Burn’s Supper

Burns Supper is one of the most celebrated events in the Scottish cultural calendar, not just in Scotland but throughout the entire world.  A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns (1759-1796), author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday which is the 25 January and is also known as Robert Burns Day or Burns Night. This supper has been celebrated for over 250 years and has become an icon of Scotland & Scottish identity.

The following is a broad list of the key elements of a Burns Supper:-

1)      A traditional Burns Supper menu

2)      A Chairman or Chairwoman

3)      Speakers

• ·         The Address to the Haggis
• ·         The Immortal Memory
• ·         Toast to the Lassies
• ·         Reply from the Lassies

4)      Entertainers -

• ·         Piper (or appropriate music)
• ·         Recitals of Burns poetry
• ·         Singers - ballads & songs of Burns
• ·         Musicians - playing traditional Scottish music

The Meal

Starter

Traditional cock-a-leekie soup;

Main Course  

  Ingredients Serves: 12

• ·         500g lamb's liver
• ·         1 large onion, chopped
• ·         500g suet
• ·         1kg oats
• ·         1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ·         salt and black pepper to taste
• ·         1 sheep's pluck (stomach)

Preparation method Prep: 1 hour Cook: 6 hours

1. In a saucepan, place the liver and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer vigorously for 30 to 45 minutes, until cooked through. Remove liver and mince once cool enough to handle. Reserve stock.

2. In a large frying pan, cook onion over a low heat with some suet. Once tender and translucent, chop the onion finely and mix with remaining suet.

3. Toast the oats in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring frequently.

4. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Moisten the mixture using the liver stock as necessary. Fill the sheep's pluck with the mixture, pressing it down to remove all the air. Sew together with kitchen string. Prick the haggis in several places so that it does not burst.

5. Place the haggis in a large saucepan of boiling water. Boil gently for 4 to 5 hours.

Neeps and Tatties

·         Neeps: peel and quarter turnips. Boil until tender. Mash well, season with butter, salt and pepper to taste

·         Tatties: peel and quarter potatoes. Cover with water and bring to boil, cook until tender. Mash and whip in milk. Butter, salt and pepper to taste

Dessert - Clootie Dumpling or Typsy Laird (a Scottish sherry trifle)

The Drink

Liberal lashings of wine or ale should be served with dinner and it's often customary to douse the haggis with a splash of whisky sauce, which, with true Scots understatement, is neat whisky.

Equipment Needed

• ·         Crockery Set – (recommended choice ) - 72pc Crockery & Dinner Set (6 Covers)
• ·         Pan Set - (recommended choice ) - Gino D'Acampo 3 Piece Pan Set
• ·         Frying Pan – (recommended choice )- 10" Black Iron Frying Pan
• ·         Knife Set -  (recommended choice )- Swisstech 9pc Knife Set & Case
• ·         Mixing Bowl - (recommended choice )- Mason Cash Cane Mix Bowls Set of 3
• ·         Masher - (recommended choice )- Catering Masher
• ·         Dessert bowls - (recommended choice )- Coupe Sundae Serving Dish - 12 Pack
• ·         Wine Glasses - (recommended choice )- Polycarbonate Wine Glasses x 12

Pasta has come a long way in the 2000 years it has been around for. What once started off as a ‘poor man’s’ food has evolved into a culinary medium for a multitude of dishes.

Pasta was originally made with wheat flour and the juice of crushed lettuce, it was the food of peasants who could not afford a stable meal.

Today pasta comes in various shapes and sizes, but unfortunately it’s lost its homely specialness which made it so famous.

Dried pasta from supermarkets can be bland and puts many people off, particularly children. The texture of pasta has changed too.

Pasta doesn’t have to go the way of the Dodo, and with winter setting in, why not spend a little time in the warmth of the kitchen making your own?

Pasta machines are affordable, easy and safe to operate.  

At BuyCatering we currently stock a fantastic stainless steel pasta maker.

This pasta maker features an adjustable roller system with thickness gauge. This will help you roll out pasta to the correct thickness you require. (It’s also great for making sheets of Lasagne!)

 Now to try yourself:

Simple recipe for fresh egg pasta.

White “00” flour - 600g

(“00” flour is a finely milled flour that gives superior results, a lighter less tough pasta will be made with this)

            Large Eggs – 12 Yolks

(To separate Egg Yolk from the Whites, crack the shell and tip the egg into your hand, slightly open your fingers and let the white fall through)

1.     Beat the eggs in a small bowl till smooth.

2.     Tip the 600g of flour into your bowl and make a small well (crater)

3.     Tip the eggs in and start covering the eggs over with flour

4.     Keep folding the flour into the mixture till a ball forms.

5.     Remove the ball from the bowl and on a floured surface start to knead the ball

(Kneading isn’t as bad as it sounds, you just need to flatten then fold the end back into the opposing side.)

6.     You’ll be able to tell when to stop, when the pasta ball is smooth in appearance and to the touch.

7.     Wrap in cling film and rest in a fridge for 30 minutes or so.

          8.     Your Dough is ready to be used with the dough machine!

                For added warmth, try adding mild chilli or Paprika to an accompanying                                     tomato sauce.

We want to hear from you,   

What’s your favourite homemade pasta dish?

With the new school term approaching, now is the time to get stocked up on any catering equipment you might need for your school kitchen. It’s best to start looking now as buying catering equipment can be a bit of challenge, between deciding what specifications you need and what brand you want you will wonder where the time went. So we advise you to start getting it sorted now as there is nothing worse than having to deal with something like this in the middle of the madness of a new term starting.

We sell a huge range of products so like to consider ourselves your one stop catering equipment shop. Every type of catering equipment you could need in your school we can supply to you:

    - beverage equipment

    - toasters

    - chef clothing

    - cooking equipment

    - cookware

    - trolleys

    - food preparation

    - cutlery

    - crockery

    - chafing sets

    - fly killers

    - refrigeration

    - tables and sinks

That’s pretty much all we can think would be needed for your school kitchen, but if we’ve missed something out then we will probably sell it also.

If you happen to live within a 100 mile radius of Newcastle then you will be glad to know that we will not only personally deliver your equipment to you, but also install it to save you the hassle. We even have our own team of dedicated engineers that carry out the installation, as well as servicing and repairs, so it’s good to know that when you buy from us, you don’t have to look elsewhere for such services. When you buy from us the relationship certainly does not have to end there!

At BuyCatering, we supply a range of public bodies with commercial catering equipment, including police, schools and universities. Remember that if you are a Government body, we can supply equipment to you without requiring payment for 30 days. For more information about the places we supply, please click here.

Any buffet table can be elevated to a higher level of elegance and food-service efficiency by using chafing dishes. Not only do chafing dishes keep food warm for the duration of a party, they can also add beauty to the food presentation and raise the level of the food on the table for easy serving. Chafing dishes are traditionally made of silver; however, modern chafing dishes are often made of light metal or ceramic.

1) Place the empty water pan into the frame of each chafing dish and fill with about one inch of water.

2) Insert the food trays into the frame of each chafing dish, making sure that the tray fits tightly onto the lip of the water pan.

3) Remove the lids from the chafing fuel and light them individually with a match or lighter. Place each tin of fuel under a chafing dish and close the lid.

4) Monitor the water level for the duration of the serving time and add more water as necessary.

5) Stir the food items from time to time to ensure even heating.

Tips & Warnings:

- Heat the food before adding it to the chafing dishes.

- For large chafing dishes, you can use more than one fuel.

- If your party is outside, wrap aluminium foil around at least three sides of the chafing dish to block the wind.

- Be mindful of the flames from the fuel. Have a working fire extinguisher available in the event of fire.

A lot of you would have been in a bar at some stage when you have seen a group of people sitting drinking a cocktail out of a large fish bowl. Well now there is a new craze and that is cocktails in TEAPOTS.

Many bars and clubs are buying teapots in all shapes, sizes and colours to serve cocktails. This trendy new approach to serving drink is spreading fast.

The cocktail is usually made and then served in the teapot with an accompanying glass or alternatively served with the lid removed and the teapot filled with straws.

View our range of teapots and plan your teapot revolution.

At Buycatering we have been doing a little baking of late to get into the swing of things before Christmas and one of the things we have been making is meringues. For all those meringue fans who think there is nothing better than meringues accompanying their favourite dessert or simply by its self with a drip of cream you will know the problems faced when trying to keep your food fresh for longer.

We used the Vacufresh Storage Container to extend the life of our life of our meringues and it did just the trick. The Vacufresh works by sucking the air out of the container and keeping the food inside safe and fresh..

Top tips for selecting and storing coffee beans, either for smaller domestic appliances or commercial machines.

Selecting Your Beans

The darker the roast, the stronger the coffee. Pre-ground coffee will be more convenient – but wont taste as good as freshly ground beans. Experiment until you find your perfect flavour.

The Fresher The Better

The freshness of the coffee comes from when the bean is roasted and not harvested, and once roasted they start to lose flavour. Store your beans in a cool dark environment and preferably in an air tight container.

The Dreaded Coffee Ring

Don’t panic. Removing that coffee ring from the bottom of a cup is easier than you think. A little baking soda and water rubbed over the stain should remove it. If your surface is colour-safe, try a mild bleach product, but do a test patch first.

Invest Now

Like it or not the better the coffee machine the better your chances of making a first class cup of coffee. Research what you need and invest in the right equipment to meet your needs.

We all know it’s simple to go to the supermarket and buy instant Yorkshire Puddings, but how about putting those baking trays to good use and creating homemade Yorkshire Puddings.

Large Puds

To get those big Yorkshires that you can fill up with gravy use a muffin tin. These tins usually have space for 6 muffins / Yorkshire puddings.

Medium Puds

Your best off using a cupcake tin, this will allow you to create small bite sized Yorkshires, about 12 per tray.

Heavy duty cupcake and muffin tins are ideal as they can be used in commercial ovens. Why stop at Yorkshire Pudding's, next give mince pies a go.