How to Canapé

This month, Holly spoke with The Field Magazine to talk about the art of canapés. A summer celebration is nothing without these tiny works of art. Devised by the country’s best canapé chefs, they are just the thing to make your party swing.

Small crispy canapes with cream mousse, jelly cubes and edible violet flower petals.

Modern Trends

As Simon Attridge, culinary director at Claridge’s says: “Canapés have changed with modern food trends – the presentation of the canapés, the theatre, the vehicles they’re served in and on – and the customers is more adventurous with food, so it’s important to always be evolving and stay ahead of the game.” And it’s a time-consuming art. “Different sections of the kitchen will bring together different elements for the end product and then they need to be assembled,” he explains. “If we are doing an event for 250 people with 10 canapés each, that’s 2,500 pieces.”

Small crispy canape with delicate mousse and violet petals, on a clear display box with flowers inside.

But, Holly Congdon, whose family business Lettice Events has had the Victoria & Albert Museum and Royal Academy of Arts on their books, has noticed a kickback in favour of simpler things. “People want to know what the canapés are, so we’re doing things such as little chicken kiev’s, dinky tacos and mini Welsh rarebit. They are things people are familiar with, done in mini, with a modern twist,” says Congdon. “Ten years ago, canapés had become overly fancy and it’s now really about eating provenance-led food: no one wants to have unnecessary plastic pipettes sticking out the side. For example, we have a lovely bride getting married whose family home is sandwiched between an asparagus farm and a tomato farm, and so we’re going to serve a delicious gazpacho and asparagus spear with hollandaise. So really simple but delicious.”