Tapenade’s royal wedding trends
John Hearn, executive head chef at Tapenade, one of the UK’s top caterers, talks us through his royal wedding food predictions…
Cutting the cake
It’s great to see the young royals breaking tradition and swapping the classic fruit cake for something more modern, opting to reflect the ‘bright flavours of spring’ with a zingy lemon and elderflower cake. If we were tasked with baking the royal cake, we’d use local handmade elderflower cordial and organic Amalfi lemons for a deliciously intense citrus sponge. And you can’t throw a royal do without the Queens favourite sweet treat, chocolate fridge cake!
Super bowl
It’s been confirmed, by a number of close sources, that the couple have decided to opt for sociable bowl food for their first reception which we think is a great choice. At Tapenade we like to create wedding dishes which reflect the bride and grooms personality so we would include our take on a Botswanan dish such as Seswaa, a meat stew with polenta, to reflect Harry and Meghan’s favourite holiday destination, Botswana, or a lemon and thyme roast chicken risotto in honour of their proposal.
Best of British
A royal wedding is the perfect occasion to showcase the best of the British larder so we’d incorporate fresh, seasonal vegetables such as asparagus, peas and tomatoes into the menu alongside a good cut of grass-fed British lamb or beef, paired with a beautiful English sparkling wine. We would of course source the ingredients from The Queen’s own estates where possible because what’s more British than The Queen?
Decadent desserts
Often during receptions, guests are already on the dance floor by the time the cake is cut so why not pass around bite-sized desserts for them to enjoy whilst mingling. We’d craft delicious milk chocolate truffles with a boozy kirsch centre and colourful macarons for the royal guests – delicious, sophisticated and perfect for those who don’t want to risk making a mess on their fancy frocks.
Keep it classic
Although we think this could be the most innovative royal wedding menu to date, we’re still expecting to see lots of classic dishes. The couple have been bucking the traditional trends for subtle updates throughout their wedding planning but we imagine the young royals will stick to classic flavours, much like Will and Kate. Classic doesn’t have to mean boring – at Tapenade we love to give classic dishes a twist, perhaps making a pork loin and black pudding Wellington instead of the usual beef.
Marvellous minimalism
This royal extravaganza is sure to be elegant and sophisticated but with the couple revered for being down-to-earth and fuss free – they did get engaged over a roast chicken after all – we expect there to be a minimalistic vibe reflected in the menu choices and table décor- with clean lines and chic elegant table pieces with single flower stems and sprigs of greenery such as rosemary or fern. For food, think simple elegance – we’d opt for prosciutto and diver-caught scallop lollipops or fillet of lamb with heritage beetroot and blackberries at the formal dinner.
