A winter wedding is special for many reasons. The frost on the grass, the chill in the air, the icy branches of winter trees; there is a fairy-tale element at this time of year that can really set the scene for a magical day.
But aside from the weather, one of the major differences between a winter and a summer wedding is the choice of food. Catering specialists Elior UK work with a number of venues under the Amgueddfa Cymru - ~National Museum Wales umbrellato provide mouth-watering and unique catering for weddings held at the museums. Elior have long been committed to the importance of using both local and seasonalproduce, as such their menu evolves year-round to use the freshest and tastiest ingredients available.
Elior’s Head Chef at St Fagans National History Museum Paul Thatcher shared with us his observations about winter foods at weddings and the types of food that he and his team like to 
serve to really make a memorable impression on the day.
“Soup is a popular choice at winter weddings. A hearty vegetable soup using seasonal root vegetables like potatoes paired with leeks is not only a perfect dish to help warm guests up, the colour can also be eye-catching in appearance. Creating a winter palette that is rich in colour is important because guests want to eat food that looks good as well as tasting amazing.
“We love to transform much-loved traditional dishes into something extraordinary. For example, one of our most popular main courses from the winter wedding menu is roast topside of beef, Yorkshire pudding and seasonal vegetables, with rich gravy. We take this homely winter staple and lavish it with real care. And thanks to the quality of the ingredients, the fine balance of flavours and our eye for detail and presentation, we create a memorable classic that is bursting with flavour.
Paul continues: “We find that more and more couples are heading away from serving up wedding cake for dessert and sweet pies are a popular alternative at winter weddings. Miniature mince pies, apple, and other fruit pies are seen more often now but any type of fruit based dessert with something warm to accompany it is a real winner during the winter months at a wedding.
“Two of my favourite winter dessert dishes are the Rhubarb and Ginger Tart and the Apple and cinnamon crumble, both of which can be served with warm homemade custard. I love both of these dishes because the richness of the fruit, along with the warm custard, compliment each other perfectly to create a comforting end to a delicious meal.”
“Winter in Wales can be notoriously cold so we like to create dishes that are warm and homely whilst still maintaining an edge of sophistication. Both of these desserts are classic examples of that.”
“As part of our Winter Wedding package, we also offer an Afternoon Tea option for couples. Recently we have seen a return to yester-year with all things vintage becoming the height of popularity with our couples. A wave of nostalgia seems to have swept over weddings with a desire for weddings to feel genuine and homemade and we have noticed a rise in requests, particularly at St Fagans National History Museum, where the afternoon tea is served on vintage china, reflecting the historical feel of the venue.
We offer couples and their guests a range of finger sandwiches, small cakes and warm homemade tarts, washed down with tea, coffee or homemade spiced mulled wine or cider. Our sandwiches include the classics such as smoked salmon, roasted ham and mustard, but to put that wintery twist on the tea, we also offer fillings such as Pigs in blankets with sage and onion, and turkey and cranberry offering a little bit of Christmas in every bite.
Putting a Welsh twist on the homemade savoury tarts, guests can choose from Perl Las cheese and leek, Roasted pepper or Welsh rarebit (a slant on the classic cheese on toast)
Cranberry and orange scones with clotted cream and preserves, chocolate, mascarpone and black cherry roulade and mini mince pies are just a selection of the wintery cake selection to finish off the tea in the most delicious fashion.
“So as the weather takes a turn for the worst, our menus embrace the change of seasons and aim to always offer our guests the finest ingredients and food the really does melt the hearts of guests.”
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales offers three unique wedding venues; National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans National History Museum and the National Waterfront Museum, all located across South Wales.
For more information about Elior’s delicious dishes, or the unique museums as wedding venues, click on the websites:
https://museum.wales/cardiff/hire/wedding/
https://museum.wales/swansea/hire/wedding/
https://museum.wales/stfagans/hire/wedding/
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