10. Planning ahead

Decisions! Decisions!

What type of party? Who to invite? When and where? Just remember that Brophies platters are fresh and tasty, made on the day, delivered on sealed platters, ready to serve, we make it so much easier! So, browse through party menus or look through my blog or website and plan the perfect feast.

9. Choose a special cake

Give your party the wow factor with a celebration cake. There is a great blog all about cakes packed full of ideas.

Two weeks ahead…

8. Finalise your menu

Brophies offers something for every occasion. Order online (this link opens a new window), by phone on 01727 846261 for help and advice with ordering and party planning. Ordering with Brophies is convenient and simple.  Free Delivery is available to all. Brophies catering orders (subject to a £99 minimum spend), simply select a time slot and let us do the heavy lifting.  Alternatively we can arrange a Free Collection at our premises at a time that suits you.

Please allow at least four days notice to order products. Some products require more time so we recommend placing your order as soon as possible.

7. Order the drinks

Brophies offer a number of options and with our expert local knowledge can help make party planning easy

6. Finishing touches

We would recommend talking to our partners about flowers, room dressing, table planning, event planning, equipment and crockery hire services, entertainment, music, party shops, attended service requirements as well as photographer, car and van pick up to get you home safely and our pre and after party clean up. We only work with a recommend companies that we know and trust personally. With Brophies we take the strain and the worry out of the planning so you can enjoy your perfect party or event

5. Make space

Don’t forget to make extra space in your fridge for our chilled party foods, and freezer space if you order a frozen dessert or ice.

4. Glasses

Nobody wants to run out and have to start washing up when the party is in full swing! Again, take advantage of our partnership to hire in all your glasses, cutlery and crockery with free delivery and a free send back dirty service , what could be easier. Talk to us and we will arrange everything for you. Make the order sooner rather than later if your party is on a busy ‘holiday’ weekend.

The day before…

3. Be prepared

Prepare a list of extras to get when you send out for the ice or collect your order, olives, bread, leaf salad , fresh herbs, sauces and dressings, lemons, biscuits for cheese, cream, soft drinks, tea and coffee, fresh flowers, candles – and don’t forget: kitchen towels, bin liners and washing up liquid. Check the defrost times for anything in the freezer.

On the day…

2. Get chilled!

Have you got enough ice cubes? Half fill a clean bin with water and ice for extra drinks storage. Chill any Champagne, sparkling or white wine, mineral water and soft drinks. Make up jugs of cocktails or punch. Set up the drinks station and arrange the flowers. Anything to defrost? Check any reheating instructions.

1. Hours to go

Clear the decks, decorate and lay the tables with cutlery, plates, glasses etc. Get the food for cooking and reheating ready while the oven preheats. Have the cold food platters arranged as they are delivered ready to serve, no last minute garnishing and fuss.  Before the guests arrive – apron off! – ready to relax and enjoy the party…

More information on how to order and get advice from Brophies the caterer (this link opens a new window).

“The essential ingredient to perfect catering every time”

THIRTY well connected and experienced Hertford & Ware based business people sharing £1 million worth of new business opportunities through each other’s professional and personal contacts.

The NEW ‘Endeavour’ (Hertford & Ware) business referral group uses BNI’s (Business Networking International) globally proven strategies to maximise every members opportunity to win new business. The strict application process ensures only the best local professions and trades become members.

“Having only one business per profession, guarantees maximum exposure for every business member” says Martin Brophy who is launching the Endeavour group with Dayle Guy, “Dayle and I very excited about this opportunity for good businesses in Hertford, Ware & surrounding areas; we will bring our experience to support a successful dynamic group”

So come and meet your new sales team, ring to discuss coming along on Thursday mornings 06:30 – 08:45am at the Roebuck Hotel in Ware, Hertfordshire. Lock out your competitors call us now: Martin: 07710 353 054; Dayle: 07515 050 392

“It’s time to breathe new life into the local economy and maximise the amount of business to increase profits, it’s not easy but it works” Dayle Guy

Location: ENDEVEAOUR (Herford & Ware) ; Roebuck Hotel, 1 Baldock Street, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9DR  Web: http://www.bni.eu/uk/

Further information: sales@brophies.com or dayleguy@codethirtynine.com

Its simple and easy you order , at Brophies as we soucre fresh local ingredients and cook your dish fresh on the day and let it cool and deliver it to you in a ceramic dish with a lid ready to heat up.

Here is a short video of the dishes on offer:              Brophies Hot Food Menu

If you are too busy to do your own catering, then rely on a professional catering company with 25 years experience.

Whether its a meeting at the office, a party at home or a celebration in a hall, if you need a venue, want to catering for a wedding a funeral or a christening then Brophies are the essential ingredient to perfect catering every time.

The main purpose of grief counselling is to enable the bereaved to complete any ‘unfinished business’ and to come to terms with life without the deceased or the situation in which they currently find themselves.

Depending on the circumstances, a grief counsellor can help the bereaved person move on, following loss, by facilitating the appropriate 4-stage mourning process, namely to:

1. accept the reality of the loss;
2. work through the pain of grief and deal with both expressed and hitherto unspoken issues;
3. readjust to a changed environment and reinvest back into a new life, going forward;
4. encourage the counselee to let go and ‘say goodbye’.

Types of Grief Counselling
Different types of counselling are used to facilitate the mourning process, (also see list of recommended resources below).

The first group involves professional services, e.g. doctors, nurses, bereavement counsellors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, all of whom are qualified to provide support to those who have sustained a significant loss.

The second type of grief counselling involves voluntary services where carefully selected volunteers undergo extensive training in grief counselling, under professional guidance.

The third type of service is focussed on self-help groups and organisations, with or without the support of the professionals, where the bereaved help each other come to terms with their personal grief.

When Should Bereavement Counselling Start?
Not everyone needs grief counselling following the death of someone close to them. But, for those who would benefit from such support, it is generally recommended that grief counselling begins no sooner than a week or so after the funeral.

However, in situations where the possibility of speaking to a counsellor has been discussed prior to death, e.g. in a hospice context, the counselling can start whenever it is deemed appropriate.

Recommended Bereavement Support Resources
● BAC (British Association of Counselling):www.counselling.co.uk
● Child Bereavement: www.childbereavement.org.uk
● Child Death Helpline: www.childdeathhelpline.org
● Cruse Bereavement Care: www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk
● Macmillan: www.macmillan.org.uk
● N.H.S. Bereavement Support: www.NHS.uk/CarersDirect
● Samaritans: www.samaritans.org
● TCF: www.tcf.org.uk
● The Bereavement Register: www.the-bereavement-register.org.uk
● UK Sobs: www.uk-sobs.org.uk
● Winston’s Wish: www.winstonswish.org.uk

Informing people that someone close to you has died is an incredibly painful task to undertake, especially when you’re in a state of shock and your grief is raw.
But, the process of making the necessary death announcements can be simplified considerably if you enlist the help of a friend or relative of the deceased. This person could assist you with compiling a list of all the individuals who need to informed, urgently; they could even make most of the phone calls or emails for you.

For some a quality caterer is the perfect answer

An old-world Christmas: Celebrating the season is a month-long tradition in Germany, with festivities culminating on Christmas Eve, the night the Christmas tree is unveiled. Children are not allowed to see the tree until a bell is rung and it is brought out, fully decorated with cars, trains, angels, tinsel, lights, and ornaments. Families sing Christmas carols and place presents underneath. The night later gives way to a feast so lavish that the evening is often called “Dickbauch,” or “fat stomach.” Legend has it that those who do not eat well will be haunted by demons during the night.

Invite guests to an old-world party by printing out an invitation, leaving the front blank. Then glue greenery to the front in the shape of a wreath. Clippings from your tree, mistletoe, and ivy are easy choices to work with.

On the day of the party, decorate with nuts, fruits, greenery, marzipan, and adorable carved, wooden figurines of angels, trees, and Santa. Don’t forget candles and trimmings.

Is this where you wish you have used a caterer

Party Time!

The date has finally arrived. Guests will be arriving on your doorstep in minutes! You’ve prepared as much as possible ahead of time to ensure your plans run smoothly. A few finishing details should be all you need to make the event memorable.

Anticipate the comfort of your guests. Set appetizers in the living room, on the buffet, and in other places that make it easy to nibble. Play music and light candles for ambience.

Take guests’ belongings when they arrive. Introduce people by pointing out what they have in common with each other. Accept any gifts graciously and take to a discreet place so that other guests won’t feel guilty if they didn’t bring one.

Finally, stay out of the kitchen as much as possible so you can mingle with your guests and enjoy the party. The best way to achieve this is to use a caterer. And most importantly of all, you should enjoy yourself. Your holiday party should be for you as much as it is for your guests.

You can do this all your self or use this to work with a good quality caterer

If you add to this equation the many demands and complications of the holiday season, you have the recipe for a real headache. Though the rewards of a successful Christmas party will carry on all year, some people might feel that the planning and execution is just too much of a burden.

That’s why we’ve included lots of party themes, ideas, and menus that make it easy to pull off a spectacular event. Our tried-and-true secrets for entertaining will ensure that your party is one to remember! We will walk you through all the steps of planning and hosting a Christmas party, including:

Decorating for a Christmas Party

When you are hosting a large party or celebration you want to create an exciting environment for your guests to relax in. Some simple decorations can turn your house into a seasonal wonderland for holiday revellers.

The sound of a crackling fire. The joy of newly fallen snow. The anticipation of Santa Claus. The smell of a Christmas tree. The taste of a freshly baked Christmas cookie. At its very essence, Christmas is a holiday that excites our senses. How things sound, look, feel, smell, and taste evoke memories of holidays past, flooding us with emotions.

The best way to re-create these memories — and to create new memories for our families and friends — is to surround ourselves with things that remind us of the season. Decorating is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this. Whether you are planning a small get together or a large party, decking your home in seasonal splendour will satiate the senses and fill all your guests with holiday spirit.

Ornament Centerpiece: Before you begin constructing your Christmas centrepiece, you’ll need to assemble the following items:

• Dry floral foam
• Knife
• 4- to 6-inch-high brass bowl
• Hot glue gun, glue sticks
• Ruler
• Evergreen bough
• 14 Christmas ornament balls
• 12 small pinecones
• 1 spray of plums (or about 7 plums)
• 4 berry sprays, cut into pieces
• 3 poinsettia flowers with leaves

To create an ornament centrepiece:

1. Cut floral foam to fit the bowl; glue. (Use a plastic liner if you don’t want to glue bowl.) Cut bough into five- to six-inch lengths. Form width and length by gluing greens around edge of container.
2. Mound Christmas ornaments, pinecones, plums, and berry sprays on the greens and floral foam and secure with hot glue.
3. Glue sprigs of greens, poinsettia flowers, and other poinsettia leaves to fill in holes between ornaments and pinecones.

The Colours of Christmas

Christmas is all about colour. Glowing strings of lights, festive stockings, and beautifully wrapped gifts take centre stage. The colours you choose to emphasize in your Christmas decorations can impact the feelings they evoke. Consider your goals — icy and intense, cosy and traditional, modern and fresh, elegant and luxurious — before deciding on a colour scheme.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas:

A white Christmas can be classic and traditional or glamorous and fresh. That’s the beauty of decorating with such a versatile colour. With contemporary interiors, an all-white Christmas is en vogue: current, up-to-date, modern. With traditional decors, all white lends a homespun feel to the holidays. Twinkling white lights and touches of silver are spectacular accents to an all-white decorating scheme. Flickering candles or a roaring fire add warmth to pure white and play up the shimmery effect of any gold or silver accents.

Now that you have your decorations picked out, it’s time to plan your party. On the next page, we will help you make your Christmas party a reality.

Planning a Christmas Party

It’s easy to think of the perfect Christmas party, but it’s a whole other matter making it happen. As with any large project, the only way to ensure success is careful planning. On this page, we will show you how to plan a Christmas party, from conception to picking party invitations to choosing a theme to enjoying the night of the party.

Any quality event planner or caterer will tell you the key to a successful party is planning. It’s not enough to simply make a few dishes and send invitations. A little advance planning saves you time and headaches later so spend five or ten minutes envisioning the party and walking yourself through as a guest. When party time comes, both you and your guests will have a night to remember!

Dreaming of the Perfect Party

The holiday season is packed with parties, so it’s a good idea to send invitations three weeks in advance. The sooner you send your invitations, the less likely it is that your guests will have committed to another event. Your invitations should state the starting and ending time of your party and should mention the food you will be serving, whether it is light holiday fare or a traditional sit-down dinner. And don’t forget to include directions!

Choose a menu for which many of the items can be made ahead of time. Some appetizers and desserts can be made and frozen several weeks in advance. Other recipes can be mixed together a few days before and stored in the refrigerator. Simply bake and finish the day of the party. Remember that parties aren’t the time to try a new recipe. Either test a new menu item before the party, or stick with tried-and-true recipes.

Opt for sustainable  finger foods instead of recipes that require dinnerware. Foods that can be eaten without a fork and knife keep spills and dribbles down, and they reduce the amount of dishwashing you have to do later. If you do serve dishes that require dinnerware, make sure you have table seating for guests to sit down and eat. Make it easy on yourself. If you dread cleanup, opt for nice disposable plastic/paper ware.

Think about traffic flow. Place your bar close to ice and water. Place trays of finger foods on side tables and buffets throughout your entertaining area. Provide enough chairs so that at least half of your guests can be seated at a time. Position several rubbish bins inconspicuously near the food tables and bar to prevent precarious pileups of plates and traffic jams in the kitchen.

If you don’t have time to deep clean your home the day of the party, hit the heavy traffic areas such as your living room, dining room, and bathrooms, and leave the rest for later.

Set the mood with holiday music playing in the background and lit candles sparkling throughout the house. Personalize the night with a special activity. Invite your guests to write a holiday wish in a guest book displayed on your coffee table or ask them to join you for some carolling. Little details such as these help make your party an event to remember.

Guests love party favours. Send your guests home with a little something extra: a small ornament, a bag of cookies, even a candy cane with a bow is a sweet way to say happy holidays.

Inspired Invitations

An invitation is your guest’s first impression of what your party will be like. To build the excitement, don’t settle for a phone call or purchased invitation. Instead, use your party’s theme to inspire your own quirky creations.

For a nice personal touch, use a photo from last year’s party as the front of your invitation, or send one with your family dressed in holiday garb or outfits that complement your party’s theme. You might also have your child draw a picture of the nativity scene, your party, or a present. Scan the photo onto a computer and print onto cardstock.

Get guests into party mode by making a custom CD of holiday music or other music that goes with your party theme. Write the party details on the CD label and send in a bubble-wrap envelope.

If you’d like an invitation with a hand-crafted look, purchase holiday stamps, and use them to make custom invitations. Stamps are available in a variety of seasonal motifs, making them ideal for expressing a particular party theme.

No time to make your invitations? Purchase nice note cards, and write a handwritten invitation with black ink. This is an elegant and personal way to announce your party.

Themed Christmas Parties

There are many different Christmas parties you can plan aside from the traditional tree-trimming parties. Here are some colourful alternatives. Boxing Day: when servants were required to work on Christmas Day. However, they were given reprieve the day after to visit family. Their employers would send them off with a box containing gifts and food, hence the holiday “Boxing Day.” Today, people continue to celebrate by taking the day off to visit family and friends.

This event is a combination of Christmas festivities and those of Boxing Day. Decorate the table with pine boughs, holly, mistletoe, juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, oranges with fragrant cloves, bowls of fruit, and tiny Christmas trees. Wrap small boxes with metallic and holiday paper and use for decoration or add small gifts that your guests can open after dinner.

You can also fill “crackers” (coloured paper tubes) with candy and small presents. For a unique Boxing Day invitation, write the party information on a piece of paper, fold it up, then place it in a small, wrapped box to hand-deliver to guests.

TRY IT!

Here are some Christmas menus to go with our themed parties:

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY-HELPER CALENDAR

To help you plan your Christmas holiday party, we’ve provided this helpful calendar:

November 28: Plan your holiday parties

November 30: Mail your Christmas party invitations

December 4-6: Bring home a Christmas tree

December 5-1: Decorate your house for the holidays

December 8: Baking day — freeze goodies and pull out in batches to ensure they will last through the holidays.

December 12-14: Plan and shop for holiday menu

We partner with local venues who can provide bar and beverage service, depending on your numbers there may be a venue hire charge, a service charge or no charge. Please ask each venue about any direct costs.

Brophies provides the food – by ordering direct from us  you save 20% vat on the food.

Partner Venues

The County Club

• 29 Ridgemont Road, St Albans AL13AG
• Comfortable, bar, lounge and function room
• Local parking – Beside Rail Station – Easy connections
• Website 

Trestle Arts Base

• Russet Drive, St Albans, Herts AL4 0JQ
• Comfortable, bar, cafe lounge, theatre space and function room
• Local parking
• Website

St Albans Old Town Hall

• St Peters Street, St Albans, Herts AL3 5DJ
• Bar, reception area and function room
• Local car- parking
• Website

Hammer in Hand Pub

• Ganders Ash, Watford, WD25 7EX
• Bar, reception area and function room
• Local- parking
• 01923 676787

First impressions matter and will give you a good initial indicator:

• How did you hear about the company – were they recommended – this is the best way to find good people.
• Do they have a website that is easy to understand, that is transparent with the information you need
• Could you contact them easily
• Were they responsive to your enquiry
• Did they give you all the information you asked for, to enable you to make an informed decision about the next step

If you feel positive about all of the above then put the company on your short list.

• Now let’s take a closer look at what they have offered, everyone is on a budget but don’t be fooled into taking the lowest initial quote.
• You need to compare like for like, compressed chicken roll is not the same as whole chicken breast, Atlantic Prawns are not the same a warm water prawns, smoked salmon is not the same as Scottish smoked salmon. Be realistic if it sounds too good to be true then is usually isn’t true.
• Ask the caterer about the provenance of the food, when and where will it be prepared and don’t be shy about wanting to look at premises.
• Standards of cleanliness and hygiene vary greatly and dirty smells dirty at any time.
• Ask if they use fresh food or mainly frozen, how much is bought and what is cooked from scratch by them.
• What is a portion, ask for examples, how much food should I expect on each plate, ask the caterer to be specific, don’t accept “don’t worry there will be plenty”
• Look for testimonials, ask to speak to some customers, any catering company is very happy to share how good they are.
• Is the catering company registered with the local Environmental Health Authority. You can’t just set-up a business in your kitchen, you must be registered and regularly inspected by the local Environmental Health Officer (EHO) and have a food safety and good food handling procedures. This makes sense and is not just red tape. This is to protect you and the general public from poor food handling practice and procedures that can lead to food poisoning and in the worst cases death.
• If you do not carry out due diligence in selecting a reputable catering company and something goes wrong you may find yourself liable.
• Go on line or ring the local EHO which is part of your local council service, to ask if the companies you are looking at are registered and when were they last inspected and were there any problems you should know about. Some EHO’s use the score over the door system but this is not universal.
• Ask each company about their last EHO visit and you are entitled to see the last report, consistently good established companies are inspected about every 1 to 2 years.
• Do all the people in the company and who may be involved with your catering have a current Food Handlers Hygiene Certificate.
• Does the company have current public liability insurance, if not liability may be down to you, cover is usually for over one million pounds.
• Event insurance can be very reasonable especially for weddings so ask you caterer for details or advice.
• Do they want you to pay cash, are they reluctant to give you a clear written estimate or invoice, have clear terms and conditions, look as though they should be VAT registered. If they are breaking the law you could be involved in something illegal.
• Beware the cowboys who can run off with your money or provide an unacceptable meal and you have no redress.
• If any catering company is reluctant to answer any of these questions – walk away – you want your event to be fresh and tasty and enhance the objects of the event not bring all your guests down with food poisoning or worse!

“Isn’t this all a bit much” I hear you thinking?

• Only you can decide the importance of the health of your family, friends or colleagues
• Companies routinely ask and make such enquiries before using catering companies
• You need to be confident that the company you choose is reliable, legal and clean
• Sleep easy , if it’s good enough for you and your children.

Yes, it’s getting to be that time of year again. You can’t walk past a shop without being blinded by flashing red noses and enough tinsel to carpet a football pitch. Those old songs are being belted out at you wherever you turn, there are funny men dressed in red suits and you’re thinking, “Is it too early to even think about Christmas”

Never too early to get good advice from a party planner

But this is the best time plan the office Christmas party. You don’t want to be banished forever for planning the worst one since the temp who ended the night at A&E – You want people to enjoy themselves, they deserve it after a year of surfing the net — I mean, hard work.

 Its not all about you 

I think getting some input from staff is a good idea, what do they want to do? Would they like a themed event? Finger buffet? Party Bus? Whatever it is, it needs careful planning.

Get quotes from catering companies, ask for references and do follow them up. You don’t want to end up with soggy sausage rolls and iffy devilled eggs. Is it an employee only party or can people bring dates, partners, pets?

There are plenty of companies out there that will take the hassle out of it for you, you just turn up, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you will feel like – well that’s another story

Having your Xmas do at a hotel means that if people do get into the Christmas spirit via the medium of spirits, they can book a room and have nothing to worry about except crawling up those last steps. Here is a short checklist to help you plan a party to remember, and not in the flash back horror movie way.

Check List for the best parties 

•   How many people? Is it plus one?
•   What’s your budget? And stick to it.
•   Venue? Restaurant, hotel, boat, hall, office?
•   Theme? Fancy dress?
•   Food, have you checked on dietary requirements? Allergies, vegetarian, halal,     kosher, vegan and so on?
•   Open bar or drink tokens?
•   Music, DJ, live band, ipod on shuffle?

Nightmares

Office parties can have notorious reputations, you want it to be fun without people having to look for a new job come the New Year. You don’t want people falling asleep or those uncomfortable silences when everyone is surreptitiously checking their watches or coming up with excuses to leave early.

Need a good caterer or just some advice about venues let me help

Keeping people involved is also great for team building. Good luck with your party planning, hopefully you will basking in praise rather than hearing bah humbug.

Time to get busy……..

A growing number of us are becoming more adventurous with our BBQ menus with over a third saying that steak, pork and lamb steaks are our meat of choice. The survey, commissioned by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), the organisation responsible for promoting Welsh Lamb, also revealed that almost a third of us take up to a week to plan for a BBQ – with Londoners taking alfresco dining the most seriously.

As we dust off the BBQ and dig out the deck chairs in the hope of sunny bank holiday spent cooking and eating in the garden, it seems that the Great British BBQ is growing in popularity – on average people are having BBQs eight times a year, with the biggest BBQ lovers found in East Anglia where 10% of people pack in a whopping 16 a year.

And they’re not small affairs either, with the majority of people (52%) hosting up to 10 guests every time they BBQ, and 11% saying they cooked for up to 20 at their average BBQ.

Myrddin Davies, Welsh farmer and Face of Welsh Lamb, said: “It’s really encouraging to see more people taking the time to put extra love and attention into their BBQ food this summer by cooking different meats and using marinades. Although we all still enjoy a sausage from the BBQ, it’s important to try new cuts of meat in new ways. Welsh Lamb for example is often associated with Sunday lunch or a dinner party treat however, mouth-watering lamb steaks can be popped on the BBQ and served in a matter of minutes. BBQing is a great way to enjoy good home-cooked food with all the family.”

Red meat is still the way to a man’s heart with 40% of them preferring to eat red meat to chicken and fish (30%) and 70% of them prefer cooking it to white meat on the BBQ.

90% of Brits said that the BBQ is still a man’s world. Both men and women confessed to preferring food cooked on a BBQ by a man, regardless of what they were serving up.

And if the sun doesn’t shine this weekend – it won’t hamper the BBQ fun for resilient Brits, almost 80% stick out the showers and carry on grilling instead of retreating to the kitchen when the rain starts!

At Brophies we are always looking for new innovative food ideas and for our BBQ made easy service we certainly concur with this article that first appeared on Food Fundamentals last week. We source our food from local supplier butcher and green grocers for our meat, salads and vegetables. It’s good for our clients, the local economy and for the planet so we know it makes sense.