The 22nd of November brought another little adventure for Hog Roast Chertsey, and honestly, it was a good one. We’d been invited to cater at none other than Botley’s Mansion – you know, the Botley’s Mansion. The one that makes every engaged couple suddenly start rethinking their entire wedding budget? Yep, that one.
Set within 56 acres of rolling parkland, this three-story Palladian beauty has more history than most textbooks. King Henry VIII owned it back in 1541, which feels pretty fitting considering the place practically screams “party palace.” And while it’s definitely earned its reputation as a wedding hotspot, it turns out brides and grooms don’t get to have all the fun. Our latest clients chose it as the backdrop for a black tie military graduation, and honestly, we couldn’t imagine a better match. Luxury venue, big celebration, lots of hungry guests – it had all the hallmarks of a great evening.
They’d planned a full-on bash for 100 people, and naturally, the food was a major part of the night. Hog Roast Chertsey’s culinary pros Roy and James headed up the catering, spending hours preparing everything with the kind of care only true food nerds can understand.
By 7:30pm, the guests were diving into the star of the show: our hog roast centrepiece. And, in that grand setting, it looked right at home. The whole hog had been slow-roasted for hours, turning golden and crisp with those perfect charred bits in all the right places. But inside, the meat was so tender and juicy it practically fell apart at the touch of a fork.
And because no hog roast is complete without its trusty sidekicks, we served our homemade sage and onion stuffing, sweet and tangy applesauce, and a stack of gluten-free rolls too. Sweet potato fries and classic fries added a little extra comfort-food magic, with salt, vinegar and Sauce Shop Sauces for anyone who loves a bit of zing.
Even the non-meat-eaters were all smiles! Between the grilled veg and halloumi kebabs with tzatziki and the smoky BBQ pulled jackfruit buns, no one was left out.
Hog Roast Chertsey had an incredible time at Botley’s Mansion and met so many fantastic people along the way. If every event looked – and tasted – like this one, I don’t think we’d ever take a day off!
