Latest News - Red Radish

Thank you for giving us the Perfect French Riviera Wedding and Venue

Henrik and I got married on the French Riviera in September (check out the photos) this year and organized us the perfect wedding and venue in just 6 weeks! Wayne and Lucy have been instrumental in the planning and organisation that made it happen… It truly was the BEST DAY of our lives and the most magical wedding ever!!!

Villa Aurita is just such a perfect venue to have the wedding dinner and party and the fact that the caterers (Red Radish) actually live not only on the French Riviera but also in the villa made it so much easier. We rented it for three days, (Villa Aurita is also a boutique Bed and Breakfast) had our closest family and friends staying with us in the venue and the rest in the Campanile hotel literally 5 minute walking from the villa. We had a BBQ the next day, enjoyed the pool, our guest said it was the best wedding they had ever gone to… and they didn’t just say it to be nice!

Lucy is a fantastic chef, she understood what kind of food we liked; we didn’t change a thing to the menu she suggested. We had guests from all over the world, from Argentina to Finland and Cameroon We were 41 people, everyone was served at the same time. We all loved the food!!!

Wayne is incredibly professional, knows his business inside out. He has a great team working with him who took care of absolutely everything on the big day which made it a stress-free day. We really felt like everything was under control and we didn’t have to worry about anything.

Laure and Henrik Moe (Miami)

Jan 10, 2013

| in Latest News, Weddings, What our clients said

I really can’t recommend the Red Radish team enough!

We had Red Radish come and do the back stage catering at our music festival at Hampton Court Palace. They had to contend with hungry crew, demanding artists and despite my best efforts to sort out quantities, a number of unforeseen extras. However, regardless of what we threw at them, Louise, Wayne and the team were always more than happy to help. The food was always of an excellent standard and the service was warm and friendly. I really can’t recommend the Red Radish team highly enough!

Kind regards

Suzy Griffiths

Events Producer

www.pwrevents.com

Jan 10, 2013

| in Festivals, What our clients said

Craft Services and location Catering in France and the UK

For those who have never been lucky enough to go on a UK, European or US film or television set, there’s big a difference between movie catering and craft service. People might not know what Craft Services are but at Red Radish we can guarantee that they are an essential part of a successful location and movie catering and production. Whilst location catering handles the BIG meals like lunch and dinner, craft services provide the snacks and drinks that are always available to the crew while they’re filming. This can be anything from regular cups of tea and biscuits and sandwiches (on a low-budget indie feature) up to to an elaborate macrobiotic feast with organic everything and sustainable sushi (on a Brad Pitt blockbuster).

Whatever your budget and choice the team at Red Radish will make sure everyone feels happy and well catered for at the end of every day. Quite simply we just would not take the job unless we could deliver the goods and the smiles! Poor quality catering and craft services is the single biggest source of complaints on any given production, so producers and production companies will often spend a lot of time and effort looking for a top-notch caterer and craft service company like us. But like all businesses and within any price range, there are better and worse catering companies for the job so just be careful of who you choose and make sure you always take out a few references from past satisfied clients.

This is our basic list but obviously it can be adjusted to suit all budget and dietary requirments!

Breakfast/Call time

Selection of Mini Croissants and Pastries

Homemade Mini Breakfast Muffins

Homemade Mini Sausage Rolls

Free- range Scrambled Eggs

Selection of Bread

Slices of Ham

Craft Menu All Day

Nespresso of freshly brewed Coffee and Cappuccinos

Regular Tea and Herbal Teas

Orange Juice and Bottled Water

Fresh Fruit Basket

Fruit Platters

Freshly Cut Vegetables and dips

Mints and Chewing Gum

Selection of Sweets and Chocolates

Fresh lemon and Ginger

Dried Fruits and Nuts

Basic First Aid Kit

Hand Sanitiser

And wherever Possible – Newspapers and Fresh Flowers

Jan 09, 2013

| in Film, TV and Location, Latest News

Planning your French Riviera Wedding Menu

This is just one of a small selection of wedding menus available if you are planning on getting married in the South of France and are looking for an English Speaking catering company or wedding planner. A French Riviera wedding need not just be a dream and we would love to help make it easy by using our vast experience and contacts to organise your perfect Provençal wedding. We are happy to help plan everything from your wedding photographer, right through to marquee hire, the venue and even a vicar to perform your wedding blessing or ceremony. We hope this menu gives you a few food idea and please don’t forget to look around the rest of our site for more food inspiration.

Wedding Menu

Canapés

Lemongrass chicken skewers in Satay sauce

Cumin marinated Lamb skewer, apricot & cherry tomato

Caramelised onion and Roquefort tartlets

Wholegrain & honey glazed pork sausages

Thai fish cakes & sweet chilli

Cod cakes with tartare sauce

Summer roll (rice paper) with tofu, peanut, chilli, cucumber & coriander

Lemon marinated tortellini with basil and sundried tomato

Filo pastry baskets with Satay chicken and toasted sesame seeds

Spring rolls with sweet chilli

Filo pastry baskets with smoked salmon, lime and cracked black pepper

Mini prawn cocktails

Crab cakes with a dipping sauce

Starter

Roasted beetroot and goats cheese salad with local figs and warm vinaigrette

Goat’s cheese and caramelised onion on puff pastry tart with a mesculun salad and balsamic reduction dressing

Twice baked goats cheese soufflé with a mesculun salad and balsamic reduction dressing

A slice of goat’s cheese and mushroom quiche with a mesculun salad and balsamic reduction dressing

Main Course

Lamb shanks in a rich red wine and redcurrant sauce

Slow cooked shoulder of lamb marinated in white wine and Herb de Provence

Rack of Lamb with pancetta red wine and rosemary

Pork loin with belly and caramelised apples and Normandy cider jus

Magret de Canard infused with lavender with a honey and fig sauce

Duck leg confit style

Vegetarian option

Melanzane Parmigiana – aubergine, parmesan & mozzarella bake with tomato & basil

Lasagne of butternut squash, spinach, ricotta & pine nut

Accompanied by

Dauphinoise potatoes

Boulangére potatoes

Roast potatoes with thyme & garlic

Lemon thyme roast new potatoes

Ratatouille

Honey Roasted carrots

Green beans in lemon and butter

Puree of minted peas

Followed by a trio of mini Puddings
choosen from

Rhubarb crumble

Chocolate profiteroles

Rich chocolate brownies

Strawberry with lime and mint skewers

Eton mess

Pannacotta with caramel or mango sauce

Lemon tart

Chocolate and pear tart

Almond and raspberry tart

Warm chocolate fondant

Lemon meringue pie

Jan 09, 2013

| in Latest news Archive, Weddings

Catering for the MIDEM Madness in Cannes

Our chefs are busy preparing to cater for the MADNESS of the 2013 MIDEM festival in Cannes. The first events and parties start at the end of January and there are some great acts lined up and heading to the French Riviera. Artists at this B2B event include not only the Legendary London SKA band Madness but also lots of great up and coming talent too. We have got a couple of nice catered Champagne and canapés receptions planned and also an upscale party on a luxury yacht where we will be supplying everything from the dinner, to the DJ , the vino to the venue and of course the delivery and serving of just about the best Canapés in Cannes.

No job is ever too big nor too small for the team at Red Radish and as an established catering company organising parties and events right across Europe we can provide you service and a free quotation in just about any language. –

Call us now on +33 686 795 684 or send an email and we will get straight back to you.

Jan 08, 2013

| in Cannes, Corporate, Latest News

What does Craft Services mean on a Film or TV location?

So, what exactly are Craft Services? In movie, TV or video production, craft service (UK, France and Europe) or crafty (USA) refers to the department that provides food service, buffet style snacks and drinks and hot beverages to the other departments or crafts. The crafts in film usually refers to departments such as camera, sound, electricians, grips, props, art director, set decorator, hair and makeup. Hence the term CRAFT SERVICES.

Whilst Red Radish can provide both there is a big difference between crafts service and the regular location catering we provide across France and the UK. When catering we usually bring in a catering truck or marquee and our chefs and crew base themselves there and cook the regular hot sit down meals that the film crew require and are entitled to every six hours when working on location. This usually last between thirty minutes and an hour unless of course you are in France where lunch can often take a little longer! Good food is more often than not the single most important meaning of a happy crew on location.

Crafts service is a lot different and can often be a crew position from within the movie production team, although most decent sized UK and French production companies these days bring in an outside caterer like Red Radish. Usually there are one or two craft service stations, set up on manned tables with a wide display of snacks and drinks available to keep everyone fed and happy during the day or night filming. The food provided can vary widely with low budget productions often offering very limited food. Generally though (and especially at Red Radish!) a craft service table will offer generous food, fresh fruit and drinks plus lots of other goodies such as homemade cakes and delicious sandwiches and cookies. Great coffee is also an important part of the Red Radish craft Services table. The craft service tables can often be asked to move around the set so at short notice so it is essential that all our team are fit, strong and very responsive to the heavy demands of a film location.

Jan 08, 2013

| in Film, TV and Location, Latest news Archive

Wedding Venues and getting married on the French Riviera

One of our favourite French Riviera Weddings that we planned and catered for in 2012 was in a beautiful Provencal vineyard called Chateau de Saint Martin. It was a spectacular wedding venue for the wonderful bride and groom who had always planned on hosting a spectacular Riviera wedding and marrying in the South of France. The privately owned property which is just 50 minutes from the beaches of St Tropez and close to so many beautiful French villages was ideal for the 120 guests that enjoyed our usual high standard of wedding catering and service alongside some outstanding rosé wines provided by the vineyard.

This particular wedding was a bit of a joint venture as we helped the bride and groom view countless possible venues with everything from private villas, to chapels, vineyards and even full on beach and waterside restaurants right along the coast between Nice, Cannes and as far down as St Tropez. In the end we feel sure they made the right choice in selecting Chateau de Saint Martin and we were simply delighted to be part of their organising team on their special day.

Of course, once the venue had been selected we got down to planning the food for the wedding party and here you can see some of the great menu choices that the bride and groom had to select from. If you plan on getting married in Provence then make sure you give us a call on +44 7632 427033

Jan 03, 2013

| in Latest news Archive, Weddings

French Riviera Catering Companies and our story

People often ask about the story of Red Radish and how an English chef and her partner ended up being based in France running one of the most established event management and catering companies on the French Riviera. Apart from our obvious love of Cannes (think Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals), St Tropez (think sexy yachts and showbiz parties) and the rest of the Côte d’Azur (don’t think – just soak up the French Riviera sun, the rosé and the company) it all started back in 2001 when we decided to leave the UK to start a new life in France. As a country France just seemed to have everything to offer and could not only cater for our needs but also those of our crew of five small children.

We had always loved the French Alps having previously lived there for a couple of ski seasons, where as well as skiing we had been organisers/caterers at the occasional small private party, wedding or various receptions. Lucy had also previously worked in the UK as a private chef cooking at intimate dinner parties for friends but we certainly never imagined running a catering company that would end up as organisers of everything from lavish weddings in St Tropez, parties on super yachts and even catering for the crew and artists at music festivals such as Glastonbury and the Electric Picnic in Dublin.

We just love the variation of our business and the clients we meet and ALWAYS not only enjoy but also guarantee exactly the same quality and service for everything we do. Be it a small private dinner for six or an event at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes or Hampton Court Palace in London we take the same pride and care in what we do! Ultimately we are simply a pair of foodies who also love great service. Over a couple of blogs I will endeavour to tell a bit more about the Red Radish story and the journey that lead us to become an established and successful catering company working right across France, the UK and Europe.

Sep 14, 2012

| in Latest news Archive

Canapés and Bowl Food Catering for Cannes Boat Show

The Cannes Boat Show arrives in Cannes this week amid a flurry of set building and marquee companies doing a great job setting the scene for this annual yachting event. Being one of the few local Cannes based catering companies speaking both English and French, Red Radish are already committed to catering for a number of parties and receptions during the five day long festival attended by most of the big names in yachting including UK based companies Sunseeker and Camper & Nicholsons International.

As well as the fully catered parties where we will be providing everything from waiters and waitresses, equipment hire, a DJ and obviously some great canapés and a buffet, there are also a couple of simple receptions where there will be a quick and efficient delivery of our great canapés along, of course, with the obvious obligatory cases of chilled champagne. All in all an exciting few days ahead before we then move on to the Monaco boat show which kicks off on the 19th September2012

The Palais du Festival might not be every one’s architectural ‘cup of tea’ but it has to be said that when the sun is shining and the boats are bobbing gently on the water there are not many better places to hold an event or reception to promote your luxury products. We chose our French base here in Cannes because we absolutely adore everything about the place and although we are looking to be very busy at this year’s boat show we are still able to help with any last minute deliveries of either food or equipment. So if you need an HONEST, EXCELLENT and RELIABLE catering company email Red Radish today.

NB: If the boats (or maybe even the show!) is out of your budget then why not take a peek from the Cannes Ferry that runs regularly between Cannes and the Islands just a few kilometres away – Riviera Lines (www.riviera-lines.com) and Trans Côte d’Azur (www.trans-cote-azur.com) run regular trips from Cannes to Ile Ste-Marguérite. Return fares: €12 adults, €7.50 children aged 5-10, €11 children aged 11-14, over-65s and students). Prices are often cheaper if booked ahead on the internet.

Sep 11, 2012

| in Cannes, Latest News, Provisioning, Yachts

UK Backstage catering at it’s best!

This is what Joe Malik from 24:7 Media and Events had to say about Red Radish when we did the catering and backstage riders for six of his bands (including Razorlight and Texas) at a recent weekend festival.

“Mate, what a legend you are!

What can I say, you, your wife, daughters & whole team were superb this weekend.

I can’t thank you enough for being so flexible, efficient & so dammed nice with it.

Above all your food was spot on & you got my band riders just as asked.

I so hope our paths cross again & we get the chance to work together again really soon.”

Footnote: We have to balance this out and say that this was made slightly easy by the fact that Joe and his gang were the some of the nicest and easiest clients we have had in ages!

Sep 10, 2012

| in Festivals, What our clients said