We are all fully recharged at Spitting Pig this week after enjoying a well deserved week off after such a busy summer season providing hog roast catering and spit roast catering in Gosmore and the surrounding home counties.
Although we never got to go any where nice and warm to soak up some last minute summer sun, it was nice to switch off and just take things easy and just chill out for one weekend after such a busy season.
It did give me a chance to catch up with some account work and it is good to be on top of things before we head into another busy few weeks around Halloween catering in Gosmore and bonfire night hog roasts in Potters Bar.
This weekend we had provided a hog roast party at a Sports Club it was a fancy dress party to celebrate Stephen’s 30th Birthday, and what better way could there be, than enjoy a succulent hog roast with crispy crackling with your best mates all wearing silly outfits. Our 50kg, English free range hog easily fed the 100 hungry guests and the comments on the golden and scrumptious, crunchy crackling was mentioned so many times i would be a rich man if given a pound for each favourable comment.
We were also out and about hog roast catering in London Colney, near St.Albans.
Matt was hosting a fairly early spit roast party for close friends at his home before they all set off in limo’s heading to party on all night in London.
We provided our ever popular hog roast Gosmore party menu No three; an informal hog roast buffet with of course one of our free range English hogs with the most sweet and moist pork you could ever taste and this is served with the crunchiest golden crispy crackling. With our array of four freshly made salads and hot new potatoes with fresh mint, that our chefs prepare on site which are full of flavour and colour, this meal really is a winner at all parties it is probably the most cost effective solution to feeding all your friends at your party or hog roast corporate event. It really is a treat your guests will remember for a long time.
It was a slightly different wedding and we were looking forward to it in anticipation !!
The happy couple are Pagans and being like most people, we had no idea what to expect….. You here of all kinds of strange goings on in religion and beliefs and so a little research before hand and we were wiser. Although Paganism covers a wide spectrum of ideas, these elements sum up the beliefs of the majority. The recognition of the divine in nature is at the heart of Pagan belief. Pagans are deeply aware of the natural world and see the power of the divine in the ongoing cycle of life and death. Most Pagans are eco-friendly, seeking to live in a way that minimises harm to the natural environment. Pagans worship the divine in many different forms, through feminine as well as masculine imagery and also as without gender. The most important and widely recognised of these are the God and Goddess (or pantheons of God and Goddesses) whose annual cycle of procreation, giving birth and dying defines the Pagan year. Paganism strongly emphasises equality of the sexes.
Women play a prominent role in the modern Pagan movement, and Goddess worship features in most Pagan ceremonies.
Pagan wedding ceremonies are called hand fasting’s and mark the coming together of two people in a formal, loving and equal sexual partnership. Pagans take the swearing of oaths very seriously indeed and believe it important that they articulate the sincere, considered intentions of the individuals concerned rather than merely repeating a standard formula. Accordingly, the vows a couple will swear to each other before their Gods and Goddesses during a hand fasting will be carefully discussed and decided upon by them beforehand, in consultation with the Priestess and/or Priest who will officiate at the ceremony.
We set up our hog roast Gosmore equipment and started the cooking process about six hours before the serve time,
The Bridesmaids were busy decorating the hall with bunting. Each table had a gift of a pot of organic home made jam for each guest and the tables were laid with an assortment of china tea cups and saucers and pretty little tea pots. This was for a cuppa tea after the meal.
The hall looked fantastic and was very similar to a wedding we catered for early in the year for a hog roast wedding in Camden. The photo’s will be available in our gallery soon we hope.
As the hog slowly roasted over the flames, the aroma of the sweet smell of pork filled the garden and hall and we were already getting guests coming out and asking when will it be ready !!
The wedding was a simple ceremony conducted by i guess a druid or priest
and although we did not see the actual ceremony as it was held indoors as the weather was awful, we heard a lot of bell ringing and cheering.
I believe that at the end of the ceremony, the newly wed couple jump over a broomstick held horizontally in front of them while their hands are bound (hand fasting, thus crossing the symbolic boundary between their old lives and their new, shared, one. As with most Pagan rituals, a hand fasting will be followed by feasting and celebration by the company.
The newly wed couple and their guests drank champagne and nibbled on canapé’s and then after the photo’s they took their places at the lovely decorated tables.
We served the guests their hog roast feast with our usual accompanying range of tasty salads and hot new potatoes in herb butter.
The crunchy golden crackling was as usual a big hit with every body and guests wandered out for seconds and thirds.
As we cleaned our machines and loaded our van, the rain hammered down and gave us a last minute soaking. (This has become quite common this year…. There seems to be no end of this wet and dreary weather).
The party was in full swing and the guests were dancing the night away.
I must say it was a pleasure to be involved with the wedding and to learn a little of the Pagan beliefs.
After arriving home in the dark late hours, we unloaded the vans at our unit before retiring in front of the fire with a nice glass of red wine.
Another successful weekend for Spitting Pig providing first class quality hog roast catering.