The last few weekends have been quite emotional to say the least. There was the Soccer Aid football match at Old Trafford and even though I only made it to half-time, the whole experience of being in the line-up with Maradona and Zola was mind-blowing.
It reminded me of my early days with Glasgow Rangers, and of the importance of dedication and teamwork.
And then I had the pleasure of sending off my “adopted son”, Mark Sargeant, as he left on his honeymoon. Sarge, as we call him, has been my loyal right-hand man (and head chef at Claridge’s) for many years and I am proud to have been the one to introduce him to his lovely bride, Amy.
Obviously, it was down to me and the rest of the team to organise the wedding reception and dinner to follow – in the chef world, this was the biggest wedding of the year!
The organisation that went into it was extraordinary. On a personal front, it was my mission to make sure that everything ran smoothly and that Sarge and Amy had a stress-free day. They wanted a Seventies theme, so the food had to be simple, classic and delicious.
We had prawn cocktail to start with – something that we can all relate to, regardless of our age, and as Sarge was the only “kid” allowed at the wedding, we didn’t have to worry about posh suits and dresses being stained with cocktail sauce.
The main course consisted of sausages and mash served with petits pois à la Française. Trust me, these were no ordinary bangers – Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall made them himself with his prized, free-range pigs and gave them as a unique and absolutely delicious wedding present.
The new-season peas (one of Sarge’s favourites) made the perfect accompaniment, contrasting their natural sweetness with the savouriness of the sausages and the creaminess of the mash.
We ended the meal with a calorific bang. Amy wanted lovely tiered cupcakes instead of a traditional wedding cake, and we continued the Seventies theme with a pick-and-mix sweet trolley, packed with gorgeous little flapjacks, rich torpedoes, bakewell tartlets, chocolates and toffee.
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All of which made the day very special. Here’s to Sarge and Amy?