One of the most enjoyable parts of wedding planning is deciding what’s on the menu. Food is such an integral part of any event, weddings especially! What you choose to serve your guests can add another level to the occasion. It can enhance the theme and feel of your big day and reflect your unique journey as a couple. So, while a traditional wedding breakfast and evening buffet remain popular, there is a clear shift towards something new. That’s where our alternative wedding catering trends for 2025 come in.  Read on.

Here, Emma Birch, Senior Wedding and Events Co-ordinator from Whirlow Brook Hall, a top wedding venue in Sheffield, uncovers the wedding catering trends that are having their moment in the spotlight. She explores the flavours that are set to define 2025 and beyond.

“From multi-day festival style celebrations to intimate and romantic or second time around, Whirlow Brook Hall has a range of catering options to suit any wedding. Our wedding breakfast menus are constantly evolving according to seasonality and the latest wedding catering trends, meaning there’s always something new to try.

Food is such an essential part of your day, and something your guests will remember, so we’ve made sure it’s something special at Whirlow Brook Hall. Our chefs have created a range of menu options to suit all kinds of weddings, whether you’re going for a traditional three-course meal, something more relaxed like tapas, or a fun street food experience.”

ALTERNATIVE WEDDING CATERING TRENDS FOR 2025

LAZY BRUNCH WEDDING BREAKFAST

Join the bottomless brunch revolution and bring your wedding right up to date. Offer a delicious and elevated brunch-style menu. Steak and eggs, smashed avocado, smoked salmon bagels, traditional breakfasts, pancake stacks and customisable crepes. Serve with mimosas, champagne or craft ales. For a touch of added luxury, have our team create a signature cocktail to commemorate your special day. You could add smoothies, acai bowls or overnight oats for the health conscious. Or dial up the spice with huevos rancheros or shakshuka.

This is a casual and informal style of dining, yet in the beautiful Whirlow Brook Hall setting, it still feels elegant and abundant. A wedding brunch is also suited to an earlier ceremony time. Why not have a sunrise ceremony followed by a delicious brunch, ideal for ‘second timers’, families and those who don’t want an all-night celebration.

ELEGANT AFTERNOON TEA WEDDING BREAKFAST

What could be more charming than a wedding served with a traditional afternoon tea? Whirlow Brook Hall is certainly a top wedding venue in Sheffield, but also one of its most elegant, and a delightful backdrop to a stylish afternoon tea reception.

Take a leaf from the royals and hold an afternoon tea wedding breakfast that can go on for as long or as little time as you like. Delicate finger sandwiches, pretty pastries and petit fours, sumptuous scones with lashings of jam and cream arranged in gorgeous cake stands that add grandeur to your tables, it’s a feast for all the senses.

Elevate your afternoon tea wedding breakfast further with an extended tea selection and a tea sommelier to discuss pairings for the menu. You could theme your afternoon tea. Think Madhatter’s tea party, Great British Bake-Off style garden fete, 1920s jazz, or a 1940s street party. All are a perfect match for the trend.

FESTIVAL STYLE STREET FOOD WEDDING

The summer allows for a more relaxed wedding atmosphere. Try hosting a wedding that embraces the best of the British festival season. A big tent and a stage with live music may be beyond most budgets, but you can recreate that same vibe. Hire in rustic style bench seating and tables, add buckets of iced-cold beers, bring in a live tribute band, and give guests a bespoke VIP wedding wristband on arrival; all to capture the festival details. Let’s not forget, you need an epic DJ to round off the night. One of the advantages at Whirlow Brook Hall is that our exclusive use option means you won’t disturb another event guests, so get the party started!

Music, and dancing calls for street food, and our new wedding menu at Whirlow Brook Hall is ideal here. American-style hot dogs with onions and yellow mustard, mini fish and chips with mushy peas and tartare, or teriyaki prawn skewers accompanied by lemon, chilli, and ginger rice. Grab and go food that is full of flavour.

CONVERSATION STARTING TAPAS

A traditional wedding breakfast works for many couples, especially those who embrace the wedding traditions, and we certainly don’t envisage it disappearing anytime soon. But there are also ways to cater your event in a more Mediterranean style.

Tapas evolved as a sociable style of dining, meant to be enjoyed with friends, and with drinks! With this wedding catering trend, guests can sample an array of flavours and dishes over an extended dining period. It’s casual and leisurely, bringing all the Mediterranean vibes. Small plates that deliver maximum flavour. Try our calamari with charred lemon, spiced lamb skewers and mint yoghurt, or pulled ham and smoked cheese croquettes. And for those with a sweet tooth, tapas-style carrot cakes with cream cheese frosting, chocolate brownie, or fruity raspberry pavlovas with tropical fruits.

QUICK FIRE WEDDING FOOD TRENDS

Graze all day

Rather than a formal starter, why not introduce a grazing table piled high with charcuterie boards, snacks, nuts, fruit, seasonal salads and artisanal bread and cheeses? Arrange it like a piece of artwork with handwritten signs, beautifully curated serving dishes, and the table becomes the focal point in your room.

Make it miniature

Switch up traditional canapes to give guests their own miniature buffet. Add a tiny, personalised charcuterie board to the top of a wine glass or cocktail. Provide a range of options and pairings. Sweet and savoury snacks, all matched to the drink selection and easy to pick up and devour while socialising.

Relight my fire

Wood-fired cooking and grilling are experiencing a culinary renaissance right now; you only need to look at the popularity of BBQ festivals, such as Meatopia or the Smoke and Fire festival, to see why. Cooking with fire brings visuality and theatre to your big day. And there’s nothing so irresistible as the smell of grill cooking to lure in the masses. Our BBQ menu offers you a selection of mouth-watering burgers, hot dogs, tandoori marinated chicken fillets with mint and cucumber yoghurt, grilled smoky corn on the cob with salted butter, and much more. Add in cool drinks on the garden terrace, and you have a wedding reception everyone will enjoy.

Extraordinary desserts

While some couples are replacing desserts with a savoury element, such as individually curated cheese slates or savoury croquembouches, others are adding a theatrical twist to their dessert menu. Think dessert walls, frozen cocktails or mocktails, and customisable crepe or waffle stations. Making dessert a true feature of the day is the key here, so go big on drama or go home!

Signature serves

Remember, when it comes to alternative wedding catering trends for 2025, it’s not just about the eats. Bring in mixologists or work with our experienced team to create a welcome drink with a twist. You get bonus points for unique serving vessels, using upgraded ingredients like edible flowers and dry ice, and theatrical moments that will be remembered for years to come.

CONTACT

If you’re planning a wedding and looking for alternative wedding catering trends for your wedding day, we can help. Visit https://whirlowbrook.co.uk/weddings/menus/ for details of our wedding packages and upcoming wedding fayres. Or book an appointment online for a personal tour of historic Whirlow Brook Hall, one of the top wedding venues in Sheffield.

Telephone: 0114 236 6142

Email: enquiries@whirlowbrook.co.uk