Pink Leaf Catering

Spring Wedding at the Tithe Barn

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:56:43 +0000

We recently catered for another wedding at the Tithe Barn which once again was magical. The couple hired a lighting company to light up the Tithe Barn to great effect. Lighting can make all the difference to a venue and I am sure you will agree from the photos that this is the case. The company they used is called SVL Events who are based at Warwick Bridge, Carlisle. The other thing I adored at this wedding were the flower arrangements. They used three jam jars tied together with lace and the put a mixture of spring flowers in them. I loved it.

Our Amazing Cheeseboard!

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:57:01 +0000

Ian, (in a former life) was a Tree Surgeon/Lumberjack and used to bring home all kinds of bits of wood which would clutter up the garage. He has had this one piece of wood in our garage for over 25 years which he always wanted to make a coffee table out of. However, being a worried mother I was always concerned that the children would bump their heads on the corners so in the garage it stayed. That is until recently when we had the great idea of using it for a cheeseboard. Ian, therefore set to work on varnishing it so that it would be suitable and hey presto what do you think. We are absolutely thrilled with it. We used it for the first time at our daughter’s wedding and everyone was impressed. It is there to be used at any future weddings we cater for and I am sure you will agree you will not see a better cheeseboard than that.

Scotby Village Hall

admin — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:21:35 +0000

As we have mentioned in a previous blog, our daughter was married in Canada but we planned a big party for her here in England at Scotby Village Hall. We did not want, however, the hall to look like a village hall and therefore set about working out how we could make it look good. We came across the idea of putting a marquee liner inside, but then decided we could do something similar ourselves by using voile. It took most of the day before set up, but I am sure you will agree from the photos it looks good. We took down all the curtains and draped the windows with voile and put lamps on the windowsills. We then hired tables and chairs and the hall was transformed. We had an amazing evening and everyone was stunned to see Scotby Hall looking so good. The entertainment was provided by John Penn who was amazing. Check out his website at www.johnpenn-singer.com

Naomi House Photography

admin — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:39:01 +0000

How many girls get to have two weddings in the space of two weeks? That is what our daughter has just done, she is one clever little minx. Our daughter’s name is Gemma and she has lived in Canada for the last couple of years. On the 23rd March 2012 she married her beau Nic in Canada which we flew over to witness, and had a most amazing time. They then came back to England for a three week holiday and on the 6th April 2012 we held a big party for 150 guests at Scotby Village Hall. (I am going to do another blog on the Scotby Village Hall). Our good friend and photographer Naomi House took Gemma and Nic out and about around Carlisle and took some amazing photographs, a few of which we attach. Naomi is the most amazing photographer, check out her website at www.naomihouse.com . She is one talented lady.

2012 Wedding Season

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:53:17 +0000

We are gearing up for the 2012 wedding season this summer. We have had numerous enquiries for weddings to be held in barns and fields (the remoter the better it seems!). It seems that couples are looking for something a little bit different this year. We are great believers that, with a little effort, you can make any place look amazing. For example, our daughter is getting married in March in Canada of all places! However, they are coming back home a couple of weeks after and we are arranging a party for them over here. We have just booked a village hall (Scotby to be precise) and are going to make it look amazing. Our plan is to take all the curtains down and drape ivory voile in the main hall to make it look like the inside of a marquee. We have hired nice chairs and round tables which we will decorate with lovely flowers. With subtle lighting and carpet down it will look stunning and not at all like a village hall. All in all this is a much cheaper option than hiring a marquee. We will post some pictures after the event in April. In the meantime, we have attached some photos we had taken of some savoury and sweet canapes, just to give you a taster of what we offer.

Another Fantastic Wedding at the Tithe Barn

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:20:01 +0000

Here are some pictures from another wedding we catered for at the Tithe Barn. Again you will see how the Tithe Barn can be transformed by a couple’s personal touch. Fraser and Ashley went for a beautiful lilac theme with chair covers which looked amazing. These pictures also really show the beautful chandeliers, which the Tithe Barn recently purchased, in all their glory. Thank you Fraser and Ashley for letting me have some of your photographs.

Beaujolais Nouveau

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:03:38 +0000

Book now for a Beaujolais Nouveau evening in your own home. We are offering the menu below over three nights (Thursday 17th, Friday 18th and Saturday 19th November 2011) to celebrate the arrival of the new Beaujolais. (Minimum number per booking – 10 people). We will do everything, from shopping; preparation; cooking; serving and clearing away. We even lay the table for you. All you have to do is spend time with your guests, enjoy yourself and have a stress free evening.
History of Beaujolais Nouveau
At one minute past midnight on the third Thursday in November, from vineyards in villages and towns of the region, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau begin their journey to Paris for immediate shipment to all corners of the world. A fresh, light red wine made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region, it is the most popular vin de primeur (‘early product wine’) fermented for just a few weeks, then – by French law – only released for sale on the third Thursday. On this day the producers race each other to get the first bottles to market and the news is proclaimed: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! “The New Beaujolais has arrived!”
Starters

French Onion Soup with melted Gruyere crostini
Lyonnaise Salad

Main Course

Fillets of Sole Veronique
Coq au Vin
served with potatoes and vegetables

Puddings

Pear Tarte Tatin
Creme Brulee

French cheeseboard
Ground Coffee

Half bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau per person

£40 per person

Two Weeks in Tuscany

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:34:06 +0000

Sorry to boast, but we have just returned from two glorious weeks in Tuscany where we did nothing but read, paint (not that I am very good) and enjoy the Chianti. I love Italy, apart from the roads which are not good for my travel sickness. One of things I love more than ever if their use of pasta. For example, take Spaghetti Bolognese where we tend to just use readymade jars with all kinds of ingredients in. I once saw a cookery programme where an Italian Chef was asked why Spaghetti Bolognaise tasted so different in Italy to that she had tried in England. He said that we do it all wrong here in England. All you do is take equal parts veal mince and pork mince (or you could use good quality beef mince if you do not want to use veal mince), add fresh tomatoes (or good quality tinned tomatoes) season and then simmer it for three or four hours. That is it; no herbs or garlic, it is all in the length of the cooking. I have tried this on numerous occasions and it is wonderful and so authentic. The pictures are of Ian and I enjoying this meal in the beautiful mountain village of Gombitelli near Lucca.

Jellies and Preserves

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:15:12 +0000

Well, it is that time of year again when I am given barrels full of apples by friends and family. They come in all shapes and sizes and do not look the prettiest of apples but they are too good to disgard. I, therefore, normally set about finding recipes which can transform these misshapen apples into something worth eating. One of my favourite things is making jellies. They are time consuming and messy, but are really worth all the effort. My all time favourite is a hot apple and chilli jelly which goes wonderfully with hams and cheeses. It also goes extremely well in sauces to give them that extra sweetness with a bite. Another favourite is my apple and cranberry chutney. This is delicious and tastes wonderful on a cheese and rocket sandwich. I love the colours of these preserves and want to experiment with some more, for instance I am going to try a Hot Kiwi and Lime Jelly which I am hoping will be a vibrant green colour. (Watch this space). I do believe that the look of something is very important and therefore do not use any preservatives or colourings as we have enough colours and flavours in nature. If you would like to try any of my preserves please contact me at contact@pinkleafcatering.co.uk. They cost just £3.50 per jar plus postage costs

July Wedding

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:35:17 +0000

Here are some pictures from a wedding we catered for at the Tithe Barn in July. We have done a number of weddings at the Tithe Barn and each couple put their own mark on it. Mark and Louise opted for a vintage theme and had lots of beautiful flower arrangements set up by the wonderful Brenda at Gardenalia. You can check her website at www.gardenalia.net Another fantastic wedding which was enjoyed by all.