Choosing the right caterer for your wedding is one of the most important decisions when wedding planning. As more of us become obsessed with food and spend time sourcing fresh, local produce, we also expect our wedding caterers to live up to these lip-smacking standards.

Getting the right reactions from your guests is so important and can make or break a day, so how do you make sure you choose the right wedding caterers for your style, wedding and budget?

We spoke to Plenty of Thyme, a bespoke wedding caterer based in Essex, for some handy tips and advice…

About Plenty of Thyme…

Plenty Of Thyme pride themselves on great service and high standards. Therefore, they know all too well how important food is to a couples big day!

Dave Double founded Plenty of Thyme in 2016. Dave is a trained chef and has worked across various kitchens in both the UK and Australia. ‘When setting up Plenty Of Thyme, the aim was to create a business that was professional & personable, using fresh British produce from local independent businesses.’

Dave is always willing to create something unique and loves getting to know couples to ensure he can provide exactly what is required for their dream wedding.

During lockdown 2020, Dave even took on an allotment so that he could grow his own produce to create some amazing home-grown dishes.

In 2018, Jodie joined Plenty of Thyme as the Wedding and Events Manager. Jodie is at the forefront of your special day and can be involved as much or as little as you want.

Jodie’s background consists of over 12 years in catering management. She has worked in a wide variety of venues from fine dining restaurants to stunning wedding venues, thus bringing great customer service skills, organisation and attention to detail to the business.

Plenty of Thyme’s newest recruit is Amanda, who has vast experience in catering for high volume events. Amanda specialises in pastry and desserts.

One of their proudest achievements to date is winning the Essex Wedding Awards 2020 and since then, they have also been awarded regional winners and national finalists for The Wedding Business Awards 2020.

What should couples think about when choosing catering for their wedding?

When thinking about catering for your wedding you should think about dishes you both love and meals that have brought you together.

We catered for one couple who had a traditional 3 course meal, as well as sharing boards. This was inspired by memories of their first holiday together, munching on gourmet burgers and their love for festivals.

What questions should couples ask their caterer?

During the enquiry with your potential wedding caterer, you need to ask what is provided and what is included in your quote.

Plenty of Thyme can supply most items that will be needed for your day, for example, linen, crockery, glassware etc. We have staff available that can help with all aspects of the day such as set up on the day, serving drinks/canapes and working the bar. Our quotes will provide a full breakdown and will of course be completely bespoke.

We highly recommend that you request a tasting session too. This way you can taste a variety of food before deciding on what you choose, as well as getting a feel for the people that will be behind the scenes on your big day.

What’s the first step you take when you receive an enquiry from a couple?

After the initial email consultation, we will meet with you to talk things through and to also get to know you both.

we want to find out your likes and dislikes to start mapping out your special day. From there we will create your ideal menu.

We can make any tweaks if needed before inviting you for a tasting session; this is an essential part of the process before finalising your chosen options.

Around a month before your wedding, we will check in with you to finalise guest numbers, the running order for the day, table plans and of course, dietary requirements.

Please give 5 top tips for a couple to consider when choosing their wedding caterer?

1. Always meet the caterer, whether that be in person or via zoom (due to current circumstances) to ensure the caterer can get a clear idea of what you are expecting.

2. Attend a tasting session and be honest - if something is not to your taste or how you imagined it to be, tell your caterer.

3. Check what your venue and catering team provide to ensure no job is left unassigned. Think of jobs such as who is providing and serving at the drinks reception, who will portion the wedding cake etc…

4. Create a menu based on foods you both love. You will not be able to please all your guests, so do not stress – it’s important to remember that this day is about you both!

5. When thinking about the timings of your day consider the time of your ceremony and what time you will be eating your meal. If your wedding is at 12pm and you are not eating until 4pm, your guests probably had an early breakfast (if any at all) so make sure you provide canapes or bowl food during the drinks reception, so that no one goes hungry.

We absolutely love what we do and are always honoured to be a part of a couples special day.

Big thank you...

Thank you Plenty of Thyme, your answers were really insightful - we hope this will help plenty of couples choose their ideal caterer.

For further information about Plenty of Thyme, visit here: https://bit.ly/3aowWgw

For more advice and inspiration to help make your wedding day a unique and memorable occasion, make sure you’re following the Infinite Wedding Co blog. We share helpful insights and inspiration to help make planning your wedding a breeze.

Ping us an email here: hello@infinitemangementco.com if you have any other questions, we’d love to help.

Debbie and Becca x