Published On: 30 September 2021Categories: Blog5.5 min read

Autumn is an incredible time of year for seasonal food. We still have the tail end of the vibrant summer produce alongside the young winter produce that is starting to come into season too.

Eating what’s in season, when it’s in season is not only cheaper but is also far tastier than other alternatives. Extra flavours, extra crunch and extra juiciness are just a few of the benefits of sticking with nature’s bounty. Plus, you’ll get the bonus of nutrients tailor-made for the time of year. 

Warm, comforting dishes full of game, root vegetables, fresh fish and tangy apples are just a few of the treats in store to tantalise your tastebuds. Full of flavour, using bountiful autumnal seasonal foods as part of your event can reflect the time of year – marking it in your guest’s minds for a long time to come. It’s easy for events to blend into one, so work with a catering company that understands how to engage your guests with delicious dishes that you won’t find anywhere else. 

What produce is available? 

We create dishes using local, fresh ingredients to ensure flavour rich profiles whilst also limiting our ecological footprint. But what autumnal seasonal foods do our chefs recommend? There is a wide range of different produce available in this harvest season – why not consider building your menu around these fantastic ingredients? 

Vegetables

Harvest is in full swing and there’s a wonderful selection of vegetables that pair excellently with warming spices and seasonings such as ginger, peppercorns and mustard seeds. From young parsnips and pumpkins to heritage carrots, celeriac and tender kale leaves. Not only do these vegetables provide rich flavour, but with their fiery, dark colours they are also visually appealing. 

Fruit

Cranberries, clementines, blackberries, figs, pears and apples. We’ve all been blackberry or apple picking at some point in our lives, foraging for the ingredients of a homemade crumble. This delicious selection of British fruit is ideal for creating warming desserts, the perfect way to end any event. 

Whilst simple, sauteeing these fruits until tender and pairing them with sugar, lemon and calvados is a recipe for success. 

Seafood

Cob, brill, bream, flounder, razor clams, mussels, oysters, pollock, John Dory, whiting just to name a few! The colder water brings with it a sustainable selection of fish such as cod and brill to the British coasts. And, whilst once regarded as the poor relation to shellfish because of their small size and relative abundance, mussels are a popular choice when creating a catering menu utilising autumnal seasonal foods – and they look fantastic on a plate too!

Meat

Autumn is game season! The ‘open season’ largely falls in this period and therefore, game meat is more readily available. So, you’ll see dishes using braising meats, pheasant, guineafowl, venison, mutton, cured hams and ham hocks. One of our chef’s favourite ways to cook these amazing wild birds is to confit the legs and serve the breast pink. 

Any event can benefit from using these seasonal foods – whether it be a company conference or wedding, to showcase the best of Britain with these autumnal ingredients. Our experienced chefs can innovatively utilise this produce to surprise your guests and move away from the everyday, expected dishes these ingredients are commonly used in.

Speak to our team today and let’s create a personalised, seasonal menu for your event. 

Autumnal seasonal foods and cooking methods

There are a variety of cooking methods that are particularly popular when cooking with these autumnal ingredients. Our experienced chefs can ensure the rich flavours profile sings through by ensuring the correct method is selected. A few commonly used are: 

  • Grilling: Grilling isn’t just for your BBQ! Dry heat is applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. A significant amount of direct, radiant heat will grill the food and this method tends to be used for cooking meat and vegetables quickly.
  • Braising: Braising is a combination cooking method that starts with pan-searing followed by slow cooking in a liquid – usually in a Dutch oven or a slow cooker – until ingredients become tender. A successful braise transforms both the ingredient being cooked and the cooking liquid itself into something harmonious.
  • Slow cooking: Cooking low and slow is a brilliant way of infusing rich flavours into hearty, warming meals. A slow cooker will simmer at a lower temperature than other cooking methods, such as baking, boiling, and frying.

Don’t forget about the drinks!

It doesn’t need to stop at the food catering, you can also bring autumnal seasonal foods into your drinks too. A blackberry mojito or pumpkin spiced old-fashioned are just a few of the options available to you. Cocktails are a fantastic way to get creative in the kitchen and can really add to the celebration. Why not provide the recipe as part of your wedding favour so guests can recreate the cocktail at home? It’ll take them right back to the memory of your wedding!

Theming your event around autumn

Many organisers are tentative to theme their event around a season but this can be a fantastic opportunity to elevate your overall celebration. With such a fantastic range of ingredients available, this should be showcased! And, whilst often considered cliche, you can add a sophisticated touch whilst still building up the theme around Autumn. 

Using your catering as the basis, look at decorations, drinks or event attire and identify how you could incorporate the season into these elements. Perhaps it’s the fiery colours of the fall leaves that carry your event’s colour palette or you use centrepieces of small gourds – whatever it is, we can help bring your vision to life with the ‘wow’ factor.  

Vanilla Bean

Food is at the heart of our business. We embrace each season, supporting local artisan produce to enhance our creative journey in delivering an outstanding dining event experience. We pay attention to the detail in everything that we do; from the initial concept through to the final presentation. 

Our dedicated Vanilla Bean team have been in the industry for over 30 years, so we’ve certainly seen our fair share of event trends! We can seamlessly incorporate these autumnal seasonal foods into your event, wowing your guests with our innovative dishes! To find out more about us and what we do, please visit our website by clicking here, or get in touch to discuss your upcoming event.