After all these years in the events hospitality business, you would probably think that Hog Roast Chipping Warden would have seen and done it all by now, wouldn’t you? Well, not quite. While we’ve certainly seen a lot in our time, the truth is, our customers and clients regularly surprise us with their (sometimes weird, but mostly wonderful) requests, which not only keeps us on our toes and makes our job here really interesting, but it’s also what we love most about working in this sector.
So, a couple of months back, when we first received a call from Fiona, who eagerly divulged her plans to host a pagan Midsummer event (restrictions permitting), the Hog Roast Chipping Warden team were immediately intrigued. And lucky for Fiona, her required date, the 24th of June, was free from any other bookings, and at that discovery, our catering duo, Ben and Beth, couldn’t say ‘yes’ to her inquiry fast enough!
After asking some more follow up questions to determine the client’s budget, event size and overall theme, Ben and Beth were able to recommend the perfect menu for Fiona’s all-important celebration: a scaled-back version of the Hog Roast Dining Experience. Boasting a selection of 3 (usually five) visually stunning starters, followed by a spit-roasted suckling pig, whole roast free-range chickens, side salads, garlic and rosemary-seasoned roast potatoes and a choice of desserts to finish (summer fruit pudding or fresh fruit salad), this feast ticked every box on Fiona’s list.
The event itself had been scheduled to take place at the local botanic gardens, which perfectly set the scene for the celebrations (which, perhaps ironically, was in commemoration of the beginning of the summer months). Ever the eager beavers, the Hog Roast Chipping Warden team had made sure to arrive early that day so as to get the preparations for the meal underway before the guests made an appearance, and their arrival was closely followed by Fiona’s, who was in charge of setting up the entertainment.
Before long, the celebrations were in full swing, and despite there being little more than 25 people at the event, the atmosphere was electrifying and full of good cheer. The food went down a storm, and for entertainment, there was socially-spaced Maypole dancing, flower crown-making and storytelling round the bonfire as the evening closed in.