Southend Blog

There is something captivating about this time of year; everything is veiled in a little magic. Maybe it’s the strings of twinkling lights, the beautifully dressed trees around every corner or perhaps that feeling when you come in from the cold and are greeted with a warming glass of mulled wine. Whatever the reason, we know one thing, it makes for an enchanting wedding day…

With fairy-light clad beams, huge windows overlooking our beautiful gardens and a warm and inviting atmosphere, our Threshing Barn is the perfect place to make the most of December wedding day charm. With plenty of room for any table lay out and our spectacular Christmas tree, this picturesque setting makes a wonderful backdrop for a winter wonderland reception.

Over the years we have seen some gorgeous winter wedding trends, from embracing Christmas cheer with classic yuletide décor to adorning the barns with glorious winter foliage or adding shimmering whites to tablescapes with mirrored centrepieces or glistening candelabras.

The world is your oyster when it comes to winter wedding style, however if you are looking for a place to start or would like our talented team to create your wonderland for you, then we have some beautiful styling packages which lend themselves to this time of year perfectly. Wild & Green brings the outside in with lush foliage, glistening tea lights and fragrant herbs, or for classic wedding styling at its best, Elegant Ivory features timeless white, offset with antique touches and the warm glow of candlelight.

At the heart of any winter wedding is a decadent and delicious menu. Our Roots Chefs always go above and beyond to create the perfect feast for your big day. Whether you are looking for a specially created bespoke wedding breakfast or wish to choose from our Winter Wedding Menus, our delicious food will be just the thing to bring friends and family together to celebrate your love.

As a little treat this festive season our Executive Chef, Dan Clarke, has shared his popular Roots Mulled Wine recipe…

Roots Mulled Wine

Ingredients:
1 x bottle of Shiraz or Malbec red wine
1 x orange
5 x cloves
2 x sticks of cinnamon
2 x star anise
125ml maple syrup or honey
125ml brandy or cognac
5 x bay leaves
2 x sticks fresh rosemary
1 x tbsp pink peppercorns
Garnish for glasses 1 x lemon, 1 x orange, 1 x lime

Method:
Add all ingredients to a heavy based saucepan.
Bring to a simmer, do not boil.
Serve into heatproof glasses or mugs.

Dan’s Top Tips:
• Always use a good quality wine. I like a Shiraz or Malbec as they have some body to them and a little spice. Do not use lighter wines such as a Merlot or full bodied wines like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Rioja as they are too rich.
• Do not boil the mulled wine, it will kill the flavour and turn it bitter, it also cooks the alcohol too much.
• I like to use maple syrup instead of sugar. It adds sweetness but also a lovely depth of flavour.

The above recipe will make 5-6 glasses/mugs.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Photos by Hana Venn Photography, Virginia Photography and Chris Giles Photography.

We had a fantastic couple of evenings last month with lots of our couples joining us for our latest Menu Tasting Events.

Guests got the chance to enjoy a three-course tasting menu created by our talented Roots chefs whilst mingling with other soon-to-be brides and grooms. There was also plenty of inspiration available with various table set up options and styling packages on display including our Boho Blush and Champagne Rose themes. 

The delicious freshly prepared menus were complemented with a selection of house wines for couples to sample and served by our amazing front of house team. 

The menus available included sumptuous starters of:

• Avocado and radish bruschetta, sourdough, chunky guacamole, celeriac and apple slaw, pickled radish, crispy onions, chive oil
• Thai style spiced fishcake, pickled cucumber and pak choi, tomato and coconut sauce
• Roots Scotch egg, allotment beets, watercress mayonnaise

Followed by mouth-watering mains:

• Chicken Katsu, breast of chicken coated in black and white sesame seeds, jasmine sticky rice, pickled radish, carrot and ginger, Tonkatsu sauce
• Thick cut Sirloin of Beef, roasted vine tomatoes, watercress, salted & pink pepper wedges, béarnaise sauce
• Three cheese bubble & squeak, courgetti, soft poached egg, basil hollandaise, crispy leeks

…and decadent desserts:

• Chocolate Plate: Luxury Salted Caramel & Chocolate Profiteroles, White Chocolate & Biscoff Blondie and Chocolate & Cherry Ice Cream
• Fruit Plate: Bellini Posset, Strawberry & Elderflower Cheesecake and Passion Fruit Sorbet
• There were also canapés to try including Salmon, Miso & Sesame Fishcakes,Indonesian Chicken Skewers and Pea, Mint & Feta Arancini

To cleanse the palate, guests were served teas and coffees served with rich homemade chocolate truffles whilst outside there was the opportunity to create s’mores around the fire pit. 

For those looking for a more informal summer style wedding feast, we held a separate Menu Tasting with dishes from our BBQ menu complete with a rainbow of salad accompaniments and delicious desserts.

Photos by Ruby Roux Photography

It’s been lovely looking back at the beautiful styled shoot we organised earlier in the year to showcase our boho themed styling package. Set up in our Collecting Yard as an alfresco dining reception, the shoot celebrates intimate weddings and how even with a small group of guests your wedding can still look spectacular! Featuring soft tones of creams and pinks, pampas grass and macrame, the shoot has been featured on Boho Weddings.

Styled by our fantastic team and with photos by Hana Venn Photography, the star of the shoot was of course Albi, our office dog!

Suppliers:

Photographer: Hana Venn Photography
Wedding cake: Queen Bees
Flowers: The Floral Artisan
Catering: Roots Catering
Macrame: Handmade to Hire
Glassware: Crystal Hire

We are very excited to be bringing back our annual Wedding Inspiration Fair on Sunday 23rd January 2022.

Packed full of ideas and inspiration, we have handpicked suppliers that offer high-end and distinctive services that have been tried and tested by our own wedding couples here at Southend Barns.

The plethora of stands will include florists, photographers, cake makers, makeup artists, stationers, musicians and stylists, to name just a few.

There will also be the opportunity to take a look round the venue and see our lovely new Shepherd’s Hut, Mama Lou.

We will be on standby to answer any questions and you can also chat to our Roots Catering team about all things food and drink.

Running with allocated time slots between 10.30am – 3.00pm, entry is free but pre-booking is essential.

Click here to book.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Kelly Hearn

Monday 13 December
1.00 – 3.30pm

Get into the festive spirit with a fabulous wreath making workshop here at Southend Barns with the very talented Lucy from The Floral Artisan.

Join us for an afternoon of crafting and festivities and enjoy mulled wine, mince pies and festive music in the beautiful setting of the Threshing Barn. Let your imagination run wild and choose from a Christmassy selection of foliage, moss, berries and natural festive decorations to make your wreath truly special this Christmas.

The workshop is designed for complete beginners as well as those a little more green fingered.

All materials will be provided, however, please bring along a pair of scissors/secateurs and an apron.

£50 per person. Limited availability.

Contact us to secure your place.

The Floral Artisan

You’ve already met Gemma who keeps the gardens looking gorgeous and Amie who helps look after our couples pre-wedding day, now its time to take you front of house with Grace.

Front of House Manager for our Roots Catering team, Grace is no stranger to Southend Barns and ensures that every event runs smoothly so our couples and guests can enjoy the most perfect day.

Read on to find out more about Grace and her role here…

A bit about Grace

After working as a waitress at Southend Barns 5 years ago, I discovered my real passion was working within events and moved to London to achieve a Masters degree in Event Management and Marketing Communications. Once reaching my goal Covid hit, and I was sent right back home to Bracklesham where my days were filled with dog walks and binge watching Netflix. One year later and I have landed the most perfect role as the new Front of House Manager back where it all started, and I’m loving it more than ever before.

Tell us about your role?

A day in the life of Grace at the barns would consist of me greeting the chefs with a coffee and some banter followed by a read through of my day to come. Next step would be taking a walk over to the bridal suite to check on how our lovely bride is feeling on the day and more importantly… having a sneak peak of the dress!

My day then goes up a gear as I check the lay up is completed to the bride and groom’s request, give out roles and tasks to the staff on duty and have my final brief with the chefs. From then on out its go go go making sure everything runs smoothly and calmly. As the day goes on the laughs get louder and the smiles get bigger, so we always know we’ve achieved a ‘perfect’ day.

Your favourite part of a wedding?

Speeches hands down are my favourite part of the day. You learn so much about a room full of people within minutes. You hear stories you could only dream of and the love that is shared is something like the movies describe. Watching a father talking about his daughter’s first steps, grooms turning bright red with embarrassment from what their best men have just spilled – there really is no moment like it. No speech is the same and it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Your favourite meal served by the Roots chefs?

So much inspiration comes out of the kitchen, the food is to die for. My dream meal would be individual baked camembert, Sussex honey, apricot and pecan crumble, Roots’ chutney and toast to start, Rump of lamb, celeriac dauphinoise, minted shoulder bon bon, seasonal vegetables, lamb jus for main all day long and of course to finish it would have to be Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Any tips for couples on what they need to think about for their reception?

Music is such an important part of the day and it all starts from your reception. Whether it’s your favourite playlist, an acoustic singer or a three piece band, make it personal to you and the tone that you want to set for the day.

We love an autumnal wedding, with the golden hues of the gardens, the often-stunning amber haze at sun set and the excuse to create some lovely cosy ambience with hot chocolates, blankets and s’mores on the fire pit.

As we say goodbye to summer and prepare for a new season of weddings, we thought we’d share some of our top tips for adding an extra element of autumn to your special day.

1. Confetti
One of our favourite parts of the wedding day is the throwing of confetti! We always ask that guests use natural confetti so why not embrace the season and throw dried petals and leaves in all the shades of autumn.

Make a day of it beforehand by taking a walk in the local woods and collecting leaves before enjoying a pub lunch! There are also biodegradable versions available online.

2. Centre Pieces
Nature inspired centre pieces, such as vases of pampas grass, bowls filled with dried fruits including figs, oranges, plums and pomegranates or a scattering of chestnuts and pinecones around candle holders offer a simple and effective way of adding some autumnal tones.

3. Painted pumpkins
As we enter pumpkin season, now is the perfect time to incorporate this seasonal staple into your décor. With so many varieties, colours, shapes and sizes now available from farm shops and ‘pick your own’ fields, you can create some really fabulous displays. Either keep the pumpkins natural and rustic or spray paint them to suit your theme. We’ve seen some lovely examples in metallic shades of rose gold and copper.

4. Blankets
With evenings getting cooler, our fire pit really comes into it’s own at this time of year. To help keep you and your guests warm, we provide cosy blankets which will be even more useful now we have a new alfresco bar in the Collecting Yard.

5. Autumnal refreshments
Our new drinks menu has plenty of delicious options for keeping guests toasty and warm with mulled cider, mulled wine or luxury hot chocolates, all of which could be served during the reception drinks.

We can also organise a s’mores station where guests can enjoy toasting marshmallows over the fire and tucking into this traditional autumnal treat.

We are delighted to have been featured on Rock My Wedding in their ‘a day in the life’ series with our fantastic Executive Chef and General Manager, Dan Clarke.

Here at Southend Barns, we love to shine a light on the talent we have within our team, and we are excited that Rock My Wedding wanted to, too!

Starting his career as a kitchen hand in his local pub, and finding his love for food through his mother, Dan’s lively palette developed at a young age. After moving to study at a catering college in Cornwall and working a part-time job at a restaurant that gained a Michelin star, Dan was set on his career path to become a successful and passionate chef, with a flair for creative menus.

Being first to arrive at the Barns before every shift, Dan is certainly dedicated, and the quality of the food, happiness of the team, and positive feedback from our couples demonstrate not only his talent for cooking, but also his gift for creating a magical experience for our couples.

Click here to read the full article on Rock My Wedding and find out more about Dan’s role, his favourite part of the job, and how he got into catering for weddings.

Wow – what a busy August of weddings and celebrations! It’s wonderful to see the barns buzzing with guests again and to be back doing what we love after a very quiet summer last year.

It couldn’t happen without our incredible team so we thought it was the perfect time to shine a light on one of our talented wedding co-coordinators. Introducing Amie…

Here Amie discusses her role with us and shares her top 5 tips for couples on their wedding day…

My role at Southend Barns is so varied, which I absolutely love! No day is the same, which is perfect for me. I show prospective clients around the venue, which is so lovely, I love seeing a couples’ face as they walk into the venue for the first time. I look after couples from their very first viewing right up until their event date when the front of house manager takes over. I do all their planning meetings and help them to organise the day. I’ve recently taken over the Roots Instagram, which has been great fun! I’m a massive foodie, so this was an absolute dream for me! I also support with the Southend Barns Instagram.

How long you’ve been working here?

I started working at Southend Barns whilst I was at university as part of my work experience, I studied Public Relations and Communications, but I’d always had an interest in event management. This was back in 2017, I then took on a full time role in 2019.

Tell us a bit about you?

I grew up in the Witterings by the sea and it really is my favourite place in the world, I feel so lucky to have lived in the same house my whole life. I’ve recently moved to Chichester with my partner and 3 year old dachshund who is literally the sassiest dog you’ll ever meet. In my spare time, I enjoy exercising (sometimes!) cooking in my new kitchen (with a glass of rose!) and spending quality time with my family and friends.

Your favourite part of the job?

Ahh, that’s literally impossible to say. I love meeting new couples, showing them around the venue, and hearing about all the wonderful ideas they have for their wedding. I also love the wedding ceremony, seeing a groom’s face as he sees his bride walk down the aisle – it’s just the most precious moment.

Some of your most memorable moments?

Am I allowed to say the Christmas party of 2019!? The most memorable moments I’ve had have actually been over the last year during the pandemic with the intimate weddings. A couple that have been brave enough to completely re-plan their special day and go ahead no matter what is so beautiful, it’s true what they say, love always wins.

Your 5 top tips for couples on their wedding day:

1. Please book a videographer, they capture the day so beautifully!
2. Canapés in a drinks reception are a must! Nobody wants drunk guests too early on… oh and evening food is very important for this too. I’d choose pizza every time. Who doesn’t love it?
3. Live music during the drinks reception really sets the tone for the day! Something like a saxophonist or steel drums.
4. Cocktails are a nice touch after dinner, especially an espresso martini, it’s a nice warm welcome for your evening guests.
5. Remember it’s your wedding, Plan the day that you and your fiancé want and try not to worry about what anyone else thinks, you only do it once!

Photo by Hana Venn Photography