In the last decade the amount of vegans we cater for has quadrupled. There is hardly a wedding that does not have a vegan or two — sometimes more. However, we have yet to create a completely vegan wedding menu — but I am sure it will happen.
My message for couples with vegan guests is to not panic. Whether it’s a vegan, diabetic, pescatarian, vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free or any other special diet you’re catering for, the same main rules apply.
Vegan foods are no longer just plain old salads or stuffed peppers. They can be beautiful, flavoursome dishes, full of vitality and as fulfilling and enlightening as a main meat or fish dish. It is no longer restrictive, more an opportunity for creativity and experimentation.
It’s important that your wedding caterer really thinks about the different special diets and how this will impact the service of your wedding breakfast. I recommend you choose your menu for the majority of your guests and then adapt to make it suit others. Having to produce 10 different dishes for 120 people will compromise service, making it much slower.
The Great British Chefs website has some lovely Vegan recipes, and The Vegan Society has some really interesting and useful information too.
My Top 5 Vegan Wedding Menu Dishes
- Cauliflower Three Ways — Pureed, Roasted and Vichyssoise
- Wild Mushroom, Chestnut and Sage Pithier, Sage Roasted Old Potatoes and a Confit of Savoy
- Fresh Asparagus Tarte — Long and Thin Spear Size with a Baby Watercress Salad
- Roasted Pumpkin and Pine Nut Ravioli (Using Egg Free Pasta), Finished with Cold Pressed Hemp Oil
- Involtini of Chargrilled Aubergine (pictured) with Baby Courgette Ratatouille and a Cannellini Bean Cake
Guest post by Julie Gray of Bovingdons
Image from Bovingdons
