Manage My Wedding Podcast

Wow Your Guests With Food: Chef Jan's Expertise in Wedding Catering MMW 207

• Yvette Sitters • Episode 207

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Wanting the perfect wedding menu that satisfies every guest? A menu that not only tastes divine but also looks like a work of art? Well, Chef Jan Cranich, a seasoned Brisbane culinary expert, is here to share her secrets. Listen in as Jan uses her 30-year experience in bespoke cooking to guide us through the labyrinth of wedding menu planning. From considering diverse dietary needs to nailing the art of food presentation, she shares invaluable insights to help you create a menu that will have your guests talking for months.

The episode also delves into the often overlooked art of coordinating logistics for weddings. As Jan explains, effective communication and meticulous planning are key, especially when juggling multiple vendors. She shares professional advice and personal anecdotes from her successful career, emphasising the importance of flexibility and an open-minded approach to handle any last-minute changes or surprises.

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Yvette Sitters:

Welcome to the Manage my Wedding podcast, where we believe your wedding is the most important time in your life and you deserve to feel supported and organised when planning the wedding of your dreams. I'm your host, yvette Sidders. Welcome back to the Manage my Wedding podcast. This week we are talking with guest chef Jen Cranich, and she is a qualified Brisbane based chef with over 30 years of experience. Now Jen specialises in bespoke cooking. She custom makes everything to suit her client's dietary needs and wishes. She likes to use all natural, unprocessed ingredients and source local produce where possible to support local suppliers, which I absolutely love, and I have been privileged enough to eat her food, and she is just a fabulous, fun lady. So welcome to the podcast, jen.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Ah Jen, how are you? Thank you so much for having me on. You're amazing, it was so great to meet you and now we get to do this together.

Yvette Sitters:

I know, but you're amazing. Let me just tell you I have never met a chef that can cook so beautifully but also be so damn fun. You are the life of the party. You are entertaining, you are brilliant, so it is the perfect combination.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Oh, that's so lovely of you. Thank you very much for that. Look, the problem is I'm passionate foodie and so I just I love to inspire people. I love to cook beautiful food, I love to use fresh ginger, garlic, all those beautiful flavours. And I just like to inspire people because I take for granted I used to be a cooking school teacher for about three years and I took for granted that I could crack an egg with one hand and people go oh, wow. And so what you have to do is, if you get a gag and people laugh at you, you go you know what I'm really working, that I'm going with that. Basically, I've worked with a lot of people over the years and if I say something and they laugh at it, I'm like, yeah, let's go in a muggle.

Yvette Sitters:

I love that I love that I was privileged enough to only meet Jen. Oh my gosh, it was only like a few weeks back. We were in contact a bit before and I was lucky enough to have you for three nights, cook for me at a retreat. You have something special. Your food is just absolutely amazing and all from scratch, which I love very much. So I knew that we had to talk to you because you have a lot of experience.

Yvette Sitters:

You do weddings as well, which is what you obviously talk about yes, and as choosing the right menu is pretty crucial, I believe, for a good, memorable wedding, tell us what advice do you have for couples in determining the perfect balance between crowd pleases that are popular and the more personalized kind of unique menu options?

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Well, in my experience, I'm a sole trader and I run food with style. I design menus to suit my clients' needs. But over the years I've done a lot of catering for big convention centres and clubs and all sorts and I found that in this market that feasting tables are the way to go, mainly because there's so many dietary needs and everyone has lots of different wants and needs. And, to be honest with you as a chef, when you're feeding the masses you don't have time to deal with what Sally wants, because Sally might be really needy and Sally might want some particular whatever. And I find it's best if you can give a feasting, an array of food that is very pleasurable to look at, rather than waiting for one plate of food to come in front of you. I like to give them a Vava boom.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So, like whenever I lay my food out, first of all, I call it set planning. So I actually design sets. So the wedding I did recently up the coast, I had six courses in it, and so what? I did it on six sets. And please rain me in if I get off topic, because I tend to no tell us at all.

Yvette Sitters:

We love, we want to hear all about it. We've never had anyone come on the podcast to talk about food, so this is really I feel so, so you go for it.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

OK, well, what I do is once I design a menu. So, just to take a step back, I actually have a meeting with my client and I asked them to come to that meeting with the yes no list. So I think it's really important and for your listeners, I think it would be a good idea if they can really take a step back and think about everything they like and what they don't like. A lot of people, when you pick up the phone, you have that first conversation. They get oh I'm easy, I'm flexible, I'm just gorgeous. And then when you actually sit down with your nuts and bolts because I've got a cutting quick and find out what's going on, so I'd be really nice about it. But I said, what do you like much you know like and what do you love and what do you hate? Because I need to know all that, because I don't want, I want to overwhelm you, I want to over delight you at your function. So if you give me your yes no list to start with and then tell me what you like and what you don't like, we can actually start signing the menu for absolutely you, rather than giving you some generic take A, b or C option. I rather for my clients to design exactly what they want. So it's going to be three courses and I have lots of menus and packages and I have a very structure, if you like, that actually caters to all pellets.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So most people these days like well, not most people, but anyway there's a majority of people like to eat healthy. So I try to keep it fresh, vibrant and alive and so that when people come to my feasting table they've spread this salad, this meat, this veggies, this Everything, something for everyone. And everything is made. I don't use any preservatives, so I make everything from garlic, turmeric, fresh ginger, fresh cracked black pepper I have all these different peppers that I use and everything has to smell good, taste good, be fresh and wholesome. So I, yeah, I spend a lot of research and a lot of time checking out the marketplace, finding new products, and a lot of the suppliers know hey, jan, did you know about that? Or I get a phone call or message or, like, recently I found freeze-dried truffles. So actually I don't know if you were aware, but I actually took them to the retreat you did.

Yvette Sitters:

Yes, I did. You did talk to me about them there. I asked you quite a bit about that and I had them on my Arancini balls. Yes, I don't usually like truffle and I love them.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Do you know what? I had never tried freeze-dried truffles. So in my experience people either say yes or no. You either like truffles or you don't, because you get fresh, beautiful truffles $2,000 a kilo. They are very earthy, they're very pungent, they're very in-your-face sort of thing and it's black and white. Yes or no. You like them or you don't.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

But the freeze-dried truffle is a step back and it's so palatable and it's just so delicious. And people that don't like truffle I say look, please just humor me and just have a little taste, just a little nibble, and then tell me you don't like it. But what I find is when I use it, I actually fry my onions with garlic and salt and pepper and then I get the freeze-dried truffle in there. But I also get some Arancini mushrooms, the dried ones, and I put them in my nutube and get it all going on and then I get that dust, that Arancini dust, with the truffles. You fry the onions, you brown the onions with the olive oil. It gives it a depth of flavour that just blows my mind Like it's just.

Yvette Sitters:

You're making me hungry. I'm good. Good, that's what I want, just to those listeners. It's night time right now and she's talking about food and I'm going. Oh, come on. I love how you talk so passionately about food and you'll probably agree with me on this, but I go on and on in all my podcast episodes about the fact that the most important things at a wedding that any of your guests actually care about is the food, is number one, and that is what they will talk about forever. Two is drinks. They want a cold drink and they don't want to be looking for it. Three is entertainment and four is emotional connection. Those four things create the best weddings ever, and that's because food gives people an emotional connection. It lights them up, it makes them feel so good and afterwards the next day they're like how good was the food? Like they're not going, how good were the roses that were on the table? It's just not what's happening. But we get so caught up in everything looking pretty, but the food is the number one ingredient, like it's so important.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

And even when there's lollies and con massage, you have awkward moments. When you're talking with people you can always refer to oh, what do you think of the food? Yes, how's yours?

Yvette Sitters:

Yes, it's so true. It's so true. Tell me, you talked about the feasting table which we use to sometimes, I suppose, to refer to a buffet, and I hate that word, because buffets are like your old silver-shafing dishes and you don't do that at all. Yours look amazing and I'm going to make sure in the show notes they can see images of what yours looks like, because it looks beautiful and it's colourful and it just styled gorgeously Gorgeously isn't such a word. It's styled beautifully.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

You can like it up. This is your podcast. You can do it Every one.

Yvette Sitters:

But some people like the plated dinner service. But you're obviously saying, no, let's go feasting. But then feasting is very popular on the table these days as well, isn't it?

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Exactly so. I am a giant fan of Jamie Oliver, everything Jamie does, Jamie does Me too.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

He's amazing. He's incredible and I watched one, a YouTube of his when he turned 30. He was in Italy and his wife wasn't with him and he cleared out this farm shed and he had tins of paint on the table and he put planks of wood on the tables and then he wrapped, put his paper around him and he laid out the chuteau and olives and oh baby, and wine, and it was just rusty gas, but it was sensational. So everyone you'll imagine sitting at this fabulous farmhouse. You got straw on the floor and goats and animals running around the place, but in front of you, in the center, you're sitting across from your favorite person or someone, and there's prosciutto, there's breadsticks, there's onions, you've got a fabulous glass of wine and you're feasting and you're like it's just, you put the plate and you can actually choose what you want, or you can now sell it down the way to go and get you some of that bread down there, bring it up here.

Yvette Sitters:

Come on, bring it up here. Yeah, I love that. I love how you're describing it and at the moment, we know like people are so budget conscious. But you can do this even in your backyard what you're saying, because Jen just over on nose is listening. You can hire Jen. She travels, she can hire you and you can do this anywhere. That's the joy of it, right? Yes, that's right. You can do this anywhere. It's the best thing about it. Yeah, so what if a couple's trying to decide, considering when, like on their serving style, what should they consider, and are there any emerging trends that are coming up that you feel like the couples might find interesting as well?

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Well, I think I'm a real big fan of the feasting tables. I think that's the way to go, only because there's so many dietary needs, like you've got to be. Take a step back. When I first started my bridge a long time ago, the only dietary needs was a vegetarian, and so that was all we dealt with.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

We didn't have any garnishes.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

All we had was parsley and vegetarians and that was basically it.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

But now we've got all these beautiful things to garnish with and all these dietary needs, which is not a problem at all with me I'm actually a celiac and so I have. I feel, how people feel when they go out. So when I do my entertaining I always try to be mindful and courteous, to take on board whatever the dietary needs are, and I think if you can just grab those say, there's five dietary needs in a function if you can just make yourself a note on the side to pull them aside and just have a one to one in their face, basically with them, and see how they feel how much, if everything's okay and that's all you've got to do with people is basically check in with your dietary needs people and look them in the eye and make sure that they're happy, because that to me is that's very important to me to look for guests in the eye and make sure that I'm catering for them and making them warm and fuzzy, I'm filling their tummy and it's going on.

Yvette Sitters:

I love that Love that. Well, you know, as you know, a lot of venues are very much alternate drop, yes, weddings, yes, I know it's so old school, but it is what it is right at lots of venues. Yes, when. And I see and I've seen this working in many venues so many times that they have two dishes and one runs out because everyone rejected one of those dishes, and then you get to the end of the last two tables have all got to have whatever.

Yvette Sitters:

that rejected dish was right. Yes, Because some of this you know waiters, waitresses they don't always know how to say no, it's alternate drop. How can someone avoid that? If they have to have an alternate drop, how can they avoid that scenario happening and what dishes are best for them to pick to stop that happening?

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Oh look, that's how long is piece of string sort of question. I went to a function recently and you didn't get a choice. You just all got beef. Well, it wasn't butchers affair. So if you didn't?

Yvette Sitters:

have a beef Fair enough.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

That was going to be a problem, but it is. It's really complicated and I think I think chicken is a really good call If you really want to get down and nuts and bolts. I think any chicken dish. If they're a meat eater, that's okay. Most people will go for chicken. I think if you're worried about what people got, some people just don't like seafood and there's it's it can be 50% like it and then there's 25% like no, I don't touch seafood and for whatever reason, and it is more expensive. So I think I would go. I would recommend having chicken as one of the dishes, just because it's popular, and then I think you're probably going to need a vegetarian because there's so many health conscious. But it's got. It can't be like I've been to functions where they give you a piece of pumpkin on a plate like a really sad story for a vegetarian option, it's hello, where's the chef being?

Chef Jan Cranitch:

It's really insulting to a vegetarian to do that. I think if you are going to do a vegetarian, it's got to be very green and wholesome and luscious for the eyes and the palate and you've got to look at something and you've got to start drooling, basically like a dog. You've got to look at that Like. Whenever I see put food down, I think, or when I'm teaching a class, I say to my students what you have to do is you have to hit people with all their senses. So the minute they knock on the door, before you go and open the door, you have to run in the kitchen and open and close the oven a few times just to let all the smell permeate.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So when you are at the retreat before you girls were coming up or back I don't even close the oven a few times and I permeate the room or get some mint going on or anything going on, just because people get excited by their senses. So when you first knock on your door so say I'm coming to your house, I knock on the door, you open the door and the first thing I do is I go has it got anything cooking? Oh, yes, she has. I smell onions. And then you walk me through the door and then I go into the kitchen. I go, oh, I look with my eyes and I see, oh, you've got all this prep on the benches. Oh, you've got a lot of effort.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

And then I sit down at your table and then you put the beautiful food before me and then it goes into my belly. So you've hit me three times with my eyes, my nose, my mouth, my belly and I'm like whoa coming back again. Emotional connection.

Yvette Sitters:

There you have it. It's so true. And I'm thinking when I'm listening to you, because for quite some time I used to say and I've changed my mind on this because of the way food is being done now and because of the way people like you do food Back in the day, I used to say to people do not have a cocktail party, because everyone runs, complains they don't get enough food, the food runs out. Remember it used to just be these little canapes and things that would be passed around maybe a little bowl of fork food.

Yvette Sitters:

But I'm thinking, while I'm listening to you too, that like that whole feasting a station type thing that's perfect for a cocktail party as well.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

It is, and if you wanted to do a cocktail party. What I found is really exciting is shooters. Like I just think I think shooters are sexy. I don't care how I do it, I think shooters are everything. So I do halloumi. I don't think I did it at all, I had them.

Yvette Sitters:

Yes, yes, we had them on the first night. They were amazing.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Yes, so I do halloumi shooters and I've actually had this timber lady that designs Christie's timbers and she designs all these beautiful timber things. My husband's also a builder, so a lot of my products, I love to put all my food on timber because I think nature and timber it just goes hand in hand and it just makes it pop. So I like to build a framework before I even put my food down. So not only do I worry about the menu and the flavors and the food, I worry about the set design. So I want to have layers of loveliness just to intrigue you. And so you're whining and dining and dashing and weaving through what I've put on my feasting table. So there's something for everyone.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So whether it's my rosemary in my Mediterranean bottles, or whether it's the capsicum that I've roasted with the balsamic over the top, or whether it's the fresh bread that I've baked and the garlic and the cheese and the romans are coming at you, but I try and look after everyone that's at my party. So I want there to be something. So generally when I get around and talk to everyone, I'm smooching up to everyone. They say, oh, I really liked it. I'm like, yes, you got something. And then I go over to Sally over here and she goes oh yes, you got it with something and it's good for me if there's something for everyone there that's really made them, made an impression or inspired them. You know, make them feel good.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Yeah, I love that no connection Totally.

Yvette Sitters:

You know it's so good. I love that. I'm going to go back. I was just. I'm thinking now about what you said about the vegetarian thing. It's like I'm thinking, if for the listeners, if you're listening and you have got a few vegetarians or you are vegetarian, ask the kitchen, hey, ask the venue or the caterers, what is the vegetarian? Because that doesn't get asked.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

A lot does it, and that's when we see rubbish vegetarian news coming out and do you know what and I shouldn't be saying this no one is listening, right? No, no one. It's the bigger venues sometimes. Yeah, I agree Absolutely. I would put you a piece of pumpkin on your plate and say that's the vegetarian option. So there's so many delicious things to do for vegetarians.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Put hummus on the bottom, roast eggplant, put it on the top, and then I put feta on the top of that, and then I put pomegranate jewels and then I put layers of balsamic lemon oil and all these little layers of loveliness. It's just, it makes it exciting. Like just because you're a vegetarian or a celiac or vegan or whatever, you're still entitled to be delighted and enjoy your meal and get your gastric juices in your mouth go dripping and you just want to put your whole face in the plate.

Yvette Sitters:

You're making me so hungry Again again.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

No this is very good.

Yvette Sitters:

I like the sounds of that vegetarian dish. I'm not vegetarian, but I like vegetarian food. It's become so far now. It's amazing yeah.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Look and salads and vegetables and, to be honest with you, I've started working with what are very good nutritionists, david Young, and we're actually going to be doing some corporate workshops next year and he was telling me and I'm gobsmacked that Australians only 6% Australians if they recommended five vegetables and two fruits a day, and I think that's really alarming and that's I've decided that it's going to be my job to try and make a difference and make a change.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

And that's why at all my feasting tables you will always see lots of fruit and veggies, because they're so vibrant and live and they're so beautiful and you don't really need to do a lot to it. Like a lot of people said at the retreat, they said, oh, what's in this?

Chef Jan Cranitch:

And I'd go one, two, three, four ingredients or whatever it was because you don't need to do a lot of things to it and you don't want to overdo things to mess up that beautiful tomato or the beautiful lettuce or and when it's fresh and good quality, you can taste that. Exactly so. I think it's really important and that's why I have a farmhouse background and it looks amazing and it looks amazing. And the listeners can't see that they can't but it looks fabulous.

Yvette Sitters:

It looks fabulous. She's got a farmhouse in the background. It looks wonderful. There's all fresh pod juice behind it.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Lovely.

Yvette Sitters:

Let's talk about menu tastings, because I had an amazing menu tasting at the venue I had my wedding at. It was amazing, it was so good. But menu tastes for weddings are not available at all venues. And if there is no menu tasting, what do you suggest for a couple to help them make a choice, because sometimes they're just given something Okay.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Well, I think it goes back to the yes no list. I think that's really important because I think, as a couple, you have to get together, and some people get married and they've not been together for so long or they have been together for a long time. But I think it's a really good conversation to have when you're just getting married about knowing what your partner likes and doesn't like. And I think if you can really even if you could go off into a room separately and both go okay, you've got half an hour or 20 minutes, whatever I want you to write down everything you hate and everything you like, and then you both come back together and you look at your list and you go oh my God, I don't know, you hated broccoli. Or oh my God, I don't know, you loved blah blah, and I think that's a really good starting point for me because I cut to the chase.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

I don't like to waste people's time. So for things like this you'll ring me up. You say you want to have a chat you want to talk about. Maybe I'll do your function for you. And I say well, first of all, I'd like to come over and meet you both and I'd like you to have this yes, no, list ready. And then I actually talk to you and I look you in the eyes and most people go, oh yeah, I'm really easy. And I say now but do you like? And then I start asking a serious, hard question Now, oh, no, I wouldn't like that on my plate. No, no, no, no.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

And they've already told me how easy and lovely and easy, but you really got to get there fast about what they like and what they don't like, so you really got to start throwing those suggestions out there and most venues they're not flexible.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Most venues have a certain menu because it's been costed out and it's not their fault, because they have the big CEOs that have the budgets and all these constraints and they spend a lot of time and effort, money, in planning these menus out. So they only give you certain things, yeah, whereas the likes of Chef Jan, she's a little bit more flexible, she's very flexible.

Yvette Sitters:

I love it, yeah yeah. And these are big venues too. They're pretty. They could be pretty strict on lots of things, including timings and how things work, and I know from working in big venues myself. I've worked in small and big, so I've done it all. But in big venues I remember the times when the speeches run half an hour over and there's chef in the kitchen and he's that beans over cooking. He's getting really mad, like really cross, because you can't always predict that and that's because the mains are after the speeches or whatever happens. So logistics obviously play a huge role in ensuring that the food is not just yummy and delicious but also served at the right temperature and at the right time.

Yvette Sitters:

So how do you coordinate if you're going somewhere, into a venue or with an events planner or wedding planner or anyone to address those logistical challenges so that works for everyone?

Chef Jan Cranitch:

What I always do is have a running sheet. I'm a stigler for a running sheet but I don't necessarily stick to it. I need to run everything every 15 minutes. I like to run my show, so I like to know what's going on. So I'll rock into a place two hours before. But I've got my prep done and I know I've sort of timed things out what they need to do. So I basically have a running sheet.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

I think I've worked it out that it's generally I'm six hours on the job two hours to set out, three hours to service, one hour to bump down, bump out, and generally three hours is the time frame for how long that food timing will go. And so what I do with my guests is I do a running sheet. After we pick the menus out, I go and check the venue out. I never do a job without checking out what I'm going to be cooking in what the kitchen, so that there's no surprises on the night. So that's really important. And then I have the actual timing. So it's like start drinks are going to be at this time, starters at this time, main course at this time and then dessert at this time.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Of course it's very flexible, but I think if you have a structure in place about the time you want to go and if you communicate with the person that is doing the job. But is there any movement? Can we, if Sally goes over in the conversation, is there anything we can? That I always say to my guests or whoever I'm providing food for, there's always room to move. I think at the retreat one of the girls workshop is supposed to be two hours. She went for one hour. I guess I remember that. Yes, can we do a dinner an hour and I'll eat it Done. But you've always got to have all that in place because and if not, you just make it up, make it, fake it.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Yes, yes, everything. I work it out later, but I think a running sheet is important and then how late you are. So if you say weddings, people always underestimate how long it takes to get married, even if you want a quick wedding, and a lot of people say oh yes, it's just 15 minutes, yeah, right, yeah.

Yvette Sitters:

I agree. Oh my gosh, I wish every chef was as wonderful and as flexible as you, because they're not all as fabulous. I think it needs to be open minded like that.

Yvette Sitters:

Oh yeah, you have to be more so. But I always say to and listen, take this on board business. This is why I say so early in the piece to work on the timings much earlier. People leave it to those last couple of weeks and there's not enough discussions then around the timings. You've got to do it months out and talk to all the vendors, talk to your chef, your caterer, your venue, talk to the photographer, talk to everyone so that everyone agrees and he's on the same page, because if you leave it till the final weeks, that doesn't happen and then that's when all those logistical nightmares kind of happen. Yeah, because there's been no discussions to check that. Everyone's okay with that.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Exactly, and I think prior planning like going over and over. And so once I have a meeting with my client, we decide on the menu, I go and explore the menu and I check everything out. I then type up a menu for them. They sign off on the menu and then, once everything is set in place and we're all happy, then a week before I will go back to them and I'll check in to see if the numbers change. Do we've got any dietary needs or whatever? Is there any movement? Do we need to adjust anything? Yeah, just to be sure. And then check in.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

And I always check in the morning of a job that say I'm on my way, because you always stress and worry about. So I always arrive early, much earlier than I need to be there, and I'm always mindful of what my clients' needs are. So having those initial couple of consultations, I think it's really important so you can see where the need is for your client, what you need to do to make them comfortable and make it the best day, because this is the best day of their life. They're only going to get one shot at this, so we all need to be on the same page and make sure it's totally awesome.

Yvette Sitters:

I love that. I love that. That's great, it's good planning, good planning.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

I was really privileged to do a wedding recently, a couple of months ago, at the coast, and I was so. I could not believe how lucky I was. I had done a job for this family. Oh, at the beginning of the year, for Dad it was his 60th birthday and then the daughter was there and she invited me to do the wedding. I was like woo hoo, fabulous. Anyway. The bride, the most beautiful bride in the world. Dealing with her on the lead up, I think we only probably had two months before she decided she was going to do this. So everything worked, clock worked, because she was so lovely, she had her agenda and her list. But she also delegated, and I think it's really important. Like being a bride, you make the mistake of I'm going to do flowers, I'm going to do that, but you know what You're supposed to be enjoying the day. So you need to delegate all these jobs out so that you're only doing the ones that you really love all.

Yvette Sitters:

Yeah, I love that. I swear you've listened to some of my episodes because I say that Delegate, so thank you, I love that. That is fantastic.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

That you say that it's so important.

Yvette Sitters:

And put other people in charge of stuff, and you know what.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Everyone likes to help at a wedding. So if you like to give all your guests and I think this is just in my personal opinion, don't judge me, but I think intimate, small weddings are the way to go these days. This last one I went to I don't know what your thoughts on this event. We haven't gone there yet, but this last wedding I did was only 23. And it was one of the most beautiful, moving events I have ever been to and one of the things the common, the common comment, was that every single person there was invested in the event.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So they weren't randoms just going there for a couple of years or they weren't just checking out the designer outfits. They were truly grown up with these people that were actually putting their lives together and uniting as a team, and every single person had watched them grow up or had been through the part of falling in love with them. And every single person at this table got up and said some of the most. I'm getting goosebumps actually now just thinking about every person got up and said the most beautiful thing to these two people and I just thought man, that's gold you can't pay for that.

Yvette Sitters:

I am 100% with you. They call them micro weddings Just going crazy at the moment. So many people are opting for that and they're beautiful, they really are. I had 135 wedding guests at my wedding and that was culling because we have big families. But if I had my time again, that would be me. I'd do exactly what you have at that wedding because it is so beautiful. It's just really it is special, it's really special.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

There's a lady down the coast and she and her husband, or to be husband. They actually made a deal. They said, ok, if we both do not know these people for at least 10 years and we can't they have a big list, a tick box list, of how the guests were, whether they're allowed to come. So whether you'd know them for 10 years, whether you could see them in your future, in 20 years, and all this criteria, and I thought that's really smart.

Yvette Sitters:

Yep, and if you think you wouldn't go out for a meal with that couple or person and pay for their meal, they should not go to the wedding as well, if they're not someone you want to go out and enjoy a meal with one on one and pay.

Yvette Sitters:

Happily pay for them. Nice, yeah, I like that. Yeah, can you share with us, jen and you just shared already one but can you share a success story where the men you played like a significant role in enhancing overall wedding experience and what lessons can couples draw from experiences when planning their own wedding menu?

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Well, I love theatre and drama.

Yvette Sitters:

Just the way everyone knows, when we were at the retreat, jan would come out and she would introduce her food and what was on the feasting station and the way she would describe it was just amazing. And a little bit of this and a little bit of that. You're so theatrical. I love it.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Well, I'm a bit of a drama queen. I think I like a fun one, thank you, like I used to do a carnival cast and I used to get a board and a steak knife and stab it into the board just to scare people. Have I got your attention? Sorry, I've gone off topic.

Yvette Sitters:

What was the question? I love you, jan. I interrupted it because you said I'm theatrical and I was like, yeah, at the retreat you were theatrical, so I buggered that up. But I asked you to share a success story, with a menu played like a significant role. How can, what lessons can couples draw from such experience when planning their own menu.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Okay. So the last thing I did it was six courses, and I talk about set design and I'm probably totally weird and different from everyone, but I think if you're going to have these beautiful moments of food and food is luxury and having a wedding is luxury so what I think was really good was having these stations, if you like, or sets and so like. When the bride and groom finish, like the food has to embrace the moment. So the bride and groom had left getting married and the photos and everything, and everyone was, so they actually walked up the stairs.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So I set a table up and on the back of the table I had all these beautiful candles and it was just on sunset as well. So then I had all this backdrop of candles that were about a ruler height and then I had. Then I did the halloumi shooters, then I had our own chini balls and then I had little spoons with dumplings on them. So when they came up, they first hit the bar, so they grabbed the champagne and swirled a little and wiggled a bit and then they went over and straight in front of them, as they walked up, there was this beautiful table with candles and their choice of three starters oh, yes, and they just went.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Oh darling, this is fabulous. I love this food because they're a little bit packaged, because they've just been down there standing there in, the sun was setting and it all takes time to go through half an hour, through cause, an hour, whatever it was, and so they're number one, their thirsty. So they've come up the stairs, boom, they've got the glass of champagne and a little bit of loveliness. So, and then they walked all over to my little table with the candles, and then they see my three choices, which they could have one of everything if they wanted, because there was enough there. So making sure there's enough for everyone, but also not over delivering too much food, because just remember and be mindful that really some people get excited when they do the menus and order way too much food.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Most humans can only consume 200 grams per protein at the main course, so you don't want to have laser lab of food, because I've actually done functions or private dinner parties where madam has come to me and said excuse me, chef Jan, do you mind if I go and put my tracky pants on? I'm not going to have no problem. I started off hot and sophisticated and then at the end of it. So you've got to be mindful that you don't overeat too much because you can't go and have a nap. You want to. It's like Christmas day you want to go and have a nap, but you've still got to communicate with people.

Yvette Sitters:

So, yes, I like that. I love that. That's so fun. I had a my wedding. You just reminded me of that whole like set up and at my wedding we had. We were in Perth the time and everyone got their glass of champagne after the ceremony and then, as they walked across the veranda, there was a fresh oyster shaka. There, beautiful shaka oyster is fresh for them and with all different flavours, and it just reminds me of exactly what you explained and I was like everyone loved it it's so good.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

But just having that, yeah, just having those layers of loveliness, I like to call it, if you can, and I call it walking the customer journey. So okay, if you pretend before you've even done your whole thing, I always say, okay, they're getting married, they're going to walk up the stairs and what do they want to see? Okay, we're going to put a cold glass in their hand.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Then they're going to want something in their tummy, then what are they going to want next? So stepping them through like this alleyway of gorgeousness is amazing. So what happened after my people had the glass, the cold glass of champagne, then they got three choices of loveliness. Then they walked through the double doors and I had a seafood station set up. So I had prawns, I had bugs, I had oysters and I was lucky enough to do this wedding at the coast and the bride and groom had booked this beautiful home. It's like $8,000 for three nights.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

And anyway, the double doors open and I had there was this beautiful mirror, so beautiful mirror. So I thought, right, I'm going to do it on that. So I got this giant. It was a really high bar and I stuck it like, buttered it right up against, and then I put my three towers, my black wrought iron towers, so I had three plates on each side and then I had this giant. I had this, made this giant round Lacey Susan. I had it down at the retreat and I put rock salt and oysters and lemon and I went to the Malula Bar trawlers and got all the fresh seafood the day before. So you couldn't get any fresher. The prawns were glistening and they're just about winking at you. It was just absolutely amazing. And so they've just come up from their starters and their champagne and they walked in to see this gorgeous seafood display. And that was just and actually the father of the bride. He actually didn't move. He stood there and just peeled prawns and he wasn't moving good, he was happy.

Yvette Sitters:

He was probably paying, so he's satisfied that's right.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

And then, just very quickly, then they went over to the main course and I'd laid this out on a beautiful timber slab, because I love putting all my salads in burls cut off trees and then. So they had all this lamb backstrap from a lamb farmer that I found, and having a little story to go with every produce that you get or where it comes from. I think it's really important. And they had the cake, the dessert. But what they did do, which was really special, was the next day they had an after party. So I actually went out there and stayed and then I did a Mexican recovery feast for them the next day and I loved that.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

I know that was really good because everyone drank too much and a little bit hungover and so they needed. So I'd made this giant pot of Mexican with beans and black beans and kidney beans and carrot and all that, and then I had on my Lazy Susan, I had carrot, everything. And then the groom had particularly asked me for a gazpacho. Students, oh yeah, but I had cucumber sticking out and capsicum as well and it was really. It's really for the listeners. It's basically a chilled soup with cucumber and capsicum and vinegar and a little bit of bread in there as well, but having it in a shot glass, it's just a little bit of something. And Mark the groom, he was like man, I'm so hungover. I'm gonna have two of these and it's yeah, I'm good to go. I'm good to go again.

Yvette Sitters:

I love that. I always love it when there's so much thought in it, jen, especially the next day. I love that. Yeah, it's like a story. You just gave us a story Like they'll talk about that forever. That couple will talk about that forever. Oh, and so will the guests. Like right that's why the food is so important, because it's that conversation.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Forever They'll still talk about that and pictures are really important, like whether it's you or your guests. If you don't, you know what the trendy is. Trendy thing is now like if you don't take a picture didn't happen, so make sure you take a picture of the food. Make sure all those melting moments get a picture of it or get somebody gosh, yeah yes, I can't agree more because my photographer did not.

Yvette Sitters:

He was, he did beautiful photos, but we've got no photos of the oyster shuck it or the shiituri table nothing. We don't have any photos. Yeah, I have asked so many people if they took photos and it was back ten years ago. Everyone was taking photos of everything yeah yeah, and there's not, and it still makes me sad to this day.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So that is such good advice really good at my feasting tables, with, in between, everything I do I try and take pictures of just so and then I give them. I don't charge extra for that. It's just something I do because I'm a passionate foodie. I also love taking photos good photos of people and if I'm in the moment about to serve something and you do something really cool, I like I'll flat my phone and quickly grab it, because those pictures. So cool.

Yvette Sitters:

Yeah, the photos everyone else takes. It always so good. I think I talked about this on Instagram yesterday. I've got an album that is purely photographs of my book, all the photos my guests took. Oh yeah, and I love it. It's the best photos. They're, just like everyone, so happy and smiling and it's from their perspective, not the photographer that's. It's so much yeah, so much fun.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Yeah, no, it's good. I think photos and sometimes you can tell or do an Instagram story where you don't have any words. I shoot with intention.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So I shoot with intention to tell a story. So, for example, I did a lamb. I did lamb tastings today at a local butchery near where I live and a lot of people I take for granted what I know and a lot of people don't understand how easy it is to bake a ham. But what I did when I was preparing the ham. I took a picture after I took the skin off. I took a picture when I put the clothes in. I took a picture when I scored it. I took a picture when I put the jam on it. I took a picture when I packed it with brown sugar. I took a picture when I put in the oven, because all the customers say to me oh, but I don't understand. And I said go to the Instagram, got in my face yeah, I love that and I step you through.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

and if you can step through those magic moments and tell the story Through your picture without with no words, that's a beautiful thing.

Yvette Sitters:

Yeah, there is. I love that. Everyone just watches mesmerized. Yeah, yeah, I love that. Before I ask you my last question, yes, I'm gonna give you a quick quiz. Okay, and you've got it. No, I think about it. You just got to give me an answer really fast, all right? Oh, my god.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

My god, what do I get wrong?

Yvette Sitters:

No, you're ready? You ready? Pop towel or sit down, pop towel Buffet or share platters. Share platters chicken or fish, chicken, lamb or beef lamb backstab lamb prawns or oysters prawns. Ontario dessert dessert. Good, that's my favourite, red or white.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

I like both. I'll go red for some bowls.

Yvette Sitters:

I love it. They were my only ones. I was like I'm gonna throw out the quiz questions to which she says you were pretty quick on the answers, but the beef and lame you're like oh.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

I love them both. I love everything the only thing. I don't really like is oysters. That's the only thing I don't appreciate, and if I don't like something, I think somebody else is better off to eat it and. Like my husband loves oysters and I'm like I love watching you meet them, but they don't rock my world.

Yvette Sitters:

So the only thing I don't really like, yeah oh, my god, I love them, but they've got to be really good. They've got to be good like I'll only have coffin Bay or a bit of an oyster snob. Yeah, where'd it go? Where'd it go, jen? What's your? You've been so. You've given so much great advice on this chat, like you've just given some really good tips that I wouldn't have thought of. But tell us, tell the listeners, what is your number one wedding tip?

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Oh, my number one wedding tip. Okay, I think the biggest thing out of all the brides and all the people I've done dealt with, is to stay calm and to enjoy every moment, because it only happens once and I think the big breath from your belly, like when something's overwhelming just take a big deep breath. Stay calm, because people are going to remember forever how you were. If you're a gorgeous bride, they're going to remember that. If you're a cranky bride, they're going to remember that. Just stay calm.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

This is your moment to shine and if you just become, even if something doesn't go exactly as per the running sheet, one thing I've learnt to say is oh well, and I think that's really important because I do functions and maybe the parsley isn't as curly as I want to do, and I go oh well, I will deal with it, it doesn't matter. You staying calm is the most important thing, because if you're calm, your beauty from within will radiate out of you. But if you're stressed and if you're sad or cranky or whatever, it's going to show in the photos. Oh my god, you don't want bad photos.

Yvette Sitters:

No, it costs a lot of money. No, you don't want bad photos.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So be calm, just be calm, be cool, be calm.

Yvette Sitters:

I love that, Jen. That's great advice. My wedding course is called the calm bride planner.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Ah, beautiful.

Yvette Sitters:

And it's true. You just have to be calm. You can't enjoy yourself unless you're calm. You can't go back and do that day again.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

No, and all the beautiful money that you've spent on this day and you've got all these people like. And another thing to think about is all your guests have given their precious time and people are so time poor. They've given their precious time to come to your party and celebrate the love that you're experiencing and your commitment to your partner, so you owe it to them to be your very best self.

Yvette Sitters:

Yeah, yeah, I agree, I agree. That's beautiful advice, Thank you. Thank you, Jen. Thank you for showing all your amazing chef wisdom. Thank you for serving me such delicious food for three nights I loved it very much when I left I said to my husband oh my gosh, I think I'm going to put Chef Jen on my gold list. I'm going to have a fucking in my house for me every day.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

You never know. You never know. No, it's there, it's on there, it's on there.

Yvette Sitters:

Tell the listeners where can they come and find you.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Okay, so they can go to my website it's wwwjancraningscom. Or they could just go on my Facebook page or my Instagram. Instagram on Chef Jen, and I've got lots of inspiration out there for you folks, and also on my Facebook page. I've got Food with Style. Then I also have Jan Cranage, my personal Facebook page, and I also go on TikTok, because everyone said oh, chef Jen, you have to go on TikTok.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

But I don't know how to do it, and so then I just started it this year and I thought, oh, I'll just make it up as I go. So no one taught me, so I'm still learning the ropes, but good on you, good on you, just have fun with it.

Yvette Sitters:

I say Exactly exactly.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So I did a chocolate class once and I was about to take the bowl. I made this mistake once. I never make it again. We were making ganache and I went to take the bowl over to the sink and I never do that anymore. Now it's who wants to get their face and stick it in the bowl and lick it all over and everyone puts up their hands. So I never, ever make that mistake. So I always learn from my crowd or my audience. They're going oh no, is she going to put that in the sink, like I want to lick that? I say, okay, just go over the corner there and do your licking and then we'll do that.

Yvette Sitters:

I love that. I love that I am going to put all the links to all your socials and all the website in the show notes anyway, so everyone can go over there and have a look and check you out, because you also have recipes as well that they can go and read up about as well.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

So thank you so much for having me. It's been absolutely wonderful and I really loved meeting you and having you there at the retreat. It was just so much fun, and you look really good in all those outfits too.

Yvette Sitters:

Aww, thanks, jen. It was a pleasure. I'm so glad I got to meet you, and thank you also for chatting to us. It's so helpful, thank you.

Chef Jan Cranitch:

Anytime, just call me.