Menu Dorset issue 19 *MENU18..dorset pdf issue 19 | Page 28

BROWN GOOSE
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As weddings go less formal, versatile, talented caterers like Rob Scott can
create food that always fits the occasion, from Afternoon Tea to a barbecue
ell-travelled chef Rob Scott and his wife
Polly launched Brown Goose in Dorchester
in 2016 as a private dining service.
Increasingly, that means sitting down with couples
to plan a bespoke Dorset wedding, ranging from
three-course sit-down meals to Afternoon Tea or BBQ.
The important thing for Rob is that there should be
no price hike involved just because it’s a wedding,
so a three-course meal comes in at around £30 a
head and an Afternoon Tea at around £15. That
hasn’t stopped the occasional request for “something
around £5 a head”, which can only be described as
a budget of Biblical proportions, even without wine.
The trend, according to Rob, is to go away from
three-course dinners. “They’re more labour and staff
intensive, so more expensive. You get more from a
buffet or a BBQ.”
Having worked in hotels and restaurants around
the world, including a stint in his own food truck in
Charlotte, North Carolina, Rob is no stranger to the
kitchen, but catering for 80-100 all by himself is a
new, daunting challenge.
“This last weekend, I did an Afternoon Tea and
a buffet. That was three days of prep and I had an
unfortunate scone cooking incident which meant
I had to be cooking scones again on the Friday
night.” Afternoon teas, with scones, cream and jam
piled high on a picnic table, with the cake stand
showcasing the wedding cake offer that ‘wow’ factor,
according to Rob. Some people are even using it
as their main meal. “I’m not sure if that’s the best
thing,” he admits. “There’s a lot of drink involved at a
wedding and an afternoon tea is the best answer.”
Only about 10 percent of his clients request the
three-course meal option at the moment. “People are
moving to more flexible menus.” Either way, the trick
is to be realistic. “I had an enquiry for a Christmas
wedding where the customer had been looking at my
private dinner menus and liked the idea of the crab
ravioli and the pigeon. They’re great dishes when there
are 15 to 20 people, but not so much for 120. I push
people towards things that can be served quickly.
Guests are hungry and they’re drinking. They don’t
want a fancy meal that takes two hours to serve.”
“Hog roasts are a big thing now too,” adds Rob.
“There’s a real trend away from formal dining. There’s
no fixed idea of what a menu is anymore. A lot of
that is because people don’t have to get married in
certain places. Now you can get married in hotels, in
fields, on the side of a beach. It ties people down less
to where they can hire for the wedding.”
Brown Goose Catering
Dorchester
07470 096652
www.brown-goose.co.uk
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