However going back to Victorian times they were made at home, not purchased from the supermarkets or buying ready to go mixes as we do today, with all the ingredients being chopped and well mixed by hand, no mixers or blenders either, With this modern and convenience world we live in, even though they can be made months in advance, but the one tradition we all love is sprinkling our Christmas pudding with our favoured or dads brandy and lighting the pudding causing amazing flames over the pudding .

Christmas puddings that we enjoy these days are nothing like the first Christmas pudding recipes which date back to beyond the Middle Ages. They were well known as mince pie, which contained some great ingredients such as chopped, pheasant, rabbit, poultry and partridge. Then sometime later the more well-known ingredients were added such as apples, raisins, Sugar and the lovely candied fruits like orange and lemons we all love…. were added to the mixture.

Going back to the 14th century the traditional pudding looked more like a type of porridge which was made using local mutton, beef, currants, prunes, raisins and homemade wines and mixed spices. Traditionally this was eaten before the big celebrations. In 1595 it is believed that the recipe changed once again as spirits become more loved and added, combined with dried fruit, eggs and breadcrumbs. This is how it became Plum pudding.

King George is known to of announced in 1717 the pudding should only be eaten at Christmas, and thankfully by this time the Christmas pudding didn’t include any meat or game….

So as we all enjoy our Christmas pudding this year, we can all think about the traditional Christmas puddings life, and how it has changed over the years, where will you be buying your pudding this year?

As we all travel a lot further on our holidays to countries such as the Caribbean,Australia and New Zealand….along with some fantastic European destinations,our TV chefs and restaurants are now getting excited using local produce combined with amazing imported meats and seafood,some amazing fish such as Seabass which is now farmed like Salmon,but can be caught across the British coastline throughout the year,wild Seabass is an amazing fish to eat and cook with,and offers a lot larger fillets or supremes for chefs to create more dishes.

Over the years,we have become more aware of eating game in the winter months,and buying locally caught Pheasants and Deer, from our local farms.

Chefs just love great produce to cook with,and I love clients just telling me what they like,which then allows us to create an experience,cooking a well balanced meal in there home which they will always remember with our personal chefs

Creating an experience with fantastic fresh produce is so exciting,just look at the way food is loved in France,and for many years there chefs have always shared there passion and got excited,and hopefully as we approach a new year,the British menu will continue changing with some amazing produce hitting our coastline and farms,let’s enjoy and love our food more,and if you need someone to take away the hassles,and share the passion with you, let our personal chefs get excited with you.

In a recent survey 46% of people described their knowledge of nutrition and health as very good or good, with over 70% of correspondents thinking that woman are more knowledgable than men,when it comes to understanding the nutritional content.

1 in 5 questioned thought that fish & chips were healthy,with over 70% of people saying spaghetti bolognaise and homemade burgers were healthy,and 20% of people thinking pizzas were “fairly healthy”.

One really interesting finding was,83% of people believed that a meal containing meat,potatoes,and a couple of vegetables was a fairly healthy option when eating out.

Do we really need to go down this route in event catering? Would you want your guests to have the benefit of healthy choices and nutritional information,and would this be more important for company or corporate lunches? The numbers show us so far,the public don’t understand enough about what there eating.

At the crazy catering company,were proud to buy local produce and make all our food fresh, cooked by chefs at the venus,so at least our clients and guests can see what there eating,and we offer menus for all dietary requirements,which is essential these days.

Handy hints to get the party started

Question 1, What do people want to do?

Question 2, Do they want a party or a Christmas meal?

Question 3, Is it going to be a formal or informal party?

Question 4, Are you including partners in the numbers for the event?

Question 5, Where will you have it i.e marquee,venue or workplace?

Question 6, Are you going to theme the event?

Question7, What times the event going to take place,before or after work.

Once you have covered all these difficult questions and got some ideas,then you need to contact a party event catering specialist for advice,at The Crazy Catering Company we can offer some fantastic catering and party solutions for your Christmas party or company staff party,along with our partners at some fantastic local venues we work with across Cheshire and Warrington.

From sharing our amazing party catering packages, with entertainment packages with live bands including some fantastic local music artists to make your night the best,we can help you make this the best party ever,without you having the worry and stress…..

Next year,you’ll jump at the chance to party plan and work with the Crazy Catering Team once again……

Whole Spit Roasted Pig, Not a Hog Roast.....

We talk to people everyday that want a hog roast or do they,and then they ask the big question how much? but they don’t want a hog roast….what the actually want is a Spit Roast, so whats the difference and how much?

Price is the biggest difference and overall experience for most clients, and many clients don’t even relies until their big wedding day or event what they have actually booked is a whole pig cooked in a giant roasting tray…..not a spit roast

As the catering industry grows and recession hits,were finding lots of people go out to buy a cheap hog roast machines, and becoming hog roast companies without any catering qualifications, or knowledge of the catering industries basic standards, hence cost = value for money, or easiest option.

A Hog Roast is when a whole pig is roasted in a large roasting tray and served, losing the wow factor and theatre of seeing a whole pig being cooked, and turning for up to 6 hours on a large heavy steel spit roast,sharing those amazing roasting juices and seeing the amazing crackling popping,many cheaper companies just turn up an hour before service with a pig or meat already cooked for you, is that what you thought your hog roast was? we are aware of many companies in the Cheshire Hog Roast area doing this…….so always question what you are getting and will you see a pig…

A spit roast is the real thing,but does take many hours and time to prepare before set up & delivery to your event, as a spit roast is when the pig is placed on a heavy steel pole and clamped through its back with 2 large steel clamps to hold the pig as it cooks and turns along with 2 steel leg braces to secure the legs on the pole, as the pig cooked slowly for an average of 6 hours and shrinks, our chefs stop the pig as it turns to tighten the clamps securing the pig as it cooks which allows the pig to cook evenly and safely for our clients,once the pig is mounted in the oven we season the whole pig and check our motor works and the pig turns evenly within the oven chamber.

As the pig is fully cooked, our chefs lift the whole cooked spit roasted pig with its amazing crackling out of the oven and present on the stand, this is where the wow from the guests and you stand back and relies what you have actually paid for…..these are the moments guests talk about for weeks and years later, we often hear at events from guests “my mate had a hog roast, but it didn’t look like that” then we explain why a spit roast is different….

So how much is a hog roast? a lot cheaper than a spit roast

And hopefully you now know why, and can explain to your family and friends next time they book a cheap hog roast company, what are they actually getting for their money…..

The Crazy Catering Company send out a 20 point event check list which clearly states to all our clients what they get for their money and why before they book…

Before booking a hog roast ask your self these questions

1, What do I actually want?

2, How much do I want to spend £600.00 – £800.00

3, Do I want a Hog roast or spit roast?

4, Do I want a local hog roast person just to cook a pig or some meat for me?

5, Do I want professional catering company with proven track record to offer an spit roast experience and other menu options?

675g Diced Rump Steak
3 Onions
3tsp Chilli Olive Oil
1 Green Pepper
4 Large Potatoes
2 Cloves Garlic
2tsp Tomato Paste
2tsp Flour
400gm Chopped Tomatoes
250ml Beef Stock
1Fresh Bay Leaf
1tsp Paprika
Salt & Pepper to Season
200ml Sour Cream
1 Bunch Coriander

1. Heat your deep pan with chilli olive oil and add meat to hot oil and fry until meat is golden brown
2. Add Chopped onions, diced peppers, chopped garlic until soft and add tomato puree and flour
stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick to pan
3. Add beef stock. stir in well combining flours and tomato paste to thicken sauce
4. Add Diced Chopped Potatoes, bay leaf
5. Simmer on stove low heat for 2 ½ hours or add to casserole dish and bake for 2 hours on 160c
6. Check meat and season, add tomato paste to thicken further if required
7. Finish with chopped coriander and spooned sour cream on top of casserole

Over 12,000 tonnes of food is left on consumers plates every year….what a waste, certainly from my experience, there seems to be very few events throughout the year we have any wastage, it must be the fact our clients love our food…..

So just remember and think about those poor sprouts this christmas

As for many years, we have always expected to go along and enjoy the standard party buffet of sandwiches and pastry, with deep-fried platters, because that’s what caterers do, and that’s what everyone can afford.. Isn’t it?

Welcome to the day of fresh and attractive quality catering, amazing whole spit roasted pigs slowly cooked for 6 hours, offering a fantastic theater of food, as guests arrive, with a qualified chef standing there to present and serve the food looking amazing.

The catering industry is becoming overtaken by part time hog roast companies trying to achieve excellence on the cheap, almost like a man with a van; it’s a man with an oven scenario out there.

Offering a professional hog roast, cooked on site by a trained and fully insured team, does cost money, but what a great start, then the presentation and delivery to your guests is always remembered for many years, along with quality and consistency of the catering.

An average hog roast will feed over 150 people pending on the size you have paid for,and offers a great way to feed so many friends and guests at any event; these can also be combined with a whole lamb or goat roast, how amazing these both look as they turn on the spit roast slowly, just imagine the theatre as your 2 ovens on full view for your guest to stand there, and get that wow factor….

Such fantastic food, has become such an amazing success over the last 10 years, bearing in mind we have loved traditional hog roasts for thousands of years, so lets all say farewell to the classic buffet platter and hello too hog & lamb roast at the next party or company event.

As the guests arrived the chicken breasts were slowly cooking in a lovely Merlot red wine with shallots and mushrooms with fresh garlic, the aroma and theatre of the big pans cooking the main course was really amazing and attractive all the guests to watch there food being cooked, wedding catering cant get much more fun and theatre than this, along with there potatoes and fresh vegetables ready for service being placed hot into our silver serving dishes, fresh hot food at weddings………

Whilst all the food was almost ready for service, we had a 55kg whole pig slowly hog roasting on a spit roast for the evening, another touch of theatre for the wedding guests, can wedding catering get more interactive and fresh for the guests, as for much mass produced wedding catering at other venues and caterers offer, we love catering on site so our guests can see the food being cooked, and communicate with my team, I guess that’s what makes us different as well.

As the guests were busy meeting up in the bar area for drinks, my team were slowly producing some amazing fresh Eton Mess for dessert with fresh strawberries, blackberries, raspberries mixed well with meringue and freshly whipped cream, what a real wow as we presented them on the buffet later to the guests.

A sense of pride and satisfaction on such a special day to get so many compliments with regards to our quality and service from the guests, we had a great team that cleared all the tables of crockery and cutlery before the speeches so the wedding could get in full swing, and we could then set up for the night hog roast & salads buffet.

Wedding Bliss for Mr & Mrs Gatley as they loved there day and were getting excited for the hog roast as few hours later, catering done well is the only answer to wedding bliss, and you cant but a price on that can you…

What makes perfect weekend,a weekend of weddings,especially when your catering for your best childhood and school friends wedding, with a sit down meal of marinated chicken breast in red wine sauce, finished off with eton mess,and hog roast in the evening for all the late night wedding party guests.

Complimented with a complete event party package for a 21st birthday barbecue,with marquee and bar service to keep my guys busy,combined with a fantastic Greek themed barbecue party menu in Chester,and our weekly river cruise on the River for our client…..whilst one my personal chefs are busy preparing a 3 course sit down dinner party, for 8 ladies at there home on a hen party with there own personal butler…..I’m doing the wedding before anyone asks…

As for Sunday,I’ll be at Warrington Town catering for the youth team whilst we have 2 teams out catering for a christening and birthday party with a hog roast and chefs carvery….

Another mixture of great ingredients making us the north west number 1 event caterer for every occasion,the complete event catering supplier www.thecrazyhog.co.uk