How to design the perfect food experience for corporate or private events
Creating a memorable corporate brand event starts long before the first guest arrives. The way you design a food experience shapes how your clients, colleagues and guests feel about your brand. It tells a story about your standards, your personality and the way you look after people.
We are Four Gables, a luxury food experience and catering company based in Ashtead in Surrey, we use a personal approach to get this right: bespoke tasting experiences. These tastings help corporate clients, couples and private hosts curate an entire food experience that feels seamless on the day, whether the event is a brand launch, a corporate gathering, a leadership away day or a private celebration.
Rather than asking you to choose from a brochure, our team invites you to join us on our smallholding near Ashtead Common, where we have converted a beautiful and spacious Shepherd’s Hut into a private dining room. Together, we will taste, test, refine and design your menu so that by the time your guests arrive, you know exactly what to expect and the dining experience truly reflects the ambience and brand story you wish to tell.
What is a Four Gables tasting experience?
A Four Gables tasting experience feels like a private restaurant created just for you and your event.
Arrive at our farm located within Ashtead Common and then step into our light filled, Shepherd’s Hut. It feels intimate and relaxed, but everything on the table and in the kitchen has a purpose.
We treat each tasting as a bespoke event in its own right. There isn’t a standard set menu or a one size fits all format. Instead, we design the tasting around your brief. From the moment you arrive, you start to see how the food, styling and service could look and feel for your occasion.
Why our tastings help you curate the perfect event
We put a huge amount of effort into every tasting. Before you arrive, we review your brief in detail and consider:
- Brand choices and colours
- Themes and styling ideas
- Your guests and the atmosphere you want to create
- Dietary requirements
If you are planning corporate event catering, we think about how to reflect your brand identity through flavour, presentation and service. If you are planning a private celebration, we explore how to weave in your story and personality. The tasting gives us time to:
- Meet you face to face and build a genuine connection
- Understand what matters most to you and your guests
- Map out how the event will run from welcome drinks to final course
- Show you how we work as a team on the day
This way, the tasting becomes a creative collaboration, not simply a menu selection exercise.
What you can expect from your tasting with us
Every tasting experience is individual. We design each one around you and your event, so no two tastings are ever the same. However, you can expect some key elements, during your tasting, we will help you:
Understand what you can expect from the Four Gables team
You see how we cook, present and serve. You get a clear sense of our style and how we look after guests.
Create a completely bespoke menu
We develop and refine ideas with you until the menu truly fits your event.
Decide on food service styling
We talk through how the food will be served on the day. That might be plated, shared, passed canapés or a combination. We help you choose a service style that supports your timings and your guest experience.
Shape the table scaping and overall look
We explore linens, serve ware, glassware, crockery and cutlery so that each element of your table design works together. For a corporate brand event, we might use subtle references to your brand colours. For a private event, we might focus on a softer, celebratory look that suits your venue.
What we usually serve at a tasting
The tasting menu is generous, so you can make confident decisions. A typical tasting with us might include:
Cocktails
We welcome you with cocktails that reflect the tone of your event. Together, we decide how you want your guests to feel from the first drink.
Wine pairing and tasting conversation
We talk through wine options with you and taste different pairings for each course. We then agree which wines will best accompany your menu and how to structure drinks service for your event, whether corporate, private or a wedding.
Ten canapés, narrowed down to six
We often serve around ten canapés so you can explore different flavours, textures and styles. Together, we refine the selection to six that feel perfect for your event. This process works particularly well for corporate brand events where every detail needs to feel purposeful.
Your menu designed around your taste
We prepare a your menu for you to try, tailored to your preferences and your brief. This may include alternative dishes for each course, so you can compare and choose your final line up.
As we move through the tasting, we listen carefully to your feedback. We adjust flavours, seasoning, presentation and accompaniments and suggest alternatives where helpful. Our aim is that you leave feeling excited and fully reassured that your guests will rave about the experience.
From tasting to event: Joining the dots
The real impact of the tasting shows on the day of your event. Because we have taken the time to plan together in person, you know exactly how the food will look, taste and feel. You can focus on your guests and your content, and trust us to deliver the experience we have created with you.
If you are a corporate client looking for a luxury catering company or a partner for corporate event catering, that confidence is vital. It means the hospitality supports your objectives, whether you are hosting clients, senior leaders or partners.
If you are planning a private celebration, the tasting often becomes one of the highlights of the planning process. It is relaxed, enjoyable and creative, and you see your ideas turn into real dishes in front of you.
We bring this thoughtful, personal approach to everything we do, from small private dinners to larger corporate events in London and beyond. Each tasting is our chance to show you who we are and to design something that feels truly yours.
Ready to design the food experience for your next corporate brand event?
If you want your next event to feel cohesive, generous and completely on brand, start with the food. A Four Gables tasting experience gives you space to explore ideas, test flavours and build a menu that tells your story.
The team at Four Gables partners with you from the first cocktail in the Shepherd’s Hut to the final course on the day itself.
Your guests will remember how your event felt. The tasting is where that feeling begins.
Photos by Four Gables Group