Apart from the summer months, November and December are our busiest times of the year. Most weekends were booked up way in advance with people planning their Work Christmas Parties or Family get-togethers. Hog Roasts have long been a tradition in many a country including America where it is traditional to have a hog roast at Thanks Giving and in Cuba where they spit roast pigs on Christmas Eve. It has also become a British tradition with the hog roast being an important centre piece for many an occasion including weddings, birthdays and of course, Christmas Parties!
I’ve mentioned before that we offer alternatives to the much loved hog roast i.e. Spit roasted chickens, beef and the ever popular spit roasted lamb but we mustn’t forget the more quirky menus such as spit roasted piri piri chicken, jerk chicken and the turkey roast which is the favourite with those booking both private and corporate Christmas events. This year in particular, we have been extremely busy with bookings for turkey roasts. The menu is very traditional but has a good twist – everything is served within a large floured bap! That includes the stuffing, pigs in blankets and a drizzle of Christmas gravy.
Towards the end of November we started to notice how busy the weekends were. On one weekend in particular, we had 7 bookings in varying locations including Bath, Bristol and Gloucestershire. The majority were Christmas Parties but there was also a wedding. Winter weddings are becoming increasingly popular. Venues tend to be more reasonably priced during the winter and some people prefer the crisp winter days, Christmas themed decorations and warm open fires to the warm summer days and predictable weather.
We also found that during December people tended to book during the week as well as the weekends. This is mainly because of the increase in corporate events like Christmas Parties for office staff and festive open days held to thank customers for their loyalty over the past year. This is great for us as a catering business because Monday – Friday is normally rather quiet, with the majority of our bookings taking place over the weekend. Our core members of staff are also happy as an increase in Christmas bookings normally means an increase in tips!
Towards the end of December things get really hectic in any catering business. I’m sure all those who work in the industry will agree that, although you attend many a Christmas Party, you tend not to have time for your own but to be honest, after your 40th spit roasted turkey; the very last thing on your mind is a sit down Christmas meal! I know I’d prefer to head down to the pub for a couple of drinks!
Looking back on the New Year, we had even more bookings for New Years Eve and then again for New Years Day! These events were great fun with large parties booking Hog Roasts for their guests. We had one party for 300 and another for 600 but whether you are catering for 50 or 500, you can’t go wrong with a hog roast. They are easy to serve, make a great centre piece and the aromas are unbeatable. We often have people queuing up for thirds!