You heard it here first: the buffet is back, but not as you know it
We love a buffet. Even the most simplistic spread brings together a group of people, making for a highly social way to dine. That said, there’s something about the word “buffet” that makes us conjure visions of a hodgepodge of frozen food, with paper plates at the ready just out of our eye line. But The Good Graze, Scotland’s foremost grazing table caterer, proves that buffets can indeed be a work of art. With the freshest produce, richest fruits, and the tangiest cheeses, it’s little wonder the grazing table is set to be the festive season’s biggest food trend. We spoke to The Good Graze’s founder, Gaynor Kay, who revealed her divine secrets to curating a mouthwatering spread.
Stand Out from the crowd
Tablescaping and foliage will help add texture and colour to your table/platter and make sure it's Instagram-ready. You can pick up some amazing real foliage from your local florist, or even better, artificial, which you can pick up at a reasonable price from shops like TK Maxx and you can use again and again. Having everything laid flat can look amazing but you could also use marble boards and gold baskets to achieve height and give a luxe look to your spread. We also love a bit of greenery, such as eucalyptus, and some candles, to help take it to the next level.
Wooden, marble or slate?
We love a wooden board, as they are really easy to clean, great for cutting cheese, are economical and also can give your spread real character. However, marble or stone provide the best temperature zone for foods like meat and cheese, so it will transfer the heat away and keep them cooler. Slate is great if you are using colourful foods like strawberries, as they are not as reactive to discolouration, however they can scratch easier.
Pick the freshest produce
The local farmers markets and butchers are the best places to find the highest quality antipasti such as cured meats, olives and sun-dried tomatoes. I.J Mellis has the biggest and most delicious selection of cheeses from Scotland and beyond and also Bakery Andante is amazing for freshly baked artisan breads. Seasonality is key when putting together your spread; for your fruit selection, strawberries are at their best in the summer months but you can get really good Scottish raspberries up until the autumn months and blueberries pretty much all year round.
Get the perfect mix of sweet and savoury
For a small gathering, it's always good to have at least three cheeses: a Baron Bigod, a Hebridean Blue and a Isle of Mull Cheddar are great staples, alongside artisan breads, crackers and oatcakes - people tend to overbuy these but it doesn't matter too much, as you can always eat them another time. A good selection of cured meats, such as salami, parma ham or prosciutto, is key as we find this is what goes the fastest. However, grazing doesn’t need to be purely savoury - to bring some sweetness we love adding different berries and homemade tray bakes, including tablet and tiffin.
Catering for everyone
There are so many people that suffer from allergies and intolerances, so it's always good to ask your guests before the event if there's something in particular they can't eat. Always avoid nuts, even if only one of your guests is allergic, as some allergies can be airborne. For guests with gluten intolerances, it's always good to make sure that they have a separate portion with GF crackers, breads and traybakes, which is displayed on its own board so other guests are aware it’s not part of the main spread. Also cross contamination can be the biggest issue so make sure and either use gloves or wash your hands after handling food with gluten and also that those foods aren't touching other foods that those guests can also eat.