Organising a beautiful three-course formal dinner involves six important steps. Let’s break it down.
1. Meeting final deadlines – Please make a note of deadlines as soon as you start planning your event.
15 working days before
Final guest numbers and menu choices need to be confirmed with your Event Coordinator. This is a crucial logistical deadline for kitchen planning, after which the minimum number of guests can’t be reduced and menus can’t be adjusted.
10 working days before
Your final deadline for dietary requirements, drinks orders, schedule and seating plan.
At this stage we will also need names of your guests and a seating plan, to help us ensure that your guest’s arrival on the day is seamless. Don’t worry, we’ll give you a template to help you organise all the information in one place.
2. Seating plan
The Exchange
The Assembly Room can hold up to nine round tables, with up to nine people seated per table, for a minimum of 40 and maximum of 81 guests. White linen napkins and black linen tablecloths are provided.
Create your seating plan, using the Assembly Room Seating Plan spreadsheet provided, to keep track of responses and calculate total costs.
The Great Hall
The Great Hall can hold up to 40 round tables, with 10 seats per table, for a minimum of 250 and maximum of 400 guests. White linen napkins and black linen tablecloths are provided.
Create your seating plan, using the Great Hall Seating Plan spreadsheet provided, to keep track of responses and calculate total costs.
3. Name place cards
Prepare name place cards for each guest, ready to put on tables according to the seating plan. Place cards are essential for catering staff, ensuring that the right meal is delivered to the correct guest and identifying those with specific dietary requirements.
You can create them yourself or request them for a fee.
4. Menus
Choose from one of our three menus: Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Each menu offers a selection of two starters (one of which is vegan); two main courses (one of which is vegan); and one dessert (which is always vegan to ensure it’s suitable for all guests).
We are unable to mix items from the different menus. However, we do provide a bespoke menu, with prices starting at £75pp, which includes a tasting session with one of our senior chefs. These can be arranged by contacting your Event Coordinator.
The catering team can make substitutions for specific dietary requirements so long as requests are made before the deadline.
5. Drinks
Order drinks, that will be served before and during the dinner, from the attached C&E Drinks Menu.
We can also provide a bar at a fee. Please speak to your Event Coordinator for further information.
6. Timings
All food must be served within a three-hour timeslot, including awards/speeches.
Plan your schedule, considering these minimum time scales required to serve, eat and clear each course:
Starter: Served no later than 7.45pm. Allow approximately 30 minutes.
Main course: Allow 45 minutes.
Dessert and coffee. Allow 30 minutes.
Factor in these timings when creating your event schedule to ensure a smooth and enjoyable dining experience for your guests.
We look forward to creating a wonderful event with you. Please remember to keep a close eye on deadlines and use the provided resources. Missed deadlines could lead to your event being cancelled.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to the to your Event Coordinator for clarification or guidance.