It’s the last blog of 2024, bringing to a close a packed year of events at London’s best event caterer. Join us as we reflect on a full and festive final quarter, with plenty to celebrate at By Word of Mouth.
October
From the grandeur of Blenheim Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Hampton Court to the intimate beauty of the Wallace Collection and contemporary elegance of the Design Museum, the events of October took us to a multitude of venues matching every possible description. With the autumn-winter menus in full swing, it was inspiring to see our food philosophy translated into seasonal dishes that made the most of our chefs’ great talents. From the sweet and vibrant orange flesh of the delica pumpkin to earthy beetroot, salty oysters, and tender, gamey loin of venison, the best of the season’s produce filled the BWoM kitchens, where they were handled with greatest skill and artistic flair.
At the end of October, one of the most anticipated events of the year took place at BWoM HQ. By Word of Mouth’s legendary Halloween party is a night of pure fun and, embracing this year’s theme of A Stairway to Hell with great enthusiasm, we were given a flamboyant, rock gig makeover by our brilliant collaborators, Wise Productions and Simon Lycett. The BWoM creative department ran wild with the canape presentation trays, which featured glittered guitars, smoking coffins, and a cobweb strewn turntable, whilst the chefs kept us all fuelled with Venezuelan arepas, slow cooked lamb, empanadas and ice cream cookie sandwiches. London’s best cocktails, shaken by the BWoM mixologists and Sternberg Clarke’s excellent party band, Flood the Floor, ensured that the party energy was permanently dialled up to the max.
November
The run up to the festive season has never been busier than this November. From the artistic cool of Saatchi Gallery and inspiration-packed Science Museum to the masterpiece-filled magnificence of the National Gallery and regal splendour of Lancaster House, the BWoM team were out and about across London in a month packed with receptions, dinners, celebrations and awards ceremonies.
It is always great when clients choose to hold their event in one of the smaller spaces offered by venues known for their huge proportions. The Beehive at St Paul’s Cathedral is the sweetest, circular room, tucked away beneath the splendour of the cathedral floor adjacent to the Wren Suite. Working with events agency, Word on the Street, the team created a petite dinner for just a dozen guests who lingered over the after dinner petits fours, reluctant to leave the special atmosphere created by this adorable domed room. At the other end of the scale, the Victoria & Albert Museum was the venue for an awards ceremony and dinner for over 350 guests whilst the White Tower at the Tower of London provided the backdrop for a luxury jewellery brand’s super-sophisticated dinner for which our pastry team created a bespoke, red rose pudding that took everyone’s breath away.
Our partnership with food redistribution charity, City Harvest London, is greatly loved by everyone on the BWoM team, our clients and venue partners. Leaving a positive legacy with our events is at the heart of our approach to social responsibility and the donations raised help the charity succeed in its mission to rescue food, people and planet. Having achieved great success in 2023, raising the equivalent of over 20,000 nutritious meals for vulnerable communities across London, we were determined to raise the bar even higher in 2024. November was the month in which we powered through the previous year’s total. We celebrated being on track to achieve a fantastic new record for fundraising at By Word of Mouth this year, thanks to the success of our charity canapes which resonate closely with our clients’ own values and approach to CSR.
December
What does the arrival of the Christmas season mean to you? To us, it means mince pies, warm spices, jewel-like cranberries, festive canape trays and that special energy as the team adds style, elegance and delicious food to Christmas parties across the capital.
Christmas kicked off right at the beginning of the month as we were treated to wreath making sessions with our florist friends, Lavender Green and Pinstripes & Peonies. Immersed in treasure troves of frosted baubles, luscious velvet ribbons, dried citrus slices, winter berries and more, the BWoM team proved themselves to be super talented (and well guided by their generous hosts), coming away with some wonderfully decorative, unashamedly festive creations.
Party wise, our blue vans criss-crossed the streets of London, laden with the all the ingredients essential to creating the best Christmas parties: the food, the bubbles, the cocktails and plenty of festive spirit. From classic Christmas turkey and sticky toffee pudding at the Natural History Museum to perfect canapes at Two Temple Place and chic sushi at One Marylebone, we loved creating menus that were perfectly aligned with our clients’ vision, leaving festive memories that will live long in the memory.
With the BWoM Secret Santa presents opened and the team lunch just around the corner, we are signing off 2024 with huge gratitude to all those that have followed us, worked with us, provided us with the finest produce, collaborated with us, trusted us, worked for us and helped us achieve another year of the spectacular for By Word of Mouth.
Here’s to 2025.
Team BWoM x