Trends in wedding catering – the sharing platter

We’ve noticed that sharing platters have become an increasingly popular form of wedding and party catering. Over the last couple of years, more and more people have asked us to include an element of sharing in their menu, whether it’s in a tapas format or ‘family style’.

Weddings particularly have become less formal and many couples have become more adventurous when it comes to how they experience food. Offering at least one course sharing style can be a great way of relaxing guests and enabling people to get to know one another and we have had great fun working on different dishes that work well for sharing..

Family style eating

Our sharing platters are served on attractive plates and dishes which are placed in the middle of the table, giving everyone the opportunity to serve themselves, I suppose you could consider it a buffet where you don’t have to move!

Here are some examples of current popular sharing dishes for from Copleys wedding & party catering menu:

• Slow-cooked Greek lamb – cooked for 24 hours with potatoes, lemon juice, oregano and mint. Served with side dishes such as spinach, green beans and aubergines
• Roast chicken – boned and stuffed with lemon and herbs. Served sliced on a bed of roasted vegetables in a lemon and herb sauce
• Italian sharing platter – antipasto is very popular, but traditional pasta dishes also work extremely well as a sharing platter, such as ragu on a bed of fresh pasta
• Sharing paellas – a great way to serve delicious seafood
• Puddings – great sharing puddings include a tower of meringues or profiteroles, or a ‘pancake factory’ with a pile of pancakes and lots of different toppings in dishes giving everyone the chance to make their own

Sharing homemade puddings

We are also seeing a growing trend at weddings for the guests to bring a homemade pudding or dessert and put them together for the whole party to share. It’s a lovely idea which makes things much more personal and helps guests feel more involved in the celebration.

If you are looking for a wedding or party caterer based in Hertfordshire, contact us to talk about our delicious sharing platters, menus, and vegetarian and vegan food.