Harper Blog

Menu Tasting Platter

Choosing the perfect wedding menu

As with standard wedding banqueting procedures across the industry, we ask our couples to select one principal dish and one alternative dish, per course, to be served to your guests.

When you book a wedding at Harper, you’re invited to attend a food tasting, which takes place on our Wedding Planning Wednesdays. Our tasting platters are intended for two people as they are sample-sized dishes. However, for an extra charge, you are more than welcome to bring along additional guests to have a taste of each and help you make the decisions. Just speak to the planning team when arranging your appointment.

Menu tasting platter

When you arrive at the venue for your Wedding Planning Wednesday, you’ll receive the chef’s selection of canapés (accompanied by a nice cold glass of bubbles). Then on to the main event…

The menu tasting platter consists of the top 5 menu options for EACH course, which is currently:

Starters

Red onion tart, spinach and saffron shallot, mascarpone, balsamic (v)
Baked baby brie, crisp pancetta, cranberry and orange chutney, rosemary sourdough
Vegetable laksa, butternut and toasted caraway (v)
Peat-smoked salmon, Charlotte potato, crème fraîche and beetroot
Pressed ham hock and tarragon, quails’ eggs, piccalilli

Main Courses

The Harper chicken roast
Belly of pork, caramelised apple, mashed potato, savoy cabbage, pork gravy
Sticky Hampshire beef, parsnip mash, vegetable crisps, olivette carrots
Fillet of seabass, Italian new potatoes, baby tomato, olive, rocket and butter sauce
Seasonal vegetable and rosemary pie, olivette carrots, creamy mash, veggie gravy (v)

Desserts

Vanilla crème brulée, shortbread and raspberries (v)
Blackberry and apple crumble, caramel ice cream, crème Anglaise (v)
Treacle tart, clotted cream and Anglaise (v)
Sticky toffee pudding, toffee sauce, pecans, mascarpone ice cream (v)
Chocolate pot with a melting middle, vanilla bean ice cream (v)

The selection process

For those who have made their minds up and are confident in their selection prior to their WPW, we do still offer the option to have the full 3 course meal instead of the tasting platter – please just remember to tell us (a couple of weeks) before your tasting that you’d prefer this option!

This selection process isn’t just limited to the food… you need to feel equally as happy with the drink you’re going to be serving on the day, which is why we give you a selection of wine to take home to sample at your leisure (or crack open during your tasting, which ever you prefer).

We can provide veggie alternatives or adapt the dish to suit your dietary requirements for your menu tasting appointment, but do let us know in advance, preferably when you book in for your tasting. We can also provide a non-offensive menu and a pork and shellfish-free option.

For any vegetarian guests or those with specific dietary requirements, couples will need to select one further alternative option per course which is suitable for these particular guests.

Choosing the perfect wedding menu

As with standard wedding banqueting procedures across the industry, we ask our couples to select one principal dish and one alternative dish, per course, to be served to your guests.

When you book a wedding at Harper, you’re invited to attend a food tasting, which takes place on our Wedding Planning Wednesdays. Our tasting platters are intended for two people as they are sample-sized dishes. However, for an extra charge, you are more than welcome to bring along additional guests to have a taste of each and help you make the decisions. Just speak to the planning team when arranging your appointment.

Menu tasting platter

When you arrive at the venue for your Wedding Planning Wednesday, you’ll receive the chef’s selection of canapés (accompanied by a nice cold glass of bubbles). Then on to the main event…

The menu tasting platter consists of the top 5 menu options for EACH course, which is currently:

Starters

Red onion tart, spinach and saffron shallot, mascarpone, balsamic (v)
Baked baby brie, crisp pancetta, cranberry and orange chutney, rosemary sourdough
Vegetable laksa, butternut and toasted caraway (v)
Peat-smoked salmon, Charlotte potato, crème fraîche and beetroot
Pressed ham hock and tarragon, quails’ eggs, piccalilli

Main Courses

The Harper chicken roast
Belly of pork, caramelised apple, mashed potato, savoy cabbage, pork gravy
Sticky Hampshire beef, parsnip mash, vegetable crisps, olivette carrots
Fillet of seabass, Italian new potatoes, baby tomato, olive, rocket and butter sauce
Seasonal vegetable and rosemary pie, olivette carrots, creamy mash, veggie gravy (v)

Desserts

Vanilla crème brulée, shortbread and raspberries (v)
Blackberry and apple crumble, caramel ice cream, crème Anglaise (v)
Treacle tart, clotted cream and Anglaise (v)
Sticky toffee pudding, toffee sauce, pecans, mascarpone ice cream (v)
Chocolate pot with a melting middle, vanilla bean ice cream (v)

The selection process

For those who have made their minds up and are confident in their selection prior to their WPW, we do still offer the option to have the full 3 course meal instead of the tasting platter – please just remember to tell us (a couple of weeks) before your tasting that you’d prefer this option!

This selection process isn’t just limited to the food… you need to feel equally as happy with the drink you’re going to be serving on the day, which is why we give you a selection of wine to take home to sample at your leisure (or crack open during your tasting, which ever you prefer).

We can provide veggie alternatives or adapt the dish to suit your dietary requirements for your menu tasting appointment, but do let us know in advance, preferably when you book in for your tasting. We can also provide a non-offensive menu and a pork and shellfish-free option.

For any vegetarian guests or those with specific dietary requirements, couples will need to select one further alternative option per course which is suitable for these particular guests.

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