Recommendations for a caterer (SW London) for my DH's 50th, please!

[BecauseImWorthIt]

I'm having a marquee put up in the garden and we will be having 2 separate parties.

First party will be 16 of us, immediate family. I had thought about going out to dinner, but it occured to me that as the marquee will have been installed that it could be fun/cheaper to have a private dinner party.

Second party will be a party - upwards of 50 guests (I hope, although as it's Easter weekend it may be a bit tricky), so I want someone to do a buffet of some kind.

Loads of people when I Googled, but some look too corporate and others look ferociously expensive!

Anyone got any good companies/contacts that they could recommend for either or both parties?

Anyone?

Please?

So we'll all be there. Family from all over the country. Friends we haven't seen for a long time.

And we'll have to starve because nobody cares.

Marks and Spencers - they do an amazing range of stuff

link here

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Thanks guys - two replies within minutes! Was worth a mini flounce!

RS - M&S could be an option, but with the numbers likely to be coming, I'd rather have a caterer turn up, deliver/serve stuff and then clear the mess away.

lenny - sorry to be thick, but how do I find this noticeboard? Not a part of MN is it?

ah yes - clearing up

I have only ever used Kosher caterers in London but they are much more expensive

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hello biwi

resurrecting this thread as i am looking for someone to cater a 40th...

may i ask who you used/what you did in the end?

ottolenghi are good

here
Have had several times at mates' parties, always excellent

thank you

any more?

I haven't used Chez Moi Chez Vous for catering, but Natacha has a stall at our local farmers' market and she is lovely and her food good, so I probably would if I had an event that needed catering.

thank you. that looks wonderful

more suggestions welcome

Newtons? the restaurant on abbeville road does catering........

Oh hello!

In the end I had a bit of a brainwave, and used Mirch Massala, a Tooting/South Croydon/Norbury Indian restaurant. They provided all the buffet equipment (the stainless steel serving dishes with the burners underneath to keep things hot). The meal was:

Starters
Chicken tikka
Paneer tikka
Salad

Mains
Chicken korma (medium heat)
Lamb curry (medium to hot)
Chickpea curry
Spinach curry
Rice
Naan bread
Chilli sauce
Yoghurt/mint sauce

It was absolutely gorgeous, and there was loads of food (I've still got curry in the freezer!) and the best bit was they they only charged £10.50 a head!!!

I catered for the family myself in the end, so can't help on the private dinner party front (unless you want to hire me, of course!)

And I can really, really recommend Rayners to supply you with cutlery/crockery/glasses. I think it cost me £160 to hire enough stuff for 50 people. The best bit though is that you send the stuff back dirty. Just pack it back in the crates that they supply and they deal with all the washing up. (As it was curry, we did swill the plates, but still much easier than having to wash it all).

Rayners

come on you SW London MNetters!

thank you page 62 and biwi!