FOOD & DRINK W H AT ’ S M A K I N G T H E G O U R M E T N E W S I N B R I S T O L
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Pete and Jo Cranston run Queen & Whippet, an event catering company serving Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. Pete’s the chef, and Jo’s the events expert . . .
he charming name of the company has a family connection. “My grandfather was a publican who ran many pubs around Bristol in the ’60s and ’70s,” says Jo. “He was a wonderful host, and we wanted to keep a bit of his spirit by having a pub-style name.” Where did Pete learn cheffing skills? Pete trained as a chef in Belfast 20 years ago before moving to Edinburgh to sharpen his skills in some of the best fine-dining restaurants there. Having also taken a photography degree, he worked in London as a food stylist before Bristol and event catering called. How our dishes are presented is really important to us, and we love posting food shots on our Instagram feed, @queenandwhippet. Would you agree that catering standards have risen due to more discerning diners? Absolutely. The Bristol restaurant scene sets incredibly high standards for quality and innovation, and we translate that high benchmark to event catering. Great food is integral to how Bristolians socialise, so we know how important it is for the menus to be just as exciting when people host their own events. 46 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
What’s the minimum and maximum number of people you can cater for? We recently catered for a secret wedding – a fine-dining tasting menu for just the couple and two witnesses. There’s no upper limit to numbers; my event management background means that I’ve got the logistical know-how to scale up to whatever clients need. Our corporate events can be for 500 or more. Do you specialise in any particular style of catering? We work across private and corporate event catering, and our style is high-end but relaxed. Lots of our menus are designed for sharing, and we’ve incorporated some influences from our travels while being faithful to our West Country produce. Tell us about a recent event Bristol companies seem particularly good at putting on a party for their staff! We recently enjoyed catering for a local firm who treated their staff to a Wizard of Oz party, where our catering theme was ‘Eat The Rainbow’ and the spread of colours across the menu was beautiful. How do you construct your menus? Starting with each style of eating – plated, sharing, barbecue and grazing – we talk
to our producers, look at what’s in season and get busy in our testing kitchen. Our clients bring so much to the table and we love incorporating their ideas. Often, our wedding couples want to include their favourites dishes or showcase their cultural backgrounds in their menus. It’s vital to us that we’re able to cater for any dietary restrictions in an imaginative way, which is why we’ve created menus such as vegan street food, and gourmet gluten-free barbecue. What’s currently your favourite thing on the menu? There’s a 12-hour birch-smoked beef brisket with a damson glaze on our barbecue menu which is Pete’s favourite. I’m a dessert gal, so it’s got to be the Pimm’s jelly with kale and blackcurrant sorbet and strawberry shortcake crumb from our plated menu. It looks so pretty, too! Got any exciting plans for the future? We’re planning a series of supper clubs in Bristol inviting our favourite local producers to showcase how our food goes from field to plate with each season. For more: www.queenandwhippet.com