Read on to find out more about three super busy and successful months at London’s best event caterer and luxury event organiser.
April
By Word of Mouth’s spring/summer menus launched and the stars of the British summer season started to emerge, such as asparagus (traditionally, the first day of the UK asparagus season is St George’s Day, 23rd April) and the sweet-yet-earthy Jersey Royal new potato, grown in the balmy climes of the Channel Islands. From bite sized canapes, layering exquisite flavours with artistry and innovation, to food bars, presenting cuisines from around the globe, and elegant dinner menus, food is at the heart of By Word of Mouth’s events. The flair, artistry, and skill of the BWoM chefs is the same, whether they are creating dinner for several hundred people or cooking for eight.
The events diary heated up as the BWoM blue vans rolled ever more frequently to venues, private homes, offices and marquees, bringing all the style, creativity and seamless service that have been the hallmarks of By Word of Mouth’s events for over 40 years.
We were delighted to work with the Victoria & Albert Museum to create a truly spectacular Director’s Dinner that started with drinks amidst the sculptures in the cool, elegant Dorothy and Michael Hintze Galleries. Guests then made their way into the Dome where, in contrast, tables clothed in burnt orange linen created a warm and inviting setting for dinner. Seasonal arrangements from floral alchemist, Shane Connolly, added a gloriously natural, yet highly decorative aesthetic to the tablescape, whilst By Word of Mouth’s chefs created a fine dining menu of La Latteria burrata, made in West London, sustainable hake from the waters of Cornwall and an irresistible rhubarb & pistachio choux.
Other highlight events in a busy month included a chic dinner at the Royal Academy of Arts co-ordinated by London event agency Word on the Street, a feat of fine dining extraordinaire at the stunning Wallace Collection, a lovely breakfast, co-hosted with the brilliant team from the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and a trip out to West London to create a stunning soiree at Kew Gardens.
Ingredients of the month: British asparagus, Jersey Royal new potatoes, spinach, rhubarb
May
May started big, with a celebratory dinner for over 400 guests at historic Guildhall, the medieval landmark in the heart of the City, and a sensational soiree in Temperate House, Kew in support of the World Monuments Fund. At the other end of the size scale, Little Banqueting House, the miniature building set into the garden walls of Hampton Court Palace, overlooking the Thames, was the location for a small but special birthday party that showed just how wonderful it can be to host small numbers at this palace renowned for its enormous size and scale.
The Chelsea Flower Show, whose home is the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, has always held pride of place as the opener for the summer season’s packed social calendar. The buzz in and around SW3 builds steadily throughout the month as final plans are made for the wealth of events that take place at and around this wonderful celebration of flowers, plants and garden design. Team By Word of Mouth created several flower-filled events during CFS week, taking us to Chelsea Physic Garden and the V&A, where we traditionally create dinners for clients on the opening night of the show, as well as the heart of the RHC, whose Great Hall provides the impressive setting for an evening of post-flower show seasonal canapes and food bars.
Back at BWoM HQ, May was a month in which, alongside a packed events diary, tastings were also taking place several times a week as final preparations and plans were finalised for weddings, celebrations and corporate events taking place over the summer months. Clients adore the tasting experience and are always amazed by the fantastic view they get through to the kitchen from our dining room of the dishes being prepared, as if in a restaurant. As well as sampling the food for their event, linens and table settings are chosen, flower arrangements mocked up, drinks selected and all the smallest details ironed out.
As May drew to a close, we felt as if we had brought the best of spring to every corner of London and further afield. The warm up was complete and the big month was beckoning: June was on the horizon…
Ingredients of the month: lettuce and salad leaves, broad beans, hake
June
The juggernaut that is June was bigger and busier than ever.
The events diary read like a who’s who of London’s finest venues as BWoM parties, events, and weddings were created at buildings such as the Wallace Collection, Somerset House, the British Museum, St Paul’s Cathedral, Lancaster House, Two Temple Place and, of course, the V&A where we were constant visitors throughout the month. We rose to the challenge of creating an alfresco lunch for 120 executives on a rooftop terrace in the City, headed to Soho to bring the underworld to life for an 18th birthday celebration in a nightclub, and were welcomed to the homes of clients across the capital to help create unforgettable memories for them and their guests.
Work in the BWoM kitchens was hectic yet beautifully calm, precise and organised. Executive Chef, Mark Connolly has over two decades’ experience at the helm of the BWoM kitchen team and his dedication to our food values and commitment to delivering perfection, even when masterminding days with multiple events, is second to none. With our bespoke approach to event menus, and many clients incorporating personal elements within their event menu, Mark and his team created everything from Mexican inspired food bars, elegant dinner menus, cool barbecues and thousands and thousands of seasonal summer canapes. It is always interesting to gauge trends in food at this time of year and, whilst fillet of beef continues to be chosen regularly as a main course, we noted a marked increase in the number of clients choosing to serve fish, with Cornish hake (a sustainable choice) and halibut being most popular. Plant-forward dishes are also a regular preference and several clients requested a fully plant-based menu for their event.
Whilst the majority of the events in June took place in London, the team were also finalising plans for some exciting events further afield in the UK taking place in July. Stay tuned for episode 3, in which all will be revealed!
Ingredients of the month: Strawberries, courgettes, crab, globe artichoke