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WEDDING MENUS & CANAPÉS — EXAMPLES FROM REAL WEDDINGS.

WHAT KIND OF FOOD DO YOU COOK AT A WEDDING?

Almost every couple asks the same two questions: what kind of food do you cook at a wedding, and what canapés would you advise? Fair questions — here are real answers.
There is no fixed wedding menu. Every menu is designed with you, around your guests, your venue and the season — but the examples below show what an evening actually tastes like.

CANAPÉS — WHAT I ADVISE FOR A WEDDING

Canapés do a job: they keep your guests fed and happy during the drinks reception, while you are having your photographs taken.

Count on four to six per guest — six to eight if dinner is late. Serve a mix: seafood, meat, vegetarian, one warm. And keep them one-bite: your guests are holding a glass of prosecco.

If I were choosing four for your wedding: smoked Scottish salmon blini, king prawn wrapped in Parma ham, haggis bon bon with whisky cream, and brie and caramelised onion arancini. For six, add the mini beef Yorkshire pudding and the pumpkin and sage arancini.

THE CANAPÉ LIST — THIRTY TO CHOOSE FROM

Scottish produce, Italian influence — seafood, meat and vegetarian, all one-bite, all made from scratch. Built for weddings from two guests to two hundred.

FROM THE SEA

  • Smoked Scottish salmon blini, dill crème fraîche
  • King prawn wrapped in Parma ham, basil oil
  • Mini fish and chips — beer-battered haddock, tartare
  • Hot smoked salmon mousse tartlet
  • Crab and avocado brioche toast
  • Seared scallop, pea purée, pancetta crisp
  • Tempura king prawn, sweet chilli mayonnaise
  • Tuna tartare on cucumber rounds
  • Oysters with shallot vinaigrette
  • Mini lobster roll, lemon mayonnaise

FROM THE LAND

  • Mini beef Yorkshire pudding, horseradish cream
  • Haggis bon bon, whisky cream
  • Slow-braised beef croquette, truffle aioli
  • Beef fillet crostini, caramelised onion
  • Mini steak sandwich, mustard mayonnaise
  • Pork belly bites, apple purée
  • Chicken liver parfait on toasted brioche
  • Duck breast, cherry compote
  • Venison sausage roll, cranberry relish
  • Lamb kofta, minted yoghurt

FROM THE GARDEN

  • Brie and caramelised onion arancini
  • Pumpkin and sage arancini
  • Courgette fritter, whipped feta
  • Wild mushroom croquette, truffle mayonnaise
  • Goat’s cheese mousse, beetroot and walnut
  • Tomato, mozzarella and basil skewer
  • Parmesan shortbread, roasted peppers
  • Mini aubergine Parmigiana bite
  • Pea and mint tartlet, ricotta
  • Baked courgette, hummus, toasted pine nuts

EXAMPLE MENUS FROM RECENT WEDDINGS

Six directions couples take most often — every one adapted, priced and rewritten around your wedding. Read them as inspiration, not as a list to choose from.

THE SEATED DINNER

Canapés on arrival — four per guest.

Starter — Hand-rolled tagliolini, East Coast langoustine, bisque butter.

Main — Slow-braised Scottish beef cheek, saffron polenta, seasonal greens.

Dessert — Tiramisù, made from scratch the classic way.

To finish — Espresso, cantucci and vin santo.

THE ITALIAN SHARING FEAST

The long-table feeling of an Italian family Sunday.

Antipasti — cured meats, aged cheeses, marinated vegetables, gnocco fritto.

Primo — Wild mushroom pappardelle, ragù of the season, served family-style.

Secondo — Porchetta, salsa verde, rosemary roast potatoes.

Dolce — Tiramisù and panna cotta with Scottish berries.

SCOTTISH CLASSICS, ITALIAN HANDS

Tradition on the plate — cooked from scratch, not reheated.

Starter — Haggis tortellini, neeps cream, whisky butter.

Main — Roast sirloin of Scottish beef, smoked potato, candied carrots, red wine jus.

Dessert — Cranachan my way: raspberries, toasted oats, heather honey, mascarpone.

THE COASTAL MENU

Built around the day boats and the Scottish coast.

Starter — Seared Orkney scallops, cauliflower purée, pancetta crumb.

Main — Roast halibut, langoustine butter, crushed potatoes, sea vegetables.

Dessert — Sicilian lemon tart, crème fraîche.

THE GARDEN MENU

A full vegetarian menu nobody notices is vegetarian.

Starter — Burrata, roasted Scotch tomatoes, basil oil, grilled sourdough.

Main — Wild mushroom and taleggio risotto, crispy sage, aged parmesan.

Dessert — Dark chocolate delice, honeycomb, salted caramel.

ELOPEMENTS & MICRO WEDDINGS

Two to twenty guests — where I cook the way I love most.

A tasting menu built entirely around the two of you — five to seven courses, served one by one in your lodge, castle or cottage, with the menu written for that single evening.

WINE, CHOSEN BY A SOMMELIER WHO COOKED YOUR DINNER

Giuseppe is sommelier-qualified as well as Modena-trained — so if you would like wine with dinner, the pairings are chosen for your actual menu: a Gavi beside the langoustine tagliolini, a Barolo with slow-braised beef, a Recioto with dessert.

Tell him what you love to drink and your budget per bottle. The list is built around it — you can buy the wine yourselves, or have it arranged for you.

  • Elegantly plated prosciutto and microgreens starter for a private wedding dinner in Scotland
  • Italian private chef Giuseppe Manzoli preparing langoustines in a private kitchen at Kilmartin Castle, Argyll
  • Private Chef Giuseppe Manzoli and his Team with his clients
  • Private Chef Giuseppe Manzoli chef For Hire Gleaneagles Lodges

DIETARIES, PRICING & THE NEXT STEP

Dietary requirements — vegetarian, vegan, coeliac, allergies, children: each guest gets a dish designed for them, not a plate with things removed. You give me the list, I take care of the rest.

Pricing — every wedding is priced individually on guest numbers, menu, venue and travel. Send your date, venue and numbers and you will have a clear quote within 48 hours — no packages, no hidden extras. A deposit secures your date, with the balance due before the event.

The next step — a conversation about your guests, your venue and the food you love. Then a menu written for one wedding only: yours.