Our 4-step guide to choosing the right beverage for your event

A good meal is incomplete without a good drink to go with it. Wine, beer, non-alcoholic… choosing an appropriate drink menu enhances any and all types of events!

But of course, you’re not here to listen to us wax poetic about why choosing the right drink is important, or why you should only ever combine an aged merlot with your T-bone steak.

You already know this… but what you mightn’t know is how to choose the perfect beverage to accompany your catering. Thankfully, we’re the experts at matching food to drinks!

1) Make sure your beverages complement the food

There are certainly some combos that work better together.

There are two ways of going about choosing one.

The first (and more common) school of thought is that you should choose beverages that complement your menu. For example, if the main item on your menu is marinated in sweet sauce, why not go with an equally sweet wine like Port?

This is known as “mirroring” in foodie vernacular.

The opposite approach is equally valid. Selecting a drink that tastes nothing like your meal can lead to some interesting tastes. For example, combining spicy food with a fruity low-alcohol wine can help tame the hotness.

Need advice on what flavours work best together? Our team is more than willing to help!

 

2) Ensure your beverages are event-appropriate

Matching food and drink is one matter. Another is matching your beverages with your venue.

Logistics also come into play when choosing a beverage. For example, if you’re planning an outdoor event, you’ll need to have somewhere cool to store it. Nobody likes a warm soft drink or beer!

Our advice? Look at:

• Total number of guests
• Total number of beverages
• Time of the event
• Ambience of the set-up
• On-site storage and refrigeration

It’s also a good idea to make sure your beverage choices reflect the type of event you’re hosting.

Here’s an example…

We make no secret of our love for buffet. If you ask us, food is meant to be a social experience - and what’s a more social way to enjoy a meal than a buffet?

If your food is arranged in a buffet setup, why not go all the way and make the drinks social as well by pairing it with a punch? Alternatively, you could even get some drinks on tap.

It even carries through to the most basic of beverages - water!

If you’re hosting a fancy event, make it a point to class up water with lemon, mint and cucumber.

 

Keep your audience in mind, too

You should also keep your audience in mind. If you also know that most of your guests are health buffs or the event your hosting is the launch of a new range of active wear, you’ll need to plan a healthy menu.

And that means serving healthy beverages to accompany it, like freshly squeezed juices instead of soft drink or alcohol.

 

3) How will your beverages be served?

The drinks themselves aren’t the only consideration you’ll need to make. It’s also important to think about how they’re being served too!

Setting a good impression often means looking at every single detail. And that includes seemingly small (but, in fact, important!) things like what type of glassware you’ll use.

An elegant event or product launch calls for elegant glassware. You wouldn’t want to serve drinks in a plastic or paper cup for this type of event, unless it’s outdoors, for example. And even then, there are plastic cups modelled to resemble champagne flutes.

Unhappy with plastic cups? Talk to our Melbourne caterer about tableware and glassware hire.

 

4) Don’t forget your priorities - it should be food first!

While you want your guests to have a good time and feel comfortable throughout your event, keep in mind that the food always comes first.

While important, beverages are just a sideshow in the end - they complement your food, but certainly cannot replace it.

If your food and beverage options clash, we recommend changing up the drinks first.

Having a hard time picking out suitable beverages?

Talk to a Melbourne caterer for advice!

At Your Private Chef, we don’t just do food. We’re more than willing to help you choose the perfect beverages to go with your event catering!

Our drinks menu offers you a diverse mix of drink choices for all of your corporate or private catering needs.

Looking for something low-key out of your catering? Planning an early morning function? Wake your guests up with our hot drink menu:

• Tea and coffee stations
• Nespresso machine hire
• Hot apple cider

Formal events naturally call for beverages to match - talk to Your Private Chef about our huge range of alcoholic beverages, including:

• Locally-grown wines
• Champagne
• Boutique and classic beers
• Cocktail service

And for a little extra dash of glamour, why not get a fully-staffed bar? Talk to our team about adding one of our licensed bar staff to your function.

For orders and enquiries, contact Your Private Chef on (03) 9018 9321 or fill in our enquiry form and tell us a little more about your event!

Make weekly food delivery part of your busy lifestyle: 5 tips for a better diet

A busy lifestyle shouldn’t mean compromising on healthy living!

Along with keeping fit and working out regularly (or so you try!) eating well must remain at the top of your priority list. It’s a simply incredible habit to start making, and has great - and immediate - benefits for your health.

Unhealthy eating habits put you at risk of certain health problems like obesity, diabetes and heart diseases. Making smart (and healthy) food choices can protect you from these common conditions, helping you life a happy and more energetic life!

We understand that not all of us have time to maintain a healthy diet. Between work, kids and any other obligations you have, it’s not unusual for an unhealthy meal or two to slip through the cracks.

Short on time? Luckily, these simple hacks can help you maintain a healthier diet, even if you don’t have the time to prepare nutritious meals every day!

Start your day with a good breakfast

Do you find yourself rushing out the door each morning? Does this often lead to you skipping the most important meal of the day?

Eating breakfast doesn’t only prepare you for the day. It can also impacts your wellbeing in other ways:

• Skipping breakfast makes you less active during the day

• A complete, healthy breakfast improves memory and concentration

Stay hydrated throughout the day

A great piece of healthy advice is to keep a topped-up water bottle by your side throughout the day.

You can even mix things up by filling your cup with water topped with mint leaves, lemon or cucumber. Not only does this keep you hydrated but detoxified too!

Staying hydrated boosts your body’s energy levels and keeps your brain running at optimum performance. It also has long-term benefits by preventing stones

and mineral clumps in your kidneys.

Make water your default beverage choice and begin reaping the immediate benefits of a clearer mind.

Make the microwave your best friend

Pre-prepared food has come a long way in the last couple of years.

Using modern blast freezing techniques, gourmet weekly food delivery services like Your Private Chef can offer easy-to-prepare food that isn’t just healthy, but delicious too.

Best of all, it can be prepared in just minutes using your trusty home or workplace microwave.

Maintaining a healthy diet at work has never been easier… or as tasty!

Cut down on coffee

What we’re suggesting may as well be tantamount to treason, but hear us out: maybe you should cut down on your daily coffee intake.

Coffee lovers may protest that morning (and lunchtime, and afternoon) pick-me-up is what keeps them up all day.

While your coffee habit certainly does that, caffeine consumption can also potentially cause palpitations and even headaches and insomnia.

We’re not saying to cut the morning latte out of your day entirely. But it is a good idea to reduce your caffeine intake to 2-3 cups a day and look for alternative, healthier sources of energy - replace a cup of coffee with a glass of water, and fuel yourself through that 3-o'clock-slump with an apple or other piece of fruit.

Make meal prep a breeze with weekly meal delivery

Struggle to think about what to cook every night? Most of us can relate!

Why not take away the burden of preparing fresh and healthy meals every night of the week with the support of weekly meal delivery from Your Private Chef?

Hectic schedules call for easy-to-prepare meals that are nutritious and healthy.  If you can’t keep up with the demands of planning healthy meals each day, it’s time to investigate a healthy food delivery service.

Weekly food delivery combines a consistent, healthy diet with convenience. Our weekly food menu is convenient and easy to prepare. Best of all, it can be delivered whenever you want - week on, week off - it’s up to you to create your own schedule.

Our menu includes:

• A variety of meat, poultry, and seafood
• Soups, curries, and casseroles
• Pasta and rice dishes from around the world
• Vegetarian and gluten-free options

We even offer meal packs designed specifically for the unique dietary requirements of new mothers!

Check our shopping cart and discover our range of healthy choices that vegetarians and meat lovers alike will enjoy.

Get in touch with Your Private Chef for healthy, convenient and delicious gourmet food delivery

Can’t find time to prepare healthy meals during the week?

Good news: Your Private Chef offers healthy gourmet meals, delivered right to your doorstep!

Our weekly meal delivery is designed for those who are health-conscious and time-poor.

Every Tuesday, our drivers are hard at work delivering mouthwatering healthy meals to customers all over Melbourne.

And you can be one of them! Contact Your Private Chef now on (03) 9018 9321 or browse our menu to check out your healthy food delivery options.

Corporate catering: why companies are starting to offer lunch (and why you should too!)

They say that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. However, many companies are breaking with this wisdom and offering their employees corporate catering on a regular basis.

Why is this trend starting to take off among businesses in Melbourne? What do they gain from it?

And most importantly, should you join them?

Corporate catering: why are corporate lunch packages taking off?

Company-funded lunch builds stronger teams

Sites like Glassdoor have given job seekers of all ages the power to learn more about the places they’re applying to.

You don’t have to be a HR head to know that this is making applicants more choosy!

The key takeaway? Building a reputation as a good, positive workplace is just as important as salary when it comes to creating a company that attracts and retains employees for a long time.

And this is one of the big reasons why corporate lunch catering in Melbourne is taking off.

There’s a lot of complex psychology at play which we won’t get into, but simply put, employees like feeling valued. That leads to:

• Happier, more satisfied employees
• Employees who want to stay with your company for the long-term
• Better applicants for recruitment campaigns

All of this builds workplaces that employees want to stay at and leads to stronger teams.

And shouting their lunch every once in a while, is a great way to show them your appreciation!

Corporate lunch boxes are great for your team!

If you ask us, nothing brings people together like food. Whether it’s at a wedding, a birthday, or simply Wednesday in the office, food is the perfect excuse to socialise and bond.

The same goes at work as well.

Corporate lunch packages can build a tighter, more coherent team. Google places free food between work teams and departments to encourage intermingling and collaboration. This allows ideas to travel freely between departments.

Not to mention, free lunch promotes healthy eating habits. Not every office building is lucky enough to be walking distance from healthy meal options. And you don’t want your staff chowing down on greasy fast food every other day!

Some pointers for corporate lunch catering

Pick a schedule and stick to it

Of course, it doesn’t have to be every day! Whether it’s Free-Lunch-Fridays or a special treat on the 1st Monday of each month, it’s up to you how often you’d like to treat your team.

Explore meal delivery options

While you might opt for a buffet or food station for special celebrations throughout the year, remember that not every corporate meal needs to be a well-planned endeavour.

Consider individually portioned meals for regular lunches throughout the year. Whether it’s hearty soup through winter or fresh baguettes as the weather warms up, you’re sure to find the right menu for your team.

The best piece of advice: choose a corporate caterer

If you need corporate lunch catering, it pays to go with a professional!

Not every company is like Google with its own canteen. Most businesses will have to look outside for lunch arrangements.

Our advice? When it comes to corporate lunch catering in Melbourne, call a professional!

Not only can a corporate caterer offer delivery, but they’ll also be able to provide a much broader range of options for your staff.

For example, at Your Private Chef, our corporate lunch packages include a broad mix of:

• Meats, poultry and seafood
• Curries, casseroles and stews
• Pasta and rice dishes
• Wraps, bagels, and sandwiches

Best of all, this is all delivered weekly and can be easily prepared in your office break room.

Your Private Chef offers catering services for business big and small. And it’s not just lunches - we provide for all sorts of corporate events too.

Whether you need a corporate caterer for weekly lunch packages in Melbourne or big events, we’ve got a menu to fit. Give us a call today on (03) 9018 9321, or contact us online to discuss your business’ requirements!

Celebrate Christmas in July with Your Private Chef

It’s hard to believe it’s July already - it seems like only yesterday we were talking about Christmas, summer holidays, and our resolutions. Before you know it, we’ll probably be talking about Christmas again.

And if you’re celebrating Christmas in July, chances are you’ll be celebrating “Christmas” very soon indeed!

Enjoy a traditional feast with Christmas in July food

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Christmas?

If you’re anything like us, your answer was probably presents, trees, and food.

Food is a huge part of what makes Christmas special. Now, just because we don’t experience a traditional white Christmas like our friends in the northern hemisphere, doesn’t mean we won’t find an excuse not to!

BBQ, buffet, and spit roast

What would a Christmas meal be without delicious, tender meat?

Traditionalists can enjoy a range of traditional packages from our Christmas carvery menu.

You can also explore our BBQ, buffet, and spit roast menus, including:

• Uniquely Australian sausage packages
• The “Let’s Catch Up” pack, including chicken skewers, salads, and scotch fillets
• Succulent spit roast packages, delivered hot and ready to serve!
• Hot and cold buffet packages, perfect for roving guests

Seafood

Seafood is distinctly “summer-y”, but that’s no reason not to enjoy it during Christmas in July!

Seafood lovers can choose from a range of delectable dishes, including the following platters:

• Poached lobster tail
• Prawns
• Oysters and prawns
• Smoked salmon

Enjoy a vegetarian Christmas feast

At Your Private Chef, we believe everybody is entitled to a great meal, especially when it’s an occasion as big as Christmas (in July).

Our Christmas menu also features vegetarian options made from tofu turkey loaves, guaranteed to impress your vegetarian guests. Our organic meat-free loaves are stuffed with a homemade herb filling and is covered in a crunchy marinated tofu exterior.

Don’t forget your Christmas sides!

There’s nothing more rewarding than making the entire Christmas meal by yourself, from scratch. Trust us, we know.

The only is that this is a serious amount of work.

We understand not everybody has the patience for that… especially since Christmas in July doesn’t come with a 2-week holiday!

Luckily, we can help you out on that front.

If you don’t have the time to do all the food preparation on your own, talk to Your Private Chef about our range of sides.

We can offer hearty classics like:

• Vegetable platters
• Roasted potato platters
• Pastas (ravioli, penne & gnocchi)
• Dinner rolls and breads
  
  

Beautifully prepared Christmas in July party food

Are you planning a big event for your Christmas in July?

Whether it’s a big corporate do or you’re hosting an intimate dinner with friends at home, you and your guests will be enamoured with our beautiful Christmas in July party food menus.

From platters and cocktails to food stations and 3-course fine dining, we’ve got every event, guest list, and palette sorted!

Getting ready for Christmas in July doesn’t have to be stressful, however, unlike Christmas proper, you don’t have two weeks off to prepare!

With Your Private Chef on your side however, having the full Christmas experience - even in the middle of July! - becomes much more feasible.

Explore a variety of menus and order online here; alternatively, tell us a little about your event and we will be in touch!

Enjoy a French feast with Bastille Day catering, courtesy of Your Private Chef!

Bastille Day is one of the most important dates in the French calendar, and is usually accompanied by parades, parties and of course, food.

There are even celebrations going on right here in Melbourne!

While local festivities mightn’t hold a candle compared to the show they up in France, you don’t have to be French to join in on the festivities. If you’re planning a celebration or just want an excuse to liven up the middle of the year, Your Private Chef has you covered.

What is Bastille Day?

Bastille Day (referred to in France as le 14 Juillet or la Fête nationale) commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison, which is widely considered the first act of the French Revolution.

What followed was the overthrow of the monarchy, beheadings, the reign of terror, several decades of political instability, Napoleon…

Okay, so the revolution might have ended on a bit of a low note. But that doesn’t mean your 14th of July celebrations has to!

Bastille Day is the perfect excuse to indulge yourself in some uniquely Gallic gastronomy. Even if you don’t speak a word of the language, it’s the perfect excuse for a bit of a French foodie celebration!

Choose canape dining for your Bastille Day catering

Your Private Chef’s cocktail menu features a huge range of mouthwatering, bite-sized eats. We’ve put together a range of canape packages hot and cold.

Start your Bastille Day celebration with some simple, cold canapes

If you’re planning a low-key or even last-minute celebration, these no-prep canapes are perfect.

Pick and choose from our selection of cold packages, and enjoy some of the following delights:

• Goats cheese mousse, beetroot relish and walnut tarts
• Rare beef tartare salsa verde
• Crab in lime, chilli and herb kewpie mayo
• Coronation chicken on a petit bagel
• Citrus salmon avocado ceviche on a corn tortilla, topped with caviar

Warm yourself up with our hot canape selection

The French are fortunate enough to celebrate the 14th of July right in the middle of summer.

We Aussies on the other hand are less fortunate.

Your Private Chef also offers hot canape packages to warm your stomach this July, with options including:

• Rolled Italian meatballs in Napoli sauce
• Baby spinach, cheddar and caramelised onion tartlets
• Orange, thyme and feta arancini balls
• Mini brioche sliders, served with falafel, spinach, hummus or beef brisket
• Gourmet pies, including beef burgundy, Moroccan lamb and vegetable korma

Explore our cold and hot canape packages here.

What’s a French feast without cheese and wine?

Bastille Day is about celebrating all things French. And what’s more French than cheese and wine?

In addition to your standard deserts, we also offer range of cheese platters for those with more savoury tastes. Our platters feature a mix of cheeses, including:

• Locally-produced brie and blue cheese from Victoria’s Gippsland region
• Vintage cheddar
• Soft, gooey camembert, served warm    

All of this served alongside nature’s candy: each of our cheese platters comes with fresh and preserved seasonal fruits for a bit of a sweet kick.

We can even add wine to the package. Ask our team about adding a couple bottles of champagne to your Bastille Day catering package!

Let them eat cake!

And of course, it wouldn’t be much of a celebration without some sweet temptations.

For many of your guests, dessert is the highlight of your Bastille Day catering. We’d hate to disappoint them!

Your Private Chef has a tantalising dessert menu, with plenty of French-themed desserts perfect for your Bastille Day fling:

• Fresh strawberries, dipped in dark chocolate with your choice of coconut or pistachio crumbing
• Eclairs in flavours ranging from pistachio, to raspberry, to apple, to chocolate
• Coffee-soaked opera cakes, layered with butter creme and chocolate ganache

• Bright macarons, available in white chocolate, nougat and licorice among other flavours

  

Choose Your Private Chef for Bastille Day catering

Planning a celebration of your own for Bastille Day? You’d best dust off your berets, dig up your nearest Breton top, and brush up on your wine knowledge!

Make this 14th of July something special. Get in touch with Your Private Chef on (03) 9018 9321 or tell us a little about your event - we’d love to help bring it to life!

Professional wedding catering: ditch the DIY and leave it to the pros!

Picture it:

You’ve spent months planning the perfect wedding.

You’ve got the dress, suits, venue, photographer, music, and guest list sorted. It’s looking like everything is going to go perfectly.

And of course, you can’t forget the food. While you decided against professional wedding catering, you’re certain your DIY menu will do the job.

But there’s a problem: your DIY wedding catering isn’t delivering what you’re expecting.

Perhaps the friend in charge has dropped out at the last minute. Maybe there’s not enough to go around. It could even be that the food is simply not up to scratch!

Whatever the cause, the end result is the same: your vision of DIY wedding catering doesn’t look like it’s going to work out. You feel a heavy sense of disappointment.

Before this vision turns into reality, return to that moment you decided you’d handle catering, and take the other path!

Call Your Private Chef now for undeniably outstanding wedding catering - no matter your venue, budget, or requirements. Call us now! (03) 9018 9321

Our private chefs creating culinary delights!

Avoid food nightmares with professional wedding catering!

Done properly, DIY wedding catering adds to the magic of your big day. We understand that there’s something extra special about having all the food be prepared by you, your friends and your family.

That’s the catch though: they need to be done properly. And not all of us are close friends with chefs and caterers!

Trying to decide between DIY catering and professional wedding catering? Here are just some of the reasons you should go with the pros!

Reason #1: Good wedding catering requires preparation and planning

One of the services we offer is emergency wedding catering. Between you and I, we’ve unfortunately seen some of the worst-case scenarios pan out when it comes to wedding catering disasters.

And in many cases, problems are the result of poor planning.

Professional wedding caterers have plenty of experience preparing for weddings - functions like yours are our bread and butter, after all.

While your friends and family might be good cooks, do they have the organisation skills needed to prepare and serve food for such a vast number of guests?

Take it from us: wedding catering is a completely different world from cooking dinner! Wedding caterers need to worry about:

• Volume - do you have enough food for all of your guests?
•  Quality - are they good enough to prepare a large quantity of food without sacrificing quality?
• Resources - the typical home kitchen simply isn’t big enough to handle wedding catering volume
• Timing - ever marvelled at how all those dozens of meals are served within seconds of each other? It’s all in the planning!

Professional caterers can guarantee each of those things. On the other hand, your friends and family cannot.

It’s better to be safe than sorry. Put your wedding menu in the hands of a professional caterer to avoid a poorly planned out wedding menu.

Reason #2: Professional wedding catering elevates your reception to the next level

In our eyes, customer service goes beyond how responsive your caterer is and their phone manner. It extends to everything your wedding caterer does for you, including additional extras and options.

Here’s an example: what do you do if some of your guests have strict dietary requirements? For most of us, that means adding menu items that accommodate for their requirements.

It’s hard to work around an allergy or other requirement when you have no experience yourself. Cross-contamination and ingredient selection aren’t something most of us have to deal with normally - and is it something you’re willing to risk?

When you choose professional wedding catering however, you can be confident that your caterer will bend over backwards to accommodate all of your guests and their specific requirements.

Additionally, many wedding caterers also offer additional services. At Your Private Chef, we offer new couples a range of extras, including:

• Item hire
• Fully staffed events
• Event styling

We understand that customer service goes beyond the initial phone call. We know how important your big day is and go beyond, just for you.

That’s what you get when you choose a professional wedding catering service!

Reason #3: Sending guests home with rumbling stomachs: not enough food

Running out of food during your wedding is one of the worst things that can happen at your wedding, leaving a real sour taste in guests’ mouths.

It’s disheartening to find out that some of your guests had to stop off at a fast-food restaurant on the way home to relieve their hunger due to under-catering from your amateur cooks.

Professional caterers have years of experience preparing the right quantity of food to satisfy large numbers of guests - in fact, at Your Private Chef, we’ve even catered for 1000 people at the 2017 Croatian President VIP dinner! You don’t get that sort of experience from your friends.

Don’t DIY - choose professional wedding catering

We get it, we really do - doing something yourself (or with friends and family) feels great. It makes you feel accomplished and brings you closer together during the process!

That’s no big deal when it’s something simple like putting together an Ikea bookshelf.

When it comes to your wedding however, it’s not a risk you’ll want to take: it also comes with the risk of making mistakes, under-catering, and feeling immense pressure to get it right.

No matter your wedding style or dining budget, we’ll work with you to create the perfect menu that reflects your preferences. Our various menus can all be accommodated for weddings, and some of our most popular include:

• 3-course dinners
• Buffets
• Family-style shared dining
• Band-on-trend food stations
• Cocktails and canapes
• Gourmet BBQ

Contact Your Private Chef today on (03) 9018 9321  for a gastronomic experience your guests will remember… for all the right reasons!

Alternatively, tell us a little about your wedding here, and we will be in touch.

Who said home weddings were low-key? World-class wedding catering comes to you with Your Private Chef!

A wedding venue is one of the very first things that couples usually decide early on once the wedding planning starts. In fact, the date will usually revolve around available slots at your dream venue!

There are countless venues to choose from around Melbourne - make no mistake, newlyweds are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a place to host their wedding reception!

However, some prefer to throw their wedding festivities a bit closer to home - literally

Perhaps you’re planning something intimate, you couldn’t find something that fit with your theme, or you’d rather skip the often hefty venue fees.

Whatever the reason, Your Private Chef is pleased to help if you’re struggling to meet your at-home wedding catering needs.

Not only do we offer a huge variety of dining styles and menus to choose from, but we can also offer full staffing, equipment and event styling. Who said home weddings couldn’t be fancy too?

Go Mediterranean

Weddings are a social event, and if you ask us, there’s no cuisine more social than Mediterranean.

Not only is it hearty and filling, but it’s also great for sharing too!

Mediterranean food is our specialty at Your Private Chef. Taking inspiration from all over the region, Executive Chef David Kolembus and the team have put together a fantastic Mediterranean menu, made from the freshest ingredients available.

Planning an evening of fine dining? Put a Mediterranean spin on wedding catering with our 3-course dinner menu.

Want something to share? Our banquet menu offers delicious grazing platters of Mediterranean-themed classics.

And if you want the freedom to mix-and-match, what happens then? Fortunately for you, you’re free to do that too - pick from our range of platters both hot and cold to create the perfect wedding menu!

Wedding buffet at home

Like we mentioned before, weddings are social events. And what’s more social than a friendly family buffet?

Kick off your new life together with a delicious array of dishes, courtesy of our Hot Buffet Catering Menu.

Try hard enough, and any meal can be a buffet. If shared dining is your “thing” however, then you can’t go wrong with our buffet catering! We’ve curated a delicious menu of protein-rich dishes, healthy servings of salads and mouthwatering desserts.

Indecisive? Why not choose A Nice Spread?

Can’t decide what you want for your buffet? Opt for our A Nice Spread package!

Feature the perfect mix of proteins, greens and sweets, this gourmet buffet package is perfect for a huge range of palates.

Start your wedding buffet with our homemade salads featuring:

• Vine-ripened tomatos, cucumber, capsicum, Kalamata olive, feta, cos lettuce, and lemon dressing
• European-style potato salad with fresh herbs, seeded mustard, capsicum and cornichons, tossed in olive oil and lemon juice
• Gourmet coleslaw, featuring red and white cabbage, mint, parsley, and lemon

As for mains, there’s no shortage of proteins for your guests to skip ahead to! This package includes:

• Scotch fillet with herb pepper seasoning
• French cut chicken breast stuffed with olive & sundried tomato butter
• Grilled Tuscan Marinated Atlantic salmon steaks

And of course, we can’t talk wedding catering without talking about dessert!

In addition to your choice of classic sweets, we also offer gourmet cheese and fruit platters. Enjoy generous servings of seasonal fruits, as well as cheddar, blue & brie cheese sourced from Victoria’s very own Gippsland region, served with lavosh bites, water crackers and gluten free rustic sea salt wafers.

Interested in a bottle of red to accompany our locally-sourced cheeses? Check out our drinks packages.

More Protein Please

If you’re looking for a meat-heavy buffet, our More Protein Please package is the perfect option!

Indulge in generous serves of our:

• 12-hour slow roasted lamb shoulder
• Free-range grilled baby poussins with preserved lemon and sumac
• Marinated Atlantic salmon, Tuscan-style

Finish your meal off with and fruit and cheese platter and mini desserts.

The Royal Treatment

Who said that home weddings have to be low-key?

If you missed the Royal Wedding a couple of weeks ago, our Royal Package is the perfect opportunity to relive the magic and excitement of Harry and Meghan tying the knot… well, the culinary side of it at least!

Do you have expensive taste? Our Royal Treatment package is tailored for newlyweds that want to start their new lives as kings and queens.

Featuring freshly-prepared dishes that once would have been eaten exclusively by royalty and the uber-rich, this option is perfect if you want 5-star food at home!

Begin your wedding buffet with Nibble on fresh Queensland prawns, eye fillet beef wellington and panko crumbed scallops, as well as your choice of gourmet salad and sides.

And of course, a royal wedding isn’t complete without dessert!

Sweets and desserts

Make you celebration of love even more sweeter by adding a dessert buffet to your plans!

We’ve got plenty of sweet delights to fill your dessert buffet table.

Our talented team of bakers don’t just create desserts… we create works of art, literally! Ask us about adding a personal touch to your nuptials with customised cupcakes, mini cakes, tartlets, and cookies.

And if you want a dessert that makes a statement, why not try one of our bang-on-trend donut walls?

Looking for your one-stop shop for home wedding catering?

Your Private Chef has got you covered!

Weddings can cause mountains of stress, even at the best of times. And one of the most challenging parts is organising a venue.

Take some of that pressure off your shoulders by cutting the venue out and opting for a home wedding!

If you’re planning on tying the knot at home, get in touch with Your Private Chef.

These are just some of the ways we can turn your wedding into something special - trust us though, that’s not all we do!

If you need help setting up, our event stylists are more than willing to help make your big day even better!

Find out how Your Private Chef can be part of your big day - give Ana and the team a call now on (03) 9018 9321, or fill in this form and we’ll be in touch!

Banquet dining isn’t just for the super-rich any more!

What do you think of when you hear the word “banquet”?

If you’re like most people, it probably conjures up images of massive tables filled with exotic, decadent, masterfully-prepared food.

And for the people who indulge in banquet dining, you probably think of silk-clad members of nobility, or even royalty.

Long story short, not the type of event where they’d invite ordinary people like you or I.

We’re going to let you in on a little bit of a secret, though: it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, it’s entirely possible to throw a massive banquet of your very own!

Banquet catering fit for a king or queen!

The perfect start to your feast

At Your Private Chef, we’re big fans of Mediterranean cuisine. And it’s not just because that’s what we grew up on, either!

We love how filling the food is, how lively the eating experience all over the Mediterranean is, and of course, we love the region’s unique flavours!

In keeping with that theme, our banquet menu kicks with a distinctly Mediterranean feel to it.

Start the night off with beautiful savoury Antipasto platters, featuring classics including:

• Cold-cut salami, prosciutto and beef bresaolaSavoury treats including balsamic mushrooms, pickled baby cornichons, vine-wrapped dolmas, cheddar bites, olives and hummus
• Rosemary grissini cups and mini breadsticks
• Homemade bread rolls

It’s everything you’d ever want from an Antipasto platter, all served with zesty olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Dinner is served!

And when it comes to mains, our guests are spoiled for choice! We give all of our clients their choice of two main dishes from our range of platters, including:

• Juicy sous vide duck breast, served with chestnut puree and caramelised plum
• Mustard-crusted eye fillet steak with freshly-made salsa verde
• Chicken breast, wrapped in prosciutto and served with sweet corn risotto cake
• If you prefer your chicken zestier, try our Cajun-style chicken breast, served with red and white slaw
• Lamb shoulder, slow-roasted to perfection over 12 hours
• Free-range baby poussin

And that’s only a handful of the options on our banquet menu; view the full menu - including both hot and cold main options - here.

Our banquet catering is a meat-lover’s paradise. If you’re a vegetarian however, don’t worry, we didn’t forget about you! Everybody deserves to share in great food. If you have special dietary requirements, get in touch with us and will will accommodate any kind of dietary needs.

 Sides and salads that steal the show

All too often are sides and salads completely overlooked, dismissed as sideshows or “rabbit food” that’s somehow not worth the time of day.

We’re not big fans of this mentality. That’s probably why we put so much effort into our side and salad offerings! Some of our favourites include:

• European-style potato salad with fresh herbs, seeded mustard, baby pickles and capsicum, marinated in lemon and olive oil
• Crisp, green leaf salad with baby beets, sweet baby tomatoes, crumbly feta cheese and hazelnut, with apple cider-based vinaigrette
• Salad of green beans, herbs, roquette and shaved shallots, with seeded mustard dressing

There’s always room for dessert!

And of course, it wouldn’t be a 3-course banquet without the most important course of them all… dessert!

In keeping with the Mediterranean theme of the opener, we offer a delicious cheese and fruit platter.

And if you’re looking for something sweeter, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered there too! You’ll be able to top off your banquet with sweets from a selection of our mini desserts menu.

A social spin on banquet catering

We believe eating is a social experience. Food is the glue that binds us, and is a great way to bring people together - not to mention, it’s a much better conversation starter than the weather!

Unlike your traditional banquet, Your Private Chef’s banquet menu is all served, family-style, with generous portions shared between guests on grazing platters.

The result? A uniquely social, modern take on the age-old tradition of banquet dining, with a dash of Mediterranean thrown into the mix to honour our heritage.

That’s not all we do, either!

At Your Private Chef, we believe in creating Unforgettable Food Experiences.

That’s why we also offer a huge range of unique catering options that’ll have your guests salivating long after your event is over!

That includes:

• Spit roast catering
• Traditional 3-course dining
• Bang-on trend food station
• Chefs and waitstaff

Whatever the occasion you’re celebrating, we’re sure to have something that fits!

5 tips to elevate event catering with fabulous food stations

Gone are the days when buffets and plated meals were the only options for styling food during birthdays, weddings, and other kinds of celebrations. Nowadays, people are beginning to understand that presentation matters as well. (It has to be Insta-worthy, after all!)

So is it any wonder that we’re seeing a surge in popularity in food stations as a way of impressing your guests and adding style to your event?

There’s never been a better time to embrace stunning, fabulous, and breathtaking food stations. Not only are they delicious, but they look fantastic - they’ll be the talk of the party, guaranteed!

If you’re exploring unique ways to keep your guests moving and interacting with others, talk to your caterer about designing and setting up a creative food stations for your next epic event.

Food station catering is soaring in popularity…

And it’s not hard to see why!

Incorporate as many stations as you like

One stand-out station, or multiple ones split up into different courses or cuisines? The choice is yours! How about a dedicated dessert food station for all those sweet tooths!

Food stations encourage mingling

We’ve all been to a seated 3-course event. They’re always good fun, but sometimes, you just get bored of the people sitting immediately around you.

At a food station, you’re always mingling and running into different guests. And what better place to meet than around great food?!

Food stations are suitable for any kind of even

From weddings and birthdays to corporate functions, product launches, and high tea events, food stations can be customised to suit literally any kind of event or celebration.

They can be cost efficient

Gone are the days of traditional sit-down dinners, particularly for weddings.

The times are a-changin’: instead of a formal sit down, brides and grooms across Australia are choosing to combine roving canapes with a couple of food stations.

These can easily be customised to replace whole meals!

We recently created a delectable food station for Collingwood superstar Scott Pendlebury and his wife Alex for their gorgeous son Jax’s first birthday party! See some of the impressive photos below!

We loved working with @alpendlebury & @sp_10 on their son, Jax’s first birthday on Saturday 😍 it was such a great event! #yourprivatechef #firstbirthday

A post shared by Your Private Chef (@yourprivatechef) on May 14, 2018 at 1:47am PDT

Event Details from @alpendlebury & @sp_10’s, son Jax’s 1st Birthday 🦒🐘 • Grazing Table & table styling, Bar, event chef by @yourprivatechef Balloons, props & cake planned by @forever_i_do (@floscakesandcookies 🎂, 🎈@pimp_my_balloons)

A post shared by Your Private Chef (@yourprivatechef) on May 15, 2018 at 3:39am PDT

We had the besttt day for Jax’s first birthday party yesterday. A big big thank you to everyone who came, he had SO much fun 🙋‍♂️🎈 The food and set up was THAT good @yourprivatechef @forever_i_do - will gather some pics and get some more details up tomorrow!

A post shared by Alex Pendlebury (@alpendlebury) on May 13, 2018 at 2:36am PDT

Food station catering is the talk of the town!

Decided that a decadent food station is the right choice for your event?

There are a couple of things you can do to make your dining experience stand out from the rest:

1: Set the tone, mood, and theme

Lights and sounds are essential in setting the tone for your events. And when it comes to style, food stations are unmatched!

Whether you prefer traditional charcuterie foods, Mexican fiesta styling, or even a touch of the Oriental through Asian-inspired menus, the variety that food stations offer keeps the atmosphere bang-on trend.

Not to mention, food stations keep your guests moving around the room and make for great conversation-starters. If you’re aiming for an open, warm, and friendly function, a diverse range of food stations will do the trick!

2: Presentation matters

Make your food stations pop!

When food is well-presented and neatly arranged, it actually makes it taste better. That’s not just an old catering cliche - science backs it up!

If you need help deciding on a theme and setting up food stations to match, Your Private Chef’s team of talented event stylists can help out.

On top of helping to design a menu that fits with your desired theme, we can also help with:

• Logistics and food station layout
• Lighting, music & entertainment
• Event consulting & design
• On-the-day execution

3: Variety is the spice of life - mix-and-match to your heart’s content!

Food stations are perfect for adding a unique spin to your function.

For example, at Your Private Chef, we have a range of hot and cold offerings ranging from savoury Mediterranean flavours to DIY-burger bars.

We also offer:

• Jacket potato bars
• Souvlaki bars
• Mexican burrito bars
• Donut walls
• Cheese towers

Tip 4: Choose an appropriate venue for food stations

One of the big draws of food stations is that they keep your guests moving and mingling.

So make sure you think about space when booking a function.

Another consideration is staffing and equipment. Many ideas like a spit roast or our breakfast pancake food station can also include staffing as well as equipment such as stoves.

Not only will your venue will need to be big enough for guests to walk around and mingle, but you’ll also need enough room for your catering staff to do their thing!

Tip 5: Choose Your Private Chef for amazing food station catering

Whether you need a menu for an upcoming wedding or corporate catering, Your Private Chef is the team to call for unforgettable food stations.

In addition to all the classics, we offer unique hot and cold food station offerings, including:

• Portuguese flame-grilled chicken
• Unlimited American-style pancake breakfasts
• Spit-roasted meats, cooked to perfection
• Cheese platters curated from around the world - perfect with a glass of red!

If you want to make your event stand out for years to come, unique food stations are a must-have. Inject some fun and variety to your event - let Your Private Chef take care of everything.

Get in touch with us for a truly Unforgettable Food Experience. Call (03) 9018 9321 or contact us today to find out more!

Morning and afternoon tea catering for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea!

Who doesn’t love a mug of steamy hot tea on a cold winter morning?

The morning cuppa is a bona-fide Aussie tradition, whether it’s at the morning tea break at work or a fresh pot of Earl Grey to kick off your weekend.

Did you know that by hosting or attending morning tea this May, you can help in the fight against cancer?

It’s estimated that 134,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, with 1 in 2 Aussies receiving a diagnosis before the age of 85.

Yes, cancer is serious business. But by gathering your friends, family and workmates to share a pot can make a big difference in the lives of cancer patients.

Join Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea this May

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is more than just an excuse to share a pot of tea and a plate of scones. It’s also a way of giving cancer researchers the resources they need to fight cancer

Last year, almost $11.9 million was raised, all of which went straight towards funding cancer research, advocacy, programs and services with the goal of having a cancer-free future.

This year’s event looks no different. In fact, 2018 is the event’s 25th anniversary - you won’t just be fighting cancer, but also celebrating two-and-a-half decades for this meaningful cause!

The way it works is simple: all you need to do is invite your friends over and ask for a small donation.

Every registered tea party will be given its very own donations page that others can contribute to!

“I want to get involved… where do I start?”

If you want to be part of this great cause, you can ask your workplace or school whether they’ll be hosting an event. Even better, throw a tea party of your very own!

If you’ve formally registered as a host, you’ll receive a Host Kit that will serve as your guide in making your tea party fun and meaningful. Furthermore, this puts your morning tea in the Cancer Council’s database, allowing others to join and increasing donations.

Preparing for your morning tea

Whether you plan to make it an intimate event or a public tea party, you’ll still need to do some organising. Once you’ve registered (or haven’t), it’s best to start planning for a memorable event:

Start by choosing a theme

The first thing that pops into your mind when you think of a tea party is undoubtedly vintage floral tea cups, raised pinkies, and maybe even the Royal family. But there are so many more themes you can integrate into your tea party - you’re limited only by your imagination.

Catch up on this blog post to discover 3 of our favourite tea party themes.

Create a guest list

Depending on how small or big your tea party is, you might also need to consider how many guests you’ll be inviting so you can prepare a menu for the big day. You wouldn’t want to run out of tea at your morning tea, after all!

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea takes place on Thursday, 24th May, however you can host an event any time throughout the month of May, making it easier to plan an event around colleagues or friends.

All you need to do is register online, and the quickest and easiest way to spread the word and collect donations is to share to your various social media platforms.

And of course, choose morning tea catering

It wouldn’t be morning (or afternoon) tea without a good range of pastries, snacks and drinks!

Whether you formally register or not, you’ll want to serve your guests with a sumptuous meal and sweet pastries, as well as a wide range of different teas to cater to everybody’s unique tastes.

When planning morning tea catering, you’ll need to think of how many RSVPs you’ve received, as well as your budget.

And that’s where we come in!

Make your morning tea party unforgettable with Your Private Chef!

So, you want to do your part, but simply can’t find the time to plan your morning tea.

Fortunately, Your Private Chef will make sure that you’ll have an unforgettable

food experience to share with your loved ones and friends.

Forget the stress of building a menu, sourcing all ingredients, and baking. Why spend precious downtime setting things up when you can choose from our range of morning and afternoon tea catering options?

Choose your morning and afternoon tea menus

Whether you’re hosting a fancy high tea or a friendly get-together over coffee, you’ll need finger food appropriate for the occasion.

Luckily for you, we’ve curated a huge range of bite-sized snacks that go perfectly with coffee or tea. Explore our morning and afternoon tea menus (and order online) here. From muffins and Danishes to bagels and scones, we think you’ll love our extensive range of morning and afternoon tea catering.

In addition to morning tea snacks, we also offer hot and cold beverages.

Explore our beverage packages here, including tea and coffee stations and even a Nespresso machine hire!

Team up with Your Private Chef in the fight against cancer!

You don’t need an excuse to throw a tea party. At Your Private Chef, we’re the type of people that leap at any excuse to whip out the fine china and raid our collection of teas.

And when said tea party will contribute towards the battle against cancer, that’s all the more reason to throw a party!

Are you planning on joining Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea this year? Determined to make your morning tea stand out as one to be remembered? Make sure you call Your Private Chef for delectable morning and afternoon tea catering!

Place your order online, and if you have any questions or would like to discuss your tea party menu further, contact us now. Call our friendly event team on (03) 9018 9321 or fill in this form with a few details about your event and we will be in touch!