Wedding Catering FAQs
Answers to the questions couples ask us most often about Italian wedding catering in Scotland. If yours isn't here, call Giuseppe on 07868 162435 or use the Check Availability form.
What is Italian Banquet Company?
Italian Banquet Company is a private Italian wedding and event caterer based in Scotland, serving weddings UK-wide. Founded and led by Modena-trained head chef Giuseppe Manzoli, the company cooks full Italian wedding banquets and tasting menus, made from scratch by a full chef's brigade, for weddings, private parties, milestone celebrations and intimate dinners in lodges, country houses, private homes and venues across Scotland, the wider UK and on request overseas.
Where in Scotland do you cater weddings?
We travel across Scotland and UK-wide. Our most-requested areas are Loch Ness and the wider Highlands, Inverness, Speyside, Perthshire, Angus, Fife and Aberdeenshire, with regular work at country houses, private lodges and family homes. If you are getting married in Scotland or the UK and you want a private Italian catering team to come to you, please ask. We will travel for the right wedding.
What kind of weddings do you cater?
We specialise in intimate weddings, elopements and small-to-medium private weddings where the meal is the centre of the day. We also cater larger Italian wedding banquets, family celebrations, anniversary dinners and rehearsal dinners. Every menu is built from scratch around the couple, the season and the venue.
How is Italian wedding catering priced?
Every wedding is quoted individually, because what it takes is shaped by the menu, the number of guests, the venue kitchen and how far the brigade travels. We build the menu with you first, then send a clear, itemised quote before anything is confirmed. Send us your date, venue and rough guest count and we will come back to you quickly.
What is on a typical Italian wedding tasting menu?
A typical Italian wedding tasting menu with us follows the rhythm of a real Italian feast: antipasti to start, a primo of fresh handmade pasta, a main course built around seasonal Scottish produce cooked in the Italian tradition, and a classic Italian dessert to close. Every menu is tailored to the couple and the season. No two weddings get the same menu.
How far in advance should we book?
We recommend booking as early as possible, particularly for weekends between May and September. Many couples book 6 to 18 months in advance, but we will always look at shorter lead times where the date is still open. Get in touch with your date and we will tell you straight away if we are available.
Do you cater intimate weddings and elopements?
Yes. Intimate weddings and elopements are some of the most rewarding work we do. We regularly cater weddings of 10 to 25 guests in private lodges, country houses, private homes and small venues. A small wedding lets us cook every course by hand and serve it warm to a single long table, which is the kind of meal an Italian banquet is built for.
Do you travel to private lodges, country houses and private homes?
Yes. We are a travelling chef and catering team. We cook on site, in the kitchen of your venue or home, using our own equipment where needed. Recent venues include private lodges around Loch Ness, country houses in Angus and family homes across the Highlands. If you have a kitchen we can work in, we can usually cook for you there.
Do you provide staff, equipment and front-of-house service?
Yes. A full wedding service from Italian Banquet Company includes the chef brigade, front-of-house service staff, pass equipment, plating and everything required to deliver a multi-course meal at your venue. We co-ordinate closely with your venue or wedding planner so the meal flows seamlessly into the rest of the day.
Can you accommodate dietary requirements?
Yes. We routinely build menus around vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian and allergy-specific requirements, and we design alternative courses for individual guests where needed. Share dietary requirements at the menu-design stage and we will make sure no guest is given an afterthought.
Do you offer a menu tasting?
Tastings are arranged case by case depending on the wedding, the menu and the location. For larger weddings and bespoke menus we can usually arrange a tasting before the final menu is signed off. Please ask when you enquire.
Is the pasta really made by hand?
Yes. All of our fresh pasta, from tortelloni and ravioli to pappardelle and tagliatelle, is rolled, filled and shaped by hand by Giuseppe and the kitchen team, often on the day of service. There is no shortcut for fresh handmade pasta, and we don't take one.
Who is Giuseppe Manzoli?
Giuseppe Manzoli is the founder and head chef of Italian Banquet Company. Italian-born and Modena-trained, with more than 35 years in professional kitchens, Giuseppe previously ran a long-established private chef service in Scotland before founding Italian Banquet Company to focus specifically on private Italian weddings, banquets and events. He personally leads the chef's brigade in the kitchen on every wedding we cater.
Can you cater larger weddings as well as intimate ones?
Yes. Intimate weddings are a specialty, but the format scales. We cook full Italian wedding banquets for large guest lists with a bigger brigade and a full front-of-house team. Whether it is one long table or a room of round tables, the food is cooked on site on the day. Tell us your guest count and we will tell you honestly whether it is a good fit.
How do we book? What is the next step?
Get in touch with your wedding date, venue, approximate guest count and a few words about what you are imagining. We will come back to you with availability, ideas for the menu and an indicative quote. Once you are happy, a date is held with a deposit and we begin building the menu in detail with you. Call 07868 162435 or use the Check Availability form on our website.