Ashford-based Chives Caterers offer a range of presentations for all tastes - canapés, formal wedding breakfasts, hot and cold buffets, fork barbecues, hog-roasts and evening food. Drawing on the knowledge and experience of Graham Green, who ran a successful restaurant in Australia, this is vibrant food made to order from fresh produce.
Rather than providing set menus, the highly experienced Chives Caterers love working with each and every client to devise a completely bespoke meal, so you can pick and choose dishes to match your tastes in collaboration with the chef. They also supply menus for vegetarians and children under ten so all your possible catering needs will be met.
Chives Caterers first began as a business in 1988, which developed into an external catering company by 1998. In 2008 Graham Green, an award-winning restaurateur, joined the team as head chef and also became the co-owner.
The Chives team are passionate about their philosophy - 'interesting creative food with quality service at affordable prices'. They don't offer set menus but provide you with options that can be customised and tailored to your wishes.
You can choose a variety of either four, six or ten different items from a wide range of vegetarian, meat or fish and seafood canapés. As representative examples of each type, Chives Caterers can present lightly spiced tiger prawns wrapped in fried noodle, mini pies of kangaroo and cracked black pepper or pea pancake and houmous stacks.
For a more informal wedding breakfast or evening buffet, you can choose from tasty savoury items such as choux buns with smoked salmon and brie, crispy duck in filo baskets with hoisin sauce, or leek, feta and sundried tomato parcels, to be followed by platters of mini-desserts including seasonal berry tarts and chocolate mud-cake balls.
Go all out with a wide range of options, from wild mushroom and coriander filo baskets to roast and chilled trout with asparagus, cucumber and a wasabi dressing all topped with a poppadom to start. This could be followed by a trio of pork, beef, lamb or chicken, carving selections with chef hats provided, or a venison and game selection, all finished off with a duo or trio of desserts. Their legendary baked cheesecakes can even be decorated as your wedding cake, traditionally tiered with various layers such as white chocolate and berry, chocolate and Cointreau or salted caramel.
Chives Caterers are flexible and aim to meet everyone's needs. They offer a separate vegetarian menu with dishes like the twice-baked Ashmore soufflé with mustard butter sauce, or the delicious baked ricotta, spinach pine nutcake with pesto sauce, both of which are also gluten-free, as are all their other sauces, so that in effect most of their main course dishes can also be gluten-free. Additionally, there are many dishes suitable for vegans and dairy-free guests.
Chives Caterers can offer an extensive variety of evening food, ranging from savoury mini-pies, bowl food with mini fish and chips, mac'n'cheese or slow cooked pork and mash, right through to cheeseboards and even fajita stations.
Chives Caterers can present a varied menu for children, with meals such as their lunchbox of food or mac'n'cheese. They also offer fully served hot and cold buffets, as well as fork barbecues and traditional hog-roast presentations.
Chives Caterers offer an initial consultation to assess your requirements, incorporating your ideas into their culinary approach. Their aim is to create a truly unique menu using an array of local seasonal produce, personalised to you for your big day, as everything on the menu can be customised to order and combined to create your own bespoke package. They offer group tastings in the quieter months of January to March, sampling up to ten dishes per course.
You can also meet the chefs and discuss any dietary requirements. However, Chives are 'not just a caterer' as they will also help you to find other suppliers as well as providing full on-the-day coordination, laying the tables with your decorations, favours and so on so you don't have to. Prices also include provision of crockery, cutlery, glassware, kitchen equipment, staffing, VAT and plenty of help and support from the initial planning meeting to the day itself.
Find out more about the extensive options Chives Caterers can provide by using the contact buttons below.