As regular readers willย know, Renay and I were married last weekend. We chose The Old Breweryย on the Swan River for several reasons – of course the food had to be outstanding, but most importantly weย wanted to have theย ceremony by the river and in the same location as the reception, which was to be an intimate lunch for thirty guests.
We had eaten there on several occasions, and had some very decent steaks – on par with, if not better than, Rockpool. Theย Old Brewery also won Wedding Caterer of the Year at the WA Restaurant and Catering Industry Awards in 2009 & 2013, so we had high expectations. As with all weddings there was plenty of planning to be done, and I spent a considerable amount of timeย choosingย the food & wine for the day!
Our ceremony was held on the lawn outside the restaurant, so our guests were able toย head straight into the function room forย food & drink once the ceremony was finished, while we braved the cold wind to haveย photographs taken (I don’t understand weddings were the guests are left to fend for themselves for hours).
During this time canapes were provided – vegetarian spring rolls, caramelised onion & feta tarts, hot sugar-glazed pork skewers and chorizo & manchego cheese croquettes. Unfortunately I was stuck in front of a cameraย while our guests were chomping away on these, although I did get to taste the croquettes and spring rolls which were quiteย delicious.
We offered a choice of two entrees – chorizo & pumpkin soup or roast capsicum, asparagus & goats cheese quiche with baby spinach and balsamic reduction. I had the soup, which was surprisingly spicy and very nice indeed – and offered some welcome warmth.
I didn’t get to try the quiche, although it wasย very popular amongst the guests.
For main course we offered a choice of chicken breast, vegetarian curry and two cuts of steak – eye fillet or Wagyu scotch fillet.
The chicken breastย might not look exciting, but it was very tasty and surprisingly moist. We had two children amongst the guests and their meals were bought out first, which really impressed the parents as it gave the children plenty ofย time to eat. This was a nice touch, and the service throughout our whole reception was friendly, attentive and prompt. We hadย a dedicatedย function manager, and even the Chef came out of the kitchen to introduce himself to me before the eventย started.
About half of our guests – including me – chose the Wagyu scotch fillet, whichย was beautifully cooked and just melted in the mouth. Very generous portions, too.
A great aspect of the meal – and one that most of the guests raved about – was the selection of side dishes that were very served toย the table. There was enough variety (and quantity) to make a meal out of the sides alone. How could I resistย grain mustard & cheddar coleslaw and sauteed broccolini?
Potato gratin.
The ridiculously large onion rings were very popular with the guests.
Chips! Garden salad and buttered vegetables completed the selection of side dishes.
Sauces – bernaise, pepper & mushroom – wereย also served. I was very impressed with the quality – and once again, generous quantity – of the sauces provided.
Our beautiful wedding cake was provided by Nadine from Swan Valley Cakes, who wasย a delight to work with. We decided on a light sponge cake, the topย tier being chocolate sponge with chocolate buttercream filling and the bottomย being lemon sponge with passionfruit buttercream filling.
We servedย our wedding cake for dessert, both as a cost saving exercise, and to end the fairly substantial meal on a light note. Everyone enjoyed the cake – both tiers were moist, light and flavoursome.
The wines we served to accompany the mealย were:
- Flametreeย SRS Karridaleย Sauvignon Blanc, Margaret River, WA
- Dalrymple Pinot Noir, Pipers River, Tasmania
- Nautilus Cuvee Malborough Brut NV, Marlborough, New Zealand
Our bonbonniere were Salted Caramel and Cappuccino macarons from Jean Pierre Sancho.
Our day was everything we had dreamed of, and the reception was pretty much faultless; all of our guests enjoyed the meal and – most importantly, being the ones paying for it – we had no complaints whatsoever. The Old Brewery is a fantastic place for a wedding (or other function), and if you’re looking for a venue thenย it comes with the highest recommendation from us.
Congratulations! Sounds like you had a great day, with delicious food too :)
I had no idea! Many congratulations to you both. The food looks amazing!
Congratulations guys. Having just gotten back from getting married overseas myself and thinking I’d see what you’d been up to, was excited to see we now share the same anniversary. Glad it was everything you wanted!