Savouring April: This month's roundup
After 5 Recap
Earlier this month we collaborated with The Wellington Chamber of Commerce to host their Business After 5 event, for our industry partners to experience Food Envy, Glou Glou and The Atrium’s hospitality and venue offering.
Our teams at Food Envy and Glou Glou came together to put on an evening of food and drinks in The Atrium, showcasing what can be possible. We loved being able to demonstrate our combined capabilities in The Atrium. On arrival, the guests entered through Glou Glou and picked up a glass of sparkling, then moved into The Atrium to mingle where the bar, snacks and stage were set up for speeches.
Mas Candí Corpinnat Brut Nature and Wildman Astrobunny Pét Nat on arrival
To kick off food service, our chefs served up canapés, followed by more substantial morsels - ‘dirty’ cheeseburger sliders, buttermilk fried chicken sliders, and Kiwi beetroot sliders.
Bespoke food stations were set up - a Nori Taco Bar with wagyu beef rub and teriyaki tofu, and a Dessert Bar - featuring Basque cheesecake and sweet treats with fresh fruit and berries.
At the end of the night, guests were gifted with a Glou Glou almond croissant to take home.
Spiced cured trevally, chilli jam mayo, chickpea waffle
Beetroot and mandarin tartare, seeded cracker
‘Dirty’ cheeseburger slider
Basque cheesecake, hokey pokey, marbled pavlova, macaron, truffle, lemon curd, chocolate mousse, fig, berries
‘Boil Up’ dumpling, crispy prosciutto, watercress oil
The Atrium with lighting, stage and AV set up
Chicken tsukune (glazed Japanese chicken meatball, sesame)
We’re all incredibly proud of the evening as it was a demonstration of our expert ability to create elevated events with The Atrium. We had a lot of fun showcasing what we do best, but also couldn’t have achieved it without the generous sponsorship from our industry partners. So lastly, we want to take a moment to thank these incredible businesses, producers and people who contributed!
Wine: Wine Sentience
Beer: Double Vision Brewing
Produce: Capital Produce
Meat: PrimeStar Foods
Seafood: Fish Factory Wholesale
Suppliers: Gilmours Wholesale Medi Foods
Audio/Visual: AV Media
Equipment Hire: Hiremaster
Venue: The Exchange
Giveaways: Coffee Supreme Mills Albert Wellington Saints
Print: The Big Picture
Like what you see?
If you like what you see and can imagine your own event in The Atrium, check out our Events page to explore our event services. Find out more to get in touch with our Events Team and make your next event a reality.
How to choose from our Event Packages
When you enquire with Food Envy for an event, the team will present you with our packages - special pricing only available for full serviced events. In this article, we cover Food Envy’s Event and Wedding Packages in more detail.
Our packages are designed to include the staff and equipment required for the event at a competitive price point without compromising on quality or service. Each package is charged at a per person rate, and can be combined with a Beverage Package or another Food Service Package to complete the event. Here’s a run down of our package styles and how to choose the right one for your event.
Canapés
Canapé Packages
Canapés are small 1-2 bite morsels, passed around to your guests by our waiters. Canapé Packages are priced by the hour and are suitable for:
Serving your guests on arrival
Serving as a light snack
Shorter events or standing only venues
Serving as an entrée before mains
Serving after a wedding ceremony
Networking and corporate events
Galleries, book launches or art shows
Pros: Guests are free to grab a drink and socialise while canapés are served around the room by roaming waiters. They are an elegant option for formal events but equally suit informal settings with the flexibility to set platters of canapés on tables for self-service as well. Cutlery and crockery aren’t required for canapés so clean up and equipment costs are lower.
Cons: There can be some concerns with making sure everyone has enough to eat, especially for events with alcohol. If the venue is small and cramped, waiters may struggle to get through a crowd to evenly distribute the food, but we have ways to get around this! Similarly, individual dietary requirements (although not impossible to accommodate) can be tricky to navigate in a crowd.
Choose a Canapé Package if… You want guests to enjoy a light snack while standing and mingling, or if you are planning an event that doesn’t require a full seated meal.
Plated
Plated Packages
Plated Packages are for seated events where our waiters serve individually plated dishes to each guest.
A plated service usually consists of two or three courses, an entrée and main or dessert, with the option to serve alternate drop – two dishes served alternatively around the table where guests can swap amongst themselves. Plated Packages suit:
More formal style events
Galas and award dinners
Weddings
Charity events and fundraisers
Pros: Guests stay seated for the duration of the service, and everyone generally eats at the same time since there’s no need to get up and queue for food. There’s less chance of food waste as the exact number of dishes are plated according to the headcount and dietary requirements can be accommodated in advance.
Cons: A plated service typically requires more wait staff and chefs to execute which increases the cost, especially if an alternate drop menu is selected. It can also feel limiting in what you offer your guests compared to a buffet with a wider selection of mains and sides on offer.
Choose a Plated Package if… You want to bring a level of sophistication to your event! If your wedding is held in an elegant venue or your event is black tie, then a plated service will further elevate your event and leave a lasting impression.
Family Style
Family Style Packages
Our Family Style Packages are the most popular, and for good reason. A family style service replicates a family dinner, where shared platters are placed in the middle of the table, along with serving utensils for each dish. Family Style Packages are popular with:
Weddings
Birthdays and special occasions
Celebrations with friends and family
Pros: Guests stay seated at the table and get to pick and choose from the dishes they prefer, accommodating a wider range of food preferences and dietary requirements. It’s a great social option as it naturally encourages social interaction and conversation between table mates.
Cons: There will always be guests who eat more (or less!) than the planned portion size so there is a balancing act to selecting a suitable menu. Table settings and decorations also need to be carefully considered as the platters and utensils need ample space in the middle of the table.
Choose a Family Style Package if… You want a more relaxed alternative to a plated meal, but want that next level up from a buffet.
Buffet
Buffet Packages
A buffet is a long table set up with food close to your dining tables. They are a firm favourite for informal events but still remains a very popular choice for budget conscious weddings. However, events of all shapes and sizes choose buffets even though they are considered a more casual style service!
We offer two types of Buffet Packages:
Buffet FOH ONLY - where the food is prepared at Food Envy HQ then delivered hot and ready to serve by our front of house team;
Buffet FULL SERVICE - where a full kitchen team prepares the food at the venue and is served by our front of house team.
Pros: Buffets provide guests with lots of options and the freedom to go back and forth as often as they like. Our buffet packages are very cost effective, especially if the venue is in the Wellington region, where we can deliver from our kitchen straight to your buffet table, removing the need for chefs and kitchen staff.
Cons: There is little portion control with a self-service buffet since there’s more freedom for guests to fill their plates. Guests need to get up from the table to queue for food and it can take some time to get through all the tables. The buffet set up can also take up a lot of room so isn’t ideal for venues tight on space.
Choose a Buffet Package if… You have a tight budget but would like to offer a generous meal and variety of choices for your guests.
Need catering for an event?
The only way to take advantage of our exclusive pricing is to select from one of our Event Packages.
If you’re still a bit stuck on what style of service is right for your event, get in touch with us and our Event Managers can recommend the best fit for you and your guests.
New Job Vacancy
We have a new role to add to our vacancies.
Chef de Partie
Chef de Partie wanted to join our vibrant kitchen team. This role offers experience in an established state of the art catering kitchen and the opportunity to contribute your skills to both catering production and food service for events at prominent venues all around Wellington.
In this role, you can expect to work primarily on weekdays, with occasional shifts scheduled for evenings and weekends. This role offers excellent career advancement opportunities, enabling you to enhance your specialised skills and knowledge as you refine your craft.
Full time 40 hours, based on a 7 day roster.
Responsibilities:
Preparing, cooking and presenting high quality dishes within a specialty section
Assisting the head chef and sous chef in creating menu items, recipes and developing dishes
Preparing meat and fish
Assisting with management of health and safety, food and hygiene practices
Assisting with management of Commi Chefs
Overseeing the maintenance of kitchen and food safety standards
Managing portion, waste control & ordering. Monitoring stock & ingredients within the kitchen and reporting any shortages to your manager.
Requirements for this position:
Minimum of 3 years of industry experience, with 1 year of relevant experience
Awareness of manual handling, control of substances hazardous to health regulations and chemical safety
Experience in use of kitchen equipment including dangerous equipment such as knives
Understandable level of English, spoken and written
Food safety certificate
Team player qualities, positive and approachable manner
Adaptability to change and willingness to embrace new ideas and processes
To apply, please send your CV and a brief cover letter highlighting why you're the perfect fit for the Chef de Partie position at Food Envy to jobs@foodenvy.nz
Please note - We can only consider candidates with eligible visas and are unable to offer sponsorships.
Front of House – Casual positions
We are still always looking for people to come on board as casual front of house staff!
If you are looking for a way to get some extra work in a fun, friendly and supportive environment, contact us - we would love to meet you! Email jobs@foodenvy.nz with your CV and a bit about you to apply.