In any event - Matchbox July 08

London Caterer Mackintosh’s is profiled in July’s edition of Matchbox.

Read the full article here or the transcript below:

July is the month for entertaining: garden parties,
terrace cocktail dos and summer balls. But while
they’re fun to attend, are they as fun to host? As
guests are knocking back champagne and scoffing
down the hors d’oeuvres, can you really enjoy your
own party when you’ve got to think about how long
you can even converse with anyone before the next
round of blinis start to burn? Not to mention all the
work that goes into planning and preparing exactly
the right food menu.

Hors d’oeuvres, canapés, finger foods, amusebouches
– whatever you choose to call them, they’re
tricky little treats to manage on your own. From
the ingredients you choose to the presentation, the
outcome will reflect on you as a host – and, in some
particularly tough circles, as a human being. Hors
d’oeuvres should be perfectly punchy mouthfuls and
should never erupt, dribble, crumble or otherwise
fall apart when picked up.

Enter west London-based catering service,
Mackintosh’s, a family-run company taking finger
food to new heights. Offering creative and inspiring
recipes, Chiswick husband and wife team Nicky and
Cindy Mackintosh sure know how to throw a party.
With inventive ideas such as the “bangers and mash
ball” and “lemon meringue launches”, Mackintosh’s
is fast becoming west London’s most talked about catering and event company.

In an industry where fancy design and
experimental cooking are now taking a back seat to
a more traditional approach to dining, Mackintosh’s
is setting the trend for brazen finger food. “When all
is said and done, nothing beats honey and mustardglazed
sausages dipped in mash,” says Cindy.

Formerly owners of Chiswick’s beloved
Mackintosh’s Brasserie, the power couple began
catering after the restaurant’s closure in 1999.
“Running a restaurant is seven days a week and
often 24 hours a day, but at least with the catering company, we have a little more time to ourselves”
says Cindy. Using the same organic and ethical food
suppliers, Mackintosh’s opted to stay local as their
catering company evolved and expanded. From the
canapés to the drinks, styling, venue choice and
entertainment, Nicky and Cindy do it all.

Earlier this spring, the fashion house Mulberry
chose Mackintosh’s to impress their clients for an
evening of star-studded schmoozing, as celebrities
nibbled on wilted sorrel, fresh pea and emmental
tartlets. More recently, Mackintosh’s showed off
their culinary skills with a taste of the Deep South
for the premiere of the West End musical, Gone with
the Wind. The 700 guests were greeted with creole
jambalaya, southern sausages in cajun sauce and
mini pecan pie sweeteners.

But what of summer diets and guests trying to
keep to their beach body regimes? “Anything deep
fried such as our delicious lemon risotto balls should
be avoided, of course,” says Cindy with a twinkle in her eye, “but our marinated prawns served on a
spoon and the watermelon boxes filled with crab are
perfect indulgences to still allow you to slip into that
bikini.” Nicky, the company’s director and executive
chef, has been preparing a delicious summer menu.
“We’ll be serving salads at our events this summer,
such as a beetroot carpaccio with goats’ cheese
mousse, beetroot jellies and red chard cress.”

Whether it be a private prawn skewer picnic,
crab salad conference or white chocolate wedding,
Mackintosh’s has mastered the art of throwing
exceptional events. This is the family that has got
everyone talking passionately about their food and
most certainly already has your mouth watering.