Menus to match your style

Seckford Hall’s wedding menu offers a selection of 14 starters, a wide range of main courses that includes several vegetarian options and 14 different desserts.

But in reality head chef Mark Archer prefers to meet with couples so he can design a wedding breakfast around their individual tastes, preferences and budgets. Mark says that rather than just choosing from a set menu, more and more people expect to have a chat with the chef.

It’s also becoming more common for couples to try food before deciding on their menu. “We normally do this on a Sunday or Monday, when it tends to be quieter and we can cook individual meals for them:’ said Mark. Just like every other aspect of a wedding, food follows trends and most couples want their wedding breakfast to reflect the overall style of the occasion. This can range from the sophistication of black and white food to match a couple’s outfits, to a traditional fish and chip supper, as Seckford Hall did for one couple last year.

Tastes have also become more adventurous as people have travelled more widely and sampled the world’s variouscuisines. “Some people know exactly what they want,” said Mark.” People eat out at so many different places now. They have certain special dishes they like and want to put them on the menu. And I’m quite happy to do that. Receptions are divided equally between buffets and sit-down meals.

It usually depends on the number of guests, how formal the couple want the occasion to be, budget and the time of year. “Cold buffets are popular in summer, while in autumn and winter we do more sit-down meals:’

For B&G, Mark prepared a wedding breakfast of smoked salmon parfait and rosette of melon with a compote of exotic fruits, followed by Gressingham duck with a ginger and peppercorn sauce and halibut with a complementary sauce. For dessert, glazed lemon tart with a raspberry sorbet, and dark chocolate torte with black cherries.

Printed with kind permission of Suffolk and Essex B&G - Spring Summer 2006 issue.

Click here to view the restaurant menus at Seckford Hall Hotel and Restaurant.