutsford’s The Belle Époque, is to offer fine dining outside of its historic walls, providing event catering to external functions and events in the form of “Belle Époque Bespoke”. As one of the North West’s leading culinary beacons and wedding venues, The Belle Époque has attracted discerning diners, sporting stars and celebrity guests for more than four decades, securing its place within the top 5% of UK restaurants. Having just sampled this foodie gem’s delicious cuisine (and plenty of bubbly!) last night at a North West wedding industry dinner, we can certainly see why (we’re still dreaming of the dessert now).
Whether for events at home, in a marquee or in an external venue, and whether for 20 or 500 guests, The Belle Époque fine dining team will be bringing the same attention-to-detail that has helped maintain its place within the Michelin Guide for a staggering 38 consecutive years.
So for all you foodies out there, we’ll hand over the blogging reins to Kelly Angus, wedding and events manager at The Belle Époque, to give us more details about the delicious new venture.
Images by Jonny Draper.
Why has The Belle Époque decided to extend its services to outside catering via Belle Époque Bespoke?
kelly says:
After providing award-winning food and dining in-house for more than 40 years, we now feel the time is right to extend our offering to people in their own setting. We have a highly experienced outside catering team who can offer exceptional food, service and planning, so it really is the perfect time for us to expand what we do.What types of dining will Belle Époque Bespoke offer for weddings?
We can offer formal dining, canapes parties, sharing platers, barbecues, afternoon teas, and in fact, we pride ourselves on offering a totally bespoke service, so if you have a wild and wonderful idea we would love the challenge of creating it to our very high standards for you.
Can you tell us a little about the Belle Époque Bespoke team and their experience?
Our team of fine dining chefs is headed up by Paul Wright. As a former protégée of Simon Radley, Paul trained at the Michelin-starred Chester Grosvenor restaurant. He’s cooked for members of the royal family, along with many of the North West’s most discerning diners. Paul is incredibly excited about The Belle Époque’s expansion into outside catering, and has set his sights on creating one of the finest catering businesses in the North West. Paul and his team have crafted outstanding event and wedding menus for you to choose from.
What would you advise brides and grooms to look for in a catering company for their big day?
Flexibility to create the menu you want, quick response times to your queries and a willingness to take time to understand what you want with a clear plan on each stage of the planning until the day arrives.
What sets Belle Époque Bespoke apart from other wedding catering companies?
At The Belle Époque, we hold our outside catering services to the same high standards as our fine dining restaurant. We’re proud to have been awarded two AA rosettes, placing us amongst the top 5% of restaurants in the UK. Our numerous awards and accolades give you the assurance that your event management is in good hands.
Beyond the food what other services does Belle Époque Bespoke offer?
As a popular wedding venue, we know how to make sure that events run smoothly. Event management is what we do, so we’ll ensure the process is as easy and stress-free for you as possible. We want you to enjoy your big day, not be worrying about the canapes.
Whether you’re planning your wedding, or event managing a team away day, you want to know that you can trust your caterers to deliver outstanding food for each and every guest. We’re a family business and are proud of our reputation for excellent, friendly customer service. Over the last forty years, we’ve built up a solid reputation for fine dining and event management and have been recognised by the Michelin Guide for more than 35 years in a row.
Are you noticing any wedding food trends at the moment?
Every bride and groom seems to want to add their own individual touch, there was a surge in afternoon tea style food but that seems to have made way for a shift back to the more traditional formal dining for the wedding breakfast. We do find people always love the sharing platters, family style service and, of course, the evening barbecue food goes down well too.
What would you suggest to a bride and groom looking for a wedding menu with a difference?
It is not very often a bride and groom arrive with us without having any idea of what they would like but if they did we would chat to them to understand their personality, how they want the wedding to be i.e. formal / relaxed, and find out their favourite kind of food. We would then create a bespoke menu for them based on the findings. It’s a bit like asking how long is a piece of string as every couple is different.
Is Belle Époque Bespoke able to take care of providing drinks too?
We certainly can, and we offer a full bar service including our bespoke cocktails, which are individually created for the bride and groom based on their preferences.
What is the process if a bride and groom choose Belle Époque Bespoke to take care of their wedding catering?
We would arrange a meeting, either at our venue or on site, to gain an understanding of the event and to meet the couple. There is a tasting offered once the menu has been chosen and this can be done in the Belle Époque restaurant or on site or at someone’s house. There is a planning meeting 8-12 weeks prior to the event to run through the day in full, from timings to first dance music. The week of the event we meet again to have last minute run through and to ensure everything is in place for a fabulous event.
How important would you say food is to a wedding and how can couples’ dining choices help to enhance the day?
Food can make the day and what people sometimes forget is that the day is primarily a fun day, filled with people who probably don’t see each other as much as they would like to. We try to keep the emphasis on fun and reflect this in the food. Stunning and fun canapes always start the day off well and we love making show-stopping pieces, which get people talking and can break the ice a bit too.
How can our readers find out more about Belle Époque Bespoke?
You can visit our website www.thebelleepoque.com, follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or you can contact Kelly at The Belle Époque on 01565 633 060.
