Kerr and Ladbroke Catering...

Willowbrook Park is excited to announce a new partnership with Kerr & Ladbrook, winner of the NZ Wedding Industry's Outstanding Caterer award 2016.

Photo by Christel Yardley

Above: Ryan & Jody Ladbrook and Lisa & David Kerr 

with Head Chef Phillip McClean.

Their reputation for excellence, freshness of ingredients, and the highest quality service is why they took out the country's top title, and makes them a natural pairing for Willowbrook Park.

Here is a taster of their menu options for Willowbrook Park...

Wedding Reception - Plated Option 1

-----Canapés-----

Sweet Corn Fritters

Corn & spring onion fritters w steamed prawns & a mango & avocado salsa

Mushroom Risotto Ball

Truffle oiled mushroom & parmesan risotto balls w pesto aioli

Pork Belly

Slow braised pork belly skewers & toasted peanut jungle salt

-----Breads on Table-----

A selection of warm dinner rolls served with flavoured butter

-----Plated Main Course-----

(Alternately served to guests)

Prime Beef Eye Fillet

Prime Beef Eye fillet w a mushroom & tarragon butter crust, potato Dauphinoise & merlot jus.

Chicken Roulade

Chicken & bacon wrapped roulade w a red kumara rosti & creamy mushroom puree

--Each main is complimented by a selection of fresh vegetables--

-----Centre Salad & Greens-----

Tossed Green Salad

Freshly picked baby spinach leaves, mesculin mixed salad greens, tiny cherry tomatoes and sweet red onions, lightly tossed with balsamic and virgin olive oil dressing

-----Dessert Canapés-----

(on table dessert stands or tray service if mix n mingle time)

Lemoncello, lemon curd & gingernut cheesecake bites

&

Chocolate cups filled with silky chocolate mousse

Platters of family supplied “Wedding cake” with

freshly brewed Willowbrook tea & coffee

Wedding Reception - Plated Option 2

-----Canapés-----

Lamb Bites

Dukkah & Dijon lamb bites w Lebanese yoghurt dip

Mushroom Risotto Balls

Truffle oiled mushroom & parmesan risotto balls w pesto aioli

Chicken Bruschetta

Smoked chicken, olive & semi dried tomato on olive oil brushed bruschetta

-----Set Entrée-----

Summer tomato bruschetta

Ciabatta Bruschetta w slow roasted & fresh tomatoes, beetroot puree, feta whip 

& balsamic olive oil drizzle.

-----Plated Mains-----

(Alternately served to guests)

NZ Lamb Fillet

Tender NZ Lamb fillet wrapped in prosciutto w pressed lamb shoulder, potato fondant, minted cremoulata & balsamic jus.

South Island Salmon

South Island Salmon marinated in Chermoula w a Cannellini & haricot bean mash, roasted tomato chutney & micro salad.

--Each main is complimented by a selection of fresh vegetables--

-----Centre Salad & Greens-----

Tossed Green Salad

Baby spinach & mixed salad greens, tiny cherry tomatoes, sweet red onions, 

balsamic & virgin olive oil dressing

-----Petit Four Dessert Platters-----

Dark chocolate & raspberry torte bites

Mango, lime & vanilla Italian meringue tarts

Baby spiced apple pies w mascarpone & rock sugar pastry crisp

 Platters of family supplied “Wedding cake” with

freshly brewed Willowbrook tea & coffee

Wedding Reception - Plated Option3

-----Canapés-----

Fresh Tuna

Fresh Tuna seared w sesame seeds on a salt crisp & a toasted nori mayonnaise

Chicken & Bacon Pate

Chicken & bacon pate on New York peppered crostini & red currant jelly

Pork Belly

Succulent slices of pork belly on crispy crouton & pear & fig chutney

Scallops

Pacific Rim scallops w a vanilla, cauliflower puree & crispy shallots 

-----Palate Cleanser-----

Fresh pineapple, honey dew melon & mint shot

-----Entrées-----

(Alternately served to guests)

Cold smoked Salmon

Cold smoked salmon w prosciutto, floral tea jelly, courgette ribbons & crispy capers

NZ Lamb Tenderloin

NZ Lamb tenderloin w exotic mushroom marinated w salsa Verde & a chervil Dijon vinaigrette

-----Plated Main course-----

(Alternately served to guests)

18 Hour Slow Roasted Scotch Fillet

18 hour Beef scotch fillet served medium rear w parmesan polenta chips, a green peppercorn Béarnaise sauce & hydro watercress

Fresh Market Fish

Fresh Market Fish w crushed lemon & herb potatoes, seasonal greens, tomato & olive cheek concasse & saffron Beurre blanc

--Each main is complimented by a selection of fresh vegetables--

-----Centre Salad & Greens-----

Tossed Green Salad

Baby spinach leaves, mesculin greens, tiny cherry tomatoes and sweet red onions, 

lightly tossed with balsamic and virgin olive oil dressing

-----Dessert-----

Chocolate Decadence

Decadent dark chocolate torte w forest berries & vanilla crème fraiche

Platters of family supplied “Wedding cake” with

freshly brewed Willowbrook tea & coffee  

Wedding Reception - Buffet Option 1

-----Canapés-----

Baby tartlets

Roast red pepper, caramelized onion & feta tartlet

Lamb Palmiers

Sweet onion puff pastry Palmier w NZ lamb tenderloin & a mint & walnut pesto

Prawn on a Blini

Citrus steamed prawns w ginger, micro cilantro crème & mini blini

-----Buffet Mains-----

Meats

Roasted Chicken Thighs

Grilled chicken thigh with Thai coconut & coriander curry & topped with golden toasted almonds

Prime Beef sirloin

Prime beef sirloin w a Dijon, thyme crust & red onion jus

South Island Salmon

South Island salmon w a roasted tomato & lime chutney

-----Salads & Vegetables-----

Rosemary & Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Rubbed with sea salt, fresh rosemary and garlic and roasted in virgin olive oil until golden crisp

Greek Salad

Greek styled salad of cucumber, red tomato & capsicum, black olives, feta & basil leaves

Kumara, Avocado & Green bean Salad

Roast Kumara, avocado & green bean salad w honey & mustard dressing

Seasonal Greens

Wok tossed seasonal greens w a hoisin, sesame & ginger sauce

Hand-picked Green Leaf Salad

Baby beet, rocquette & mizuna leaf salad finished with pickled red onion and chardonnay vinaigrette

-----Breads-----

A local selection of freshly baked breads served with flavoured butter

-----Dessert Platters-----

Lemon & lime mini tarts w mascarpone

Orange poppy cakes w chocolate ganache & pistachio crumb

Petit Pavlovas topped w cream & seasonal berry compote

Wedding Reception - Buffet Option 2

-----Canapés-----

Herbed potato cake, cold smoked salmon, dill crème fraiche & Sango sprouts

Fresh cherry tomato, basil pesto, feta cream on a poppy seed tortilla crisp

Korma spiced prawn tails w a refreshing yoghurt dip

Chicken & bacon pate on New York peppered crostini & red currant jelly

-----Palate Cleanser-----

Fresh pineapple, honey dew melon & mint shot

-----Buffet Mains-----

Meats

Oven Roasted Salmon

South Island Salmon, boned & roasted in our kitchen, glazed with bush honey, soy & sweet chilli

Char Roast Eye Fillet

Eye fillet of beef marinated, char-roast cooked to medium rare served beautifully tender with our own tomato chilli jam

Roasted Chicken Thighs

Oven roasted crispy skinned chicken thighs, lightly drizzled with a spiced cream sauce

& topped with golden toasted almonds

-----Salads & Vegetables-----

Potatoes w Garlic Aioli

Gourmet baby potatoes roasted with garlic aioli

Roasted Pumpkin

Roasted pumpkin w crunchy pumpkin seeds, rocket, & creamy feta drizzle

Orzo Pasta

Orzo pasta w semi dried tomato, parsley & almond pesto

Cauliflower Salad

Char grilled cauliflower, toasted cashews, baby spinach & creamy feta mayo

Greek Salad

Moroccan pearl barley w honeyed baby carrots, pine nuts, currents & a Caper Verde dressing

Hand-picked Green Leaf Salad

Baby beet, rocquette & mizuna leaf salad finished with pickled red onion and a chardonnay vinaigrette

-----Breads-----

A local selection of freshly baked breads served with flavoured butter

-----Dessert Platters-----

Petit Pavlova w vanilla cream & raspberry compote

Chocolate brownie bites w white chocolate ganache & walnuts

Lemoncello, lemon curd & gingernut cheesecake

Mmmm, Yum Yum!

Anglophilia...

Anglophile (noun): a person who greatly admires or favours England and things English.

It must be said, I am an unabashed Anglophile, hence this rather random post about the things I love about England and We English...

Firstly: The Royal Family

Finally the long awaited wedding of William and Kate is upon us. Next Friday millions of loyal subjects around the empire, oops commonwealth, will be glued to their sets. A royal wedding- is there anything lovelier than a huge to do. Although The Daily Mail (whom we dislike in the strongest possible terms) and some other tabloids, are bemoaning the fact they they don't want tax payers to contribute to the wedding of the century and to one of the most glorious institutions of Britain, one which does more PR for Britain, does more personal charitable work than most misanthropic tycoons and has more charitable sway than other establishments, and one which visitors all over the globe flock to see. It is a shining light in the period of austerity and economic woe. If you can blow a billion on fireworks over Libya, what's a few million for bunting on the home front?

Then there's Prince Philip, who has a reputation for political incorrectness and social faux pas par excellence...

The Queen still commands the admiration of the British public, despite her family's rather modern exploits.

Above: Annie Leibowitz's portrait of The Queen

We have met Her Majesty several times over the years...

Then there's Charlie boy and his inexplicable second wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall...

Above and Below: Camilla has a penchant for hats made out of birds' nests.

and which double as convenient cake covers to protect One's petit fours from butterflies when out on a picnic...

Charles' other son, HRH Prince Henry of Wales...

Above: Nicky Phillips' oil painting of the two princes.

Then there's Charlie's sister, HRH Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, The Princess Royal...

Below: Princess Anne (background not foreground).

Below: Again The Princess Royal (again, background not foreground).

Yet her daughter is the stunning Zara Philips, Equesterian extraordinare and face of Rolex Oyster Perpetuals...


Second Take - No It's not Professor Higgins and Eliza Doolittle, it's Zara and her uncle Charlie!...

Let's not forget the completely forgettable Earl and Countess of Wessex, Andrew and Sophie, and their children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Princess Louise of Wessex...

and Prince James of Wessex, The Viscount Severn...

However, other members are unforgettable (an unfortunately irrepressible): Fergie, mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and ex-wife of HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of York.

Andrew, The Duke of York...

Not such a grand old Duke of late!

Apart from the Royal family the other things We love about the English are:

Manners - We invented manners during the reign of Queen Victoria. Before that all people were mere savages.

Customs - The inexplicable way We do things, even, no especially when it takes twice as long and complicates matters, and even better when there is livery and regalia involved.

Traditions - Like customs, but with less regalia and more tea.

History - A short or long account of how We were right and the other side was wrong, esp. when it comes to the French, and the Germans, and well, most people really. As Winston Churchill said: "History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it."

Sense of Humour - There is nothing like a British wit. Call it cynical, call it dry, call it cruel. If you don't understand it don't panic, it is just over your head.

Eccentricity - The word we use to describe being weird. Unlike being weird, being eccentric is not a bad thing, in fact, some people strive towards it (c.f. the Royals, the C.of E., the Bloomsbury set, the Oxbridge set, the Badger cette).

The Language... Spoken by the Queen, and until ca. 1960, most of her subjects.

Regional dialects... A way of telling who's related to whom.

A sense of Decorum and Propriety - something in fast decline, along with the language and the manners and the customs etc. etc. etc.

For others out there who may just be a little anglophilic, here are some other blogs to check out...

The Anglophile

Anglotopia

Hail Brittania

Going Underground

The Greenwich Phantom

English Buildings

One London One

Please note: Vast segments of the above prose is written tongue in cheek, and is not intended to offend (either royalists nor republicans). It is meant as a glib trifle, hopefully not triflingly glib.