We know catering is a key component of a wonderful and successful wedding reception; we are here for you, and will help you create joyful memories.

A Wedding Story…
THE DAY OF THE WEDDING, BEFORE THE GUESTS’ ARRIVAL
It’s a beautiful wedding day on the Massachusetts countryside, but there is some chance of rain later in the afternoon. The bride’s gown is breathtaking, but she hates the flowers that were just delivered. The groom is Bratt Pitt-good-looking but paces nervously because he fears the music will be too loud for his parents and the jokes off-color. The mother of the bride is happy for her daughter but does not want to be seated next to the mother of the groom whom she finds vulgar. One of the bridesmaids has forgotten her dress at the hotel. The bride’s best friend is stranded at the Chicago airport by a thunderstorm. The cousin who always gets drunk at weddings is already there because he got confused on starting time. The smile on the event planner’s face is frozen for eternity, hiding inner panic. Just another wedding …
The last thing anyone needs at a wedding is to worry about food. This is where the Heritage Food Truck comes in. As it pulls into the driveway several hours ahead of the first guests’ arrival, you suddenly realize you are in good hands: the food will be spectacular, the truck beautifully eye-catching, the staff empathetic and the service world-class. Prepare for the experience of a lifetime, as you should expect on this special day.
A FEW MONTHS EARLIER …
Bride- and groom-to-be started planning for their wedding several months ahead of the actual wedding. They explored traditional venues, but rapidly agreed that, as good millennials that they are, they should not end up in a hotel ballroom serving chicken cacciatore to all their cool friends and dancing to Frank Sinatra. This was the last thing they agreed on.
She wanted to get married on a farm at the New Hampshire border. He wanted a vineyard on Cape Cod. Her mom proposed renting out a museum in a Boston suburb. Her father thought the Elks in their hometown would be perfectly adequate … and cheap. The bride ultimately prevailed by trading a wedding invitation to a couple of unruly fraternity brothers of her future husband against the right to pick the farm location.
They contacted three caterers and requested menu options, giving them a general price range per guest ($50) and a headcount estimate (150 people). The farm had a very basic kitchen and a large space able to accommodate the party in case of bad weather. Two of the caterers would prepare some of the food on-site, but the bulk would have to be prepared in their kitchen in Boston and transported in hotel pans and heated bags to the location of the farm near the New Hampshire border.
In the end, bride and groom thought the Heritage food truck offered a more exciting option since the food would be prepared and served fresh at the wedding location. The Heritage Food Truck’s executive chef (Chef Emmett) suggested they pick three appetizers among a list of eight and three main dishes among a similar list of eight (see example of wedding menu). Dessert would be provided through a colleague of Chef Emmett. They discussed that the alcohol would be handled through a separate provider. They agreed to serve the food buffet-style rather than plated at the table, which allowed Heritage to offer more food for the price by reducing the service cost.
They went through three rounds of menu amendments over the ensuing two weeks. Once the menu started gelling, bride and groom were invited to come to the home kitchen of the Heritage Food Truck (Stock Pot Malden) and taste the food on the future menu. They also saw the Heritage truck for the first time and visited the kitchen where some of the preparation of their food was to take place (e.g., chopping of vegetables that will be cooked on the truck). This produced another series of small adjustments to both the food and the service budget for the Big Day.
The father of the bride came with bride and groom to sign the contract with Heritage. They agreed on a fixed price contract, with a deposit securing the commitment on both sides. In the month preceding the actual wedding, the number of guests was adjusted downward as a function of the RSVPs received, producing a small increase of the food budget per person and allowing one more appetizer.
THE BIG DAY
It turns out to be a splendid fall day. The air is crisp, with a gentle wind. The contemporaries of the bride and groom are gathering in small groups, some discreetly chasing the appetizer plates that are being passed around. Many of them are fit, work downtown Boston and are quite used to food trucks. A food truck represents more of a novelty for the parents’ generation and many are curious to see what the inside looks like. The more adventurous ask if they can take a peek, allowing them to observe the ballet of cooking staff dancing around each other in the narrow corridor of the truck. Many reference the movie Chef and wonder whether the Heritage Food Truck sometimes serves cubanos (yes, we sometimes do, using local produce).
The menu (see examples below) incorporates several of the produce grown at the farm where the event is taking place: heirloom tomatoes and corn in the succotash appetizer; Boston lettuce and rainbow radishes in the garden salad; celery roots in the celeriac puree that accompanies the beef brisket, itself sourced from a neighboring local farm. The tomato field is visible from the tent where people are eating and dancing. The corn fields are a little farther in the distance.
Night is now falling on the farm and many of the guests have already departed. As they are leaving, the bride and groom make a point of coming to the staff to thank them for a wonderful event. Their parents follow in short order. The bucolic landscape, coupled with the farm-focused decoration of the Heritage food truck, seems to weave an intergenerational bond around a return to a simpler life on the countryside. “May the bountiful beauty of the event serve as a metaphor for the future life of this young couple”, the mother of the bride says. For the staff, this makes it all worthwhile and their fatigue instantaneously disappears.
Need ideas of what we can offer? Check out some menus examples below:
Appetizers
- Pulled pork crostini’s– slow roasted pork glazed with a sweet and spicy honey bbq sauce garnished with scallion threads and whipped pimento cheese.
- Pulled pork tostadas– crispy wontons topped with a carnitas style pulled pork garnished with pickled red onions, thin sliced jalapenos, and a spicy aioli
- Braised brisket grilled cheese bites– toasted sourdough bread with melted white cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and a horseradish cream
- Prosciutto wrapped figs with aged balsamic vinegar and chive
- Mini pork belly tacos (could also substitute with any other kind of protein)- crispy mini taco shells with braised and roasted pork belly topped with seasoned cabbage, onion jam, and pickled hot peppers
- Oysters on the half shell with a tarragon and chive mignonette. -MP (could also consider fried or a baked application as well).
- Cheese platter– 18-month aged Manchego, Van Gogh Gouda, 26-month aged white cheddar, double cream brie (mild), red and green grapes, and an assortment of crackers and preserved fruit jams.
Entrees
- Roasted chicken breast with a thyme and garlic infused chicken jus and lemon, shallot, and olive oil smashed potatoes
- Red wine braised brisket with a celery root puree and charred broccoli
- Shrimp scampi with cherry tomatoes, lemon, white wine, bucatini, and chives
- Moroccan couscous with roasted onion, zucchini, tomato, and feta cheese
- Seared black bass with a butternut squash puree and a citrus heavy green bean, radish, and herb salad
- Maple and whole grain mustard glazed pork tenderloin with potato au gratin and an apple and brandy reduction
Ready to find out what we can offer for your wedding banquet? Fill out a catering information request here
Ready to find out what we can offer for your wedding banquet? Fill out a catering information request here