Nibbles2Nosh host a Wedding Experience Evening
June 19, 2014
A tasting event at Upwaltham Barns
This month I had the pleasure of being asked by Upwaltham Barns' in-house catering team Nibbles2Nosh to attend and photograph one of their Wedding Experience Evenings. This is an event which offers couples a chance to come and experience dining at this stunning choice of wedding venue and taste a variety of delicious dishes that could potentially be on their own wedding menus.
The spectacular and charming Sussex venue is a favourite of mine, always offering a warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere. With a beautiful backdrop of English countryside, it is the absolute perfect location to be getting married in.
Being a family owned business, I think Upwaltham offers a real reassurance to guests knowing that there is so much care and attention to detail paid, not just to the venue but to all aspects of an event held there. As well as the venue bookings and management, the catering and bar are all run by family members, bringing a lovely family feel to the whole experience of being there.
Kate, Helen, Claire and the team were doing an amazing job as I arrived on that gloriously warm and sunny evening. In the bustling kitchen the food preparation was in full flow with attractive canapés almost ready to be taken out to guests that had started to arrive.
As starters were beginning to be plated up, champagne was offered to guests on arrival and tasty bite sized delights were brought around by the lovely staff who always seemed to have genuinely big smiles on their faces!
Guests lingered in the courtyard and there was a lovely relaxed atmosphere as they chatted with each other and to the staff, and soft acoustic guitar tones were to be heard being played by Mike Fry in the background.
Before long we were ushered into The South Barn to be seated at the beautifully set tables.
The rustic room full of original wooden beams and exposed brick was prepared just as a wedding breakfast room would be. The pretty wildflower table arrangements, candles and chair covers were provided by Pollen4Hire, which perfectly complemented the delicate and creative stationery provided by Seahorse Stationery. Place names, table plans, menus and table names were all showcased on every table, offering an example and inspiration to the couples of how they might want to decorate their tables.
As starters arrived, we all got a bit excited seeing the trio of options including toasted goats cheese on crostini with blackened sherry vinegar onions and pancetta, salmon fishcakes with lemon and caper mayonnaise and an oriental salad with crispy duck and hoisin dressing. All three things were truly delicious.
For the main course we sampled the medallions lamb on a potato rosti with a zingy mint and chilli dressing. A second option of fish and seafood stew with chorizo, smoked paprika and saffron looked really tasty and colourful. I succeeded in polishing off the breast of British chicken filled with Jarlsberg cheese and asparagus, rolled in Parma ham with a white wine and cream sauce with garlic and thyme mini roasted potatoes. Considering the amount of main courses we all managed to taste of course we all still managed to have room to try the trio of desserts!
This delightful selection of puds included a chocolate brownie with a rich chocolate sauce, lemon posset with a shortbread biscuit and finally meringue with cream and berries. Delicious! The lemon posset and brownie were definitely my favourites, they were literally amazing!
All the food was presented beautifully and tasted divine. I may have been working but I definitely benefited from the perks of being able to taste all the amazing options on offer! It was also great to have some music to accompany the tasting, The Soul Diva had a lovely voice and helped create such a fun vibe for the evening. Other decor ideas were presented in the barn to inspire the guests and offer ideas and services that might be of interest.
As the evening drew to a close and we began to filter out we all got a taste of Upwaltham in it's night time splendour, with the courtyard softly and romantically lit by candles. The snug outdoor lounge area looked so cosy and appealing I could imagine relaxing there all night long on a hot summer evening.
The atmosphere of the whole evening had just been so relaxed, and the service ran like clockwork thanks to Nibbles2Nosh, such a professional and slick team.
It had been a truly wonderful night with incredible food and company, and the service from start to finish that was second to none. Any couples lucky enough to be having Upwaltham Barns as their wedding venue certainly will have the whole package: beautiful venue, gorgeous food and a fantastic team delivering it all. Well done to Nibbles2Nosh and all at Upwaltham Barns, thank you so much for having me at such a lovely event. I look forward to photographing my next wedding with you next month.
Kelly Hearn A.B.I.P.P - A.M.P.A