Because Grazing is Far better than plain old snacks
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, when you gathered in celebration there would be ‘nibbles’ Maybe some kabana, little building blocks of yellow cheese, some inexplicably bright red and green cocktail onions and a tub of French onion dip, all crowded together with a packet of Ritz crackers to complete the spread. Everything would be crammed onto a toothpick if we were going all out.
To be very clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with serving this AT ALL. I have been known to put a block of cheese and half a jar of gherkins on a plate and offer it unabashedly to my friends. But when we really want to celebrate, the nibbles of old just won’t do. We want Grazing and we want it to be as beautiful as it is delicious.
I decided to offer a Grazing Masterclass after watching a tutorial on making Salami Roses. I’ve made hundreds of salami roses and still look at tutorials, just in case there is something I’m missing or there’s a new technique. I do this in the kitchen constantly, there’s always more to learn. Or in this case - get unreasonable angry about. This video had 10k likes and a perfect rose was created every time. But not once did they mention that if your salami slices are too small, your rose will fall apart. It will not work. You won’t be able to make it work.
Creating a grazing table class after getting angry at an Instagram post might seem a little extreme, but here we are! The difference between putting food out on a table and creating a showpiece is all in the little details: knowing what to put where, how much of everything you’ll need, how it will be eaten, and how to make it visually appealing. Go online, and there is so much information and many gorgeous examples—unless the creator is withholding vital information!!
Around 10 years ago, for my Dad's birthday, my sister and I were tasked with running out to grab some nibbles. Arranging our supermarket treasure on a rickety card table ignited a spark and we have been fussing around grazing tables ever since.
Fast forward to today, I find myself confident enough to share what I have learnt (well, we will see how the whole ‘speaking in front of a group' thing goes) So I have put together a class that will take the stress out of entertaining. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect at the Relish Grazing Table Masterclass
Step-by-step demonstration of large grazing table creation using charcuterie, cheese, dips, antipasto, fresh & dried fruit and more.
Tips on presentation, ingredient selection, flavour pairing, visual balance and styling. Styling is key! It doesn’t matter how amazing your food is, if your presentation is not on point, you will never create that showstopper
I will then guide you in using the ingredients from the table to hands-on create your own decadent grazing box to take home and enjoy
It will be casual and informative with lots of time for questions so you can feel free to take notes and photos
I’ll be keeping the class sizes small (around 6) so there is plenty of time for everyone to participate fully.
In the meantime, because wine and cheese are a match made in heaven, we’re offering free BYO as well. But I’d love to explore the idea of teaming up with a local winemaker to offer a cheese and wine pairing class. Just throwing that idea out into the universe…
I had imagined the classes being perfect for an event like a Hen’s Party, Bridal Shower, Birthday celebration etc. But someone has suggested they may book for either a team building afternoon or their office Christmas party - I had not even thought of that!
Just a note about dietary requirements because everyone, including me, has one. At this stage, we won't be making alterations to suit. However, the table is largely gluten-free and minor adjustments can be made in some cases. For example, if you're allergic to peanuts, we can easily accommodate you, but if you're allergic to cheese, that might be tricky and also incredibly sad. Get in contact before booking to see what's possible.
The slideshow above is of an epic table my sister and I created for our baby sister's engagement party in 2017. It's beyond grazing, this was to feed 120 guests over a dinner period, so it's VERY substantial. As well as typical grazing elements we also included Sushi, Noodle Boxes, Roast Beef to make Mini Roast Beef rolls, Whole terrines and so much more.
Although it doesn't look bad, and we were really happy with it at the time, I would do it completely differently now, 8 years on. My style has changed and evolved so much with experience.
So if all this sounds like your kind of good time, email me so we can make it happen.
I'm really excited to share this with you. It feels a bit sneaky that I can combine one of my favourite activities with work!
xoxo
Hayley
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