The Tasting Experience
18 / 06 / 14
Kalm Kitchen at Millbridge Court: The Tasting Experience
When our fabulous in-house caterers Kalm Kitchen, offered to give me the Wedding Breakfast tasting experience that we will provide for all of our Bride’s and Groom’s, I was so excited! Having seen so much imagery of their innovative & vibrant dishes that are presented to wedding guests in such inspiring ways, I was dying to see if they tasted as good as they looked.
It’s safe to say that being gluten intolerant, I am aware I can be a tricky customer and as a result have become accustomed to eating very plain food when dining out, this however was not an issue at Kalm Kitchen HQ.
From the moment the canapés were put down in front of me, I knew I was in for a fantastic experience, one that would completely change my view on what can be achieved in mass catered events. They looked (almost) too good to eat & tasted simply delicious. There was a great mix of more robust options like the rare roasted beef skewer served with horseradish and lighter, more cleansing canapés like the Tomato essence with parmesan and basil dust, perfect on a hot summers day. The most exciting canapé for me however was the pork belly on garlic dauphinoise with applesauce & crackling. It looked so neat and yet had so many components, with the miniature crackling on top really being the icing on the cake, so to speak. And what was so remarkable for me, personally, was that I wasn’t left feeling like I wished I could have eaten the tempura, toast, basket based canapés that my fellow colleagues were eating, certainly a first.
With the stunning look and taste of the canapés, I was not surprised to see the meticulous fashion in which my chicken dish had been plated up. The browned, crispy chicken skin & moist chicken breast, upon the creamy mashed potato & vibrant garlic and parsley sauce with a sprinkling of edible flowers; visually it was such a delight, and to eat, even more so. A far cry from the plain chicken dish some people have come to expect for big events and Weddings.
With the knowledge that Bride’s and Groom’s get to taste two main meals, it required a lot of will power to leave half my chicken dish (in all honesty it was probably only a third once I’d put my knife and fork down) but this feeling was short lived once the rack of lamb was placed in front of me. Such a perfect dish for spring and summer weddings and thankfully with it being left slightly pink in the middle, for my taste buds, it couldn’t have been more perfect. With the classic combination of the mint sauce, and spring vegetables underneath the cutlets I could have eaten it twice over.
When I thought I’d got to grips with what to expect, Kalm Kitchen really did save the best ‘til last with the presentation of a sharing Mille-Feuille for dessert. Arriving on a wooden board, with alternate layers of pastry and zesty, thick cream, drenched in berries and, of course, flowers; it really did look too good to eat. Well… for me it was, being filled with lovely gluten but a taste of the lemon cream and blueberry’s were enough to get a gist of just how gorgeous it was. Looking (and taking lots of pictures) was enough, especially when I had my very own deliciously refreshing elderflower jelly to eat. Amidst all of this gorgeous weather we’ve been having it really was the perfect summer meal.
Beyond the food & spectacular visual display that I experienced throughout my tasting, being able to sit in a private dining room with a view of the them hard at work in the kitchen was such a special, unexpected extra & really made me feel involved. As per all tastings that Kalm Kitchen do, to have the chef come through with each meal to explain the dish in detail & ask for feedback must make Bride’s & Groom’s feel really cared for; such a crucial component throughout the Wedding experience, one which Jen, James and there fantastic team evidently take very seriously.
I have to admit, my expectations were high before the tasting even began having spent time with Jen & James beforehand and heard about there fabulous work ethic but I wasn’t prepared for those expectations to be superseded. What they offer is truly like nothing else I have seen or even hard of in my career & I just cannot wait for Millbridge Court to be up & running so that I can work alongside the team in our brand new kitchen on a daily basis.
The Kalm Kitchen experience really is one of a kind!