Meet Kate from Moveable Feasts

The first time I had the pleasure of trying what Moveable Feasts served up was at a gorgeous wedding in Greta Valley early this year, and I have been hooked ever since. Steak cooked to perfection, delicious potato and a little parcel of carrots and greens wrapped in bacon - what more could you ask for in wedding food? That description doesn't even begin to cover the extent of what the MF group cover! With three businesses now under their umbrella, there truly is something that caters to every budget. I'll let Kate, the group's Marketing and Event Manager tell you more.

Moveable Feasts have a number of arms, tell us more about that?

Established in 1982 Moveable Feasts is our longstanding premium catering brand. Sitting alongside MF we have Stu’s Smokin’ BBQ where meats are cooked on our large charcoal BBQ’s as well as Kiwi Cuisine which specialises in spit roast menus at the economical end of the price range.

Within the three catering brands we aim to have menus and price points to suit everyone’s requests and budgets.

Is there a Stu behind Stu’s Smokin BBQ?

There is indeed! Stu Weatherhead established Stu’s Smokin’ BBQ in 1996 when he saw a gap in the market to create a new BBQ brand not offered here in Christchurch. Stu heads over to the US every year and returns with the latest trends and cooking techniques from the BBQ world to ensure we are continually evolving our menu offerings.

Is there anything special you can offer couples to be?

There a number of additional services we can offer our wedding clients. This often includes event management services from suggestions for venues, furniture and equipment hire, venue set up, beverage service and assistance with the quantities you need. On your wedding day we always have an experience event manager on hand to ensure the day runs smoothly ensuring your day is as stress free as possible.

If anything is beyond our expertise we can provide recommendations as we are lucky enough to work alongside many talented wedding industry experts.

In regards to the wedding menu, we always like to meet our wedding clients in person to go over the details of the day and work towards creating the perfect food offerings to reflect you as a couple.

Once the initial menu has been decided we offer wedding tastings to ensure the menu you selected is exactly as you would like it.

Best advice you can give regarding catering for couples to-be?

Stay true to what you are looking to create for the day and be sure to include your favourite foods and flavours in the wedding menu.

Don’t be afraid to break with the traditional seated meal, within our menus we have grazing tables, walk n fork menus, food stations and food trucks on offer if you are looking for something different.

Lastly, we are conscious that weddings are an expensive exercise and across our three brands we can offer a range of price points. When we meet couples we often ask if they have considered a price per person for the menu and we can work alongside them to create a menu to suit all of their needs.

What do you look forward to most about a wedding?

It is a huge honour to be a part of the a wedding day! In some instances we have been working alongside couples for over 18 months therefore seeing all of the planning come to fruition is always rewarding.

For is the best part is when the email arrives from the newly married couple still buzzing from a great day with lovely feedback regarding our involvement, food and service.

Favourite wedding meal?

We are big fans of the shared platter meal style with approximately 70% of our weddings served in this style. The shared platter menu is also termed ‘family style’ and is similar to a mini buffet to the tables. It provides choices for your guests and means they don’t have to leave the comforts of the table.

Favourite Canterbury hotspot? What do you like to do in your spare time?

We are all about a balanced lifestyle and while the Summer months are a busy for our team the much needed down time is often spent in the great outdoors. With busy weeks we appreciate our days off and often this is spent with our families.

What school did you go to?

With over 20 members of the team here at MF we come from all over!

Always a pleasure working with you and the team Kate, Welcome aboard!

Until next,