Italian traditions on the thames’ banks with a vegeterian feast
Picture this: it’s spring, the sun has finally made his first appearance in London. An elegant venue on the banks of the River Thames, the shining forth of the water and finally the presence of your loved ones gathered to celebrate you.
What could make this heavenly image even better? Godly almost? Food. Or better, traditional Italian food. This is what happened at the Kensington Rowing Club and Hostaria London was part of it.
Catering for a Special Occasion
We had the opportunity to be part of one of our affectionate client’s birthday and to accompany him and his friends through the celebrations. The instructions were very clear: a total of 50 guests, among which some vegetarians and vegans, canapés and bowls to be served. Simple, but effective.
Our team was not scared by the challenge and put to work to create a broad menu bursting with the authenticity that characterises the Italian gastronomy. The keyword of this buffet was inclusivity and we certainly delivered. The Hostaria team did not hold back.
Starting from 6pm, while the guests were enjoying the last beams of lights that shone over the River Theme, they were introduced to a series of delicate canapés. The variety of this finger-foods was omni-comprehensive: omnivorous, vegetarian, vegans… Everyone had their own and they liked it, a lot! Just some examples: non-vegetarian category savoured among others crème Fraiche and caviar blinis, together with modern-day salty tarts topped with a guacamole and prawns.
On the other hand, among the vegetarian/vegan options, the most acclaimed ones were the modern eggplants rolls filled with tomato sauce, vegan cheese & flaked almond, the pumpkin gnocchi with kale pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, and the puff tart with grana and mushrooms cream.
The party did not stop there. While everyone was appreciating the beauty of the Kensington Rowing Club and cheering to the host’s birthday with some La Marca Cuvée Prosecco, the second round of our catering was being prepared by our team who had crafted mouth-watering bowls to be served at 8pm.
Not to make anyone jealous, but may we just tell you that it was all about flavour and sensations and most essentially comfort for all guests.
First came the mushroom risotto marked by the truffle oil after-taste, and please let’s not forget the Gran Padano touch. But this was just a small taste to get everyone ready for more: a second bowl was served gracing everyone’s palate with Ravioli four cheeses sautéed in a delicate sage and butter sauce. Lastly, the grand finale was executed by vegetarian and vegan-friendly zucchini meatballs combined with a fresh sauce of yoghurt and chive, finished by a side of roasted peppers.
The event was clearly a success as it was agreed among the participants that the vegetarian and vegan offer was a pleasant feature that only made the celebrations jollier.
Here's the menu of the private party event
Canapés
Puff tart Grana Padano cream & mushrooms
Aubergine roll Vegan version (with vegan cheese mozzarella)
Bruschetta with hummus & caramelized onions
Pumpkin gnocchi, kale pesto (veg & vegan-friendly) & sundried tomatoes
Polenta crouton, Gorgonzola & walnuts
Salty tart, guacamole & prawn
Blinis with creme fraiche & caviar
Salty cones with tuna carpaccio
Bowl-food
Spinach salad, chevre cheese, walnuts & truffle
Mushrooms risotto, Grana Padano & truffle oil
Ravioli 4 cheeses, sage & butter
Zucchini meatballs (Veg & Vegan-friendly), yoghurt & chives sauce, roasted peppers