My top tips for a Royal Wedding street party!

If you're breaking out the bunting and the paper plates in April to mark the marriage of William and Kate, then Antony Worrall Thompson has some expert advice to make sure your street party or celebration buffet is a feast fit for a king.

Street parties date back to before the World War II and are as much a British tradition as bangers and mash, or steak and kidney pie, in my opinion.

The royal wedding is a perfect excuse to pull out all the stops and hold a party to remember – whether in your street, garden or village hall.

You can’t go wrong if you serve up timeless classics and British favourites that celebrate all that’s best about Britain. Here are my top ten tips for a right Royal knees-up:  

1. Offer foods that lend themselves to sharing.

Sociability will be a key factor at the event (I think Kate sounds like a very sociable person), so think about ‘bowling’ – offering small bowls of lots of different foods that can be eaten with a fork or spoon (preferably standing up). Make big bowls of cottage or shepherd’s pie and then let people dig in and serve themselves, using disposable bowls or plates so you don’t have to worry about washing up.

2. Take inspiration from the Brick Lane Festival

Serve up that other famous British staple: the curry. People love an Indian buffet and this kind of food lends itself to being cooked in large quantities. For a really quick curry, simply fry some Thai green curry paste for a few minutes and add lemongrass, lime leaves and coconut milk. Add chicken or lamb, lots of seasonal veg, and some coriander and chillies, and simmer until cooked through.

3. Ladles of soup served in cups work well

If you make chilled soups, you don’t have to worry about them going cold! At my catering company, AWT to Go, we offer Chilled Tomato Bisque, Gazpacho, and Vichyssoise (creamed leek and potato).

4. Salads are perfect fodder for street parties

Salads are cheap, can be prepared in advance and are still tasty at room (or street!) temperature. At my pub, The Greyhound, we do a mean coleslaw – made from finely shredded red and white cabbage, carrots, spring onions, and a 1tsp each caraway seeds and chill sauce, mixed with mayonnaise. Potato salads can be given added oomph with some crispy bacon (British of course).

5. Try a different take on finger foods

Serve mini Yorkshire puddings, small portions of fish and chips wrapped in newspaper and round of sandwiches (with the crusts cut off, naturally).

6. Think ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’ for pudding

Serve scones, big bowls of trifle, fruit salad and Eton mess. For this, I like to mash a punnet of strawberries (the first British varieties should be in season at the end of April) with a little sugar, a dash of port and fold it into broken meringues and softly whipped cream (remember to prepare an alcohol-free version for the kids though!).

7. Use little gas rings to keep the food hot

You can buy these very cheaply and this strategy allows you to serve warm, comforting favourites such as Lancashire hot pot and Irish stew. Mutton is a lovely alternative to lamb – get your butcher to dice the meat for you.

8. Don’t serve too much alcohol

Remember, this is supposed to be a family event. Make a nice big bowl of low-alcohol punch instead.

9. Think about storage and hygiene

Enlist your neighbours' fridges so you have enough space to store foods before and after cooking (cool boxes are also great), and keep food covered – even in April there are flies about. Make sure everyone who is involved in cooking or food handling does so safely. Keep raw and cooked meat separate and using a probe to check it is thoroughly cooked. 

10. Check regulations with your local council

Before you go to all the trouble and cook all the food, make sure there’s no red tape on closing your road, playing music or putting up decorations!

For more information on AWT Restaurants, visit http://www.awtrestaurants.com/