The questions we are actually asked, answered the way we would answer them on the phone. If yours is not here, ask us — we would rather have the conversation than write another paragraph.

Where we work

How far do you travel?
We are based at Mickfield, near Stowmarket. That puts most of Suffolk within forty minutes and reaches comfortably into Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. See Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

Do you cater weddings in marquees with no kitchen?
Yes — it is most of what we do. We bring a complete field kitchen: gas ovens and burners, our refrigerated van, our own water, wash-up and waste. If your field has nothing in it, that is the normal starting point.

What if our field is not a wedding venue at all?
That is fine, and often better. A family farm, a paddock or the bottom of a garden is the same job to us.

The practical side of a marquee

Do you bring your own power?
Less than you would think. The kitchen runs on gas — ovens, burners, hot cupboards — so the only thing we genuinely have to plug in is our refrigerated van. You will probably still need a generator for lighting, the band and the bar, but the catering is rarely the reason it has to be a big one. Because the kitchen is gas, we are not competing with the band or the lighting for a supply.

How much space do you need?
A reasonably level patch of ground for the kitchen tent, close to the marquee, with vehicle access to that point. Access matters more than distance — on wet ground, whether a van can reach the spot is what decides the morning.

What happens to the waste?
Grey water, food waste and packaging all leave with us. Nothing is tipped into a hedge and nothing is left for the farmer. The field is walked before we go.

What happens if it rains?
Every marquee booking gets a written wet-weather plan agreed in advance with you and the marquee company — where guests stand for canapés, how the walkway is covered, and what a barbecue menu becomes if it rains all morning. The decision is taken on the morning, not the night before.

Can you cook a three-course meal for a hundred and fifty in a field?
Yes. The failure mode is not the cooking, it is plates reaching the room in three waves, which is why our staffing ratio is what it is. See marquee wedding catering.

Food and dietary requirements

How do you handle vegan and vegetarian guests?
A vegan guest gets the full vegan menu — canapés, three courses and a dessert — not the main course with the meat removed. We have catered entirely vegan weddings.

And allergies?
Plated separately and labelled. Our kitchen handles all fourteen declared allergens and is not a nut-free or gluten-free environment, so we cannot guarantee any dish is free from traces. We ask for every dietary requirement in writing before the tasting.

Can we change the menus?
Yes. They are sample menus, not a fixed list, and most couples change two or three things. Some change everything, which is also fine.

Are you food hygiene rated?
Yes — 5 stars.

On the day

Do you provide staff to clear and wash up? Yes, and the wash-up comes with us. Nothing is left for the venue or the farmer. Should the speeches be before or after the meal? Before the meal makes the food better and the timings easier. Between courses makes both worse. We will build the running order either way, but that is the honest advice. Who will actually be there on the day? Sam Clifford runs operations. Simon Gomes, our head chef, is in the kitchen. You will have met both before the day. Can we see you working before we book? Yes. The Outlook at Fox’s Marina in Ipswich is our own café, bar and restaurant, and it is open to the public. Go and eat there.

Booking, payment and what is included

What does the price per head include?
The food and the people — ingredients sourced locally where the season allows, cooked on site, and the kitchen and front-of-house staff to serve it. Equipment hire is separate; see below.

Why is equipment hire not included?
Because couples increasingly want a particular look, and bundling a standard set of cutlery, crockery and linen into the price quietly takes that decision away from you. You choose your own, hired through the company we use, who quote you directly. More on what is included.

Are there hidden costs?
Not from us. Food and staff are the per-head figure and that figure is what you pay. The number that surprises people is equipment hire, particularly beyond the standard cutlery and crockery — not our charge, but we flag it early rather than let you find it late.

Is the tasting free?
It is chargeable, and the cost comes off your deposit if you go ahead and book.

When do we pay?
Enquiry, then a quote. A tasting if you want one. A deposit, which books the date. Then planning, and the final payment about six weeks before the day.

Do we have to choose from your published menus?
No. They are samples of what we can do, not a list to choose from. Pick from them, or build something around food you actually like — most couples do a bit of both.

Do you need a table plan?
Yes, particularly if anyone has a dietary requirement, because we need to know which seat rather than which table. We can help, and there are plenty of apps that do the donkey work.

Do we have to use you for the evening food as well?
No. We would be glad to do the whole day, but you are not tied to us for the evening. If you want something outside what we do, we will point you at people we have worked alongside and rate.

Drinks, corkage and the bar

Do you charge corkage?
No. You buy your own drinks and we do not take a cut of them.

Who serves the drinks?
Usually we do, as part of the day. If you would rather bring in an independent bar company, that is entirely fine and quite common. Where our staff are serving at your own bar, there is an hourly rate for those hours — it is the only additional charge and we set it out at the planning stage rather than at the end.

Can we put our drinks in your fridges?
No, and it is worth planning for early. Our refrigeration is full of your food. Drinks need at least twenty-four hours refrigerated before anyone drinks them, so arrange that with your marquee company or a hire fridge. There is nothing worse than a warm drink on a summer afternoon.

Equipment, and who provides what

Do you provide tables and chairs?
Your marquee company normally does — round, rectangular or rustic trestles — along with prep tables for the kitchen. That last one is easy to forget, so we check it with them directly.

Where does the crockery come from?
We hire kitchen equipment, crockery, cutlery and glassware through one company we use for every event. They deliver the day before, once the marquee is up, so we can set up properly rather than against the clock.

Does equipment hire cost extra?
It is a real cost and we are straight about it. It can quietly eat into your spend per head, which is why we would rather design a menu around your budget than sell you one that spends it on hire.

Who clears it all away?
Our staff stay to the end and clear down, stacking everything so the hire company can collect the next day. If you have a second day of celebrations we will arrange collection for a day that suits you.