SHARING THE LOVE
WORDS Kim Newth PHOTO Manu Rangimoekau
Social distancing may be the new global norm, but food that brings people together is high on the wish list for many local couples planning to tie the knot this spring.
This year’s wedding season is starting several months early for Canterbury caterer, The Social Platter Co. During level four lockdown, company director Manu Rangimoekau had feared people would turn away from the shared food option, but that hasn’t been the case at all.
“From the moment people could start ordering again, they ordered. Last season, we had 121 wedding bookings, and so far, we have booked fifty per cent more than that. We’re already doing weddings now – it’ll really start to peak from October onwards.”
The company is adapting to the current COVID-19 environment and has a stock of specially designed sneeze guards that can be used to protect food.
Manu says his passion for good food, shared with loved ones, goes back to being raised in a family that really appreciated baking and making their own tasty morsels. Homemade crackers, dip, and cheese balls were the norm every Christmas.
“It’s just something we’ve always done. We have our own special family dip, cream cheese-based with olives and sun-dried tomatoes – and another favourite was my salted caramel truffles. I grew up to be a foodie who loved entertaining.”
Manu’s mother predicted he’d wind up a chef. In fact, he studied accountancy and worked in a corporate role for 14 years before launching The Social Platter Co. in 2017, as an adjunct to a luxury bed and breakfast business that he and his partner had earlier established.
The idea for the new business came from a Brisbane-based friend who told them how social platters were taking off there. They were starting to catch on here too, but Manu saw an opportunity to take the concept to the next level.
“Right from the start, we decided to make everything ourselves, all our own breads, dips, and crackers and, of course, salted caramel truffles. In the weddings market, we like to think of ourselves as the good guys. It’s about sitting down with people and saying, ‘it’s your day and your food – what do you like?’”
They often get one-off requests for cherished foods. Manu recalls one couple asking for ‘Nanaimo Bars’ and ‘Oliebollen’ to reflect their Canadian/Dutch heritage. All dietary requirements are well catered for.
Beautifully presented stacks of cheese are a novel choice of wedding cake for some and Manu says they’ve got a range of great options.
“Just as some people prefer carrot cake or chocolate cake, we find there are people who love the blues and others who want gouda, camembert, and brie. The challenge for us is then to work out how the cheese is going to be stacked!”