Testimonials

Dear Alex

Alex, Sian and their team were more than we could have asked for as our wedding caterers. The food was exactly as we had hoped – really delicious, fresh, colorful, and using seasonal, quality ingredients. We’ve had so many comments about the food from our guests, with some saying it’s the best wedding food they’ve ever had. Alex tailored the menu to our needs and the tasting at their beautiful Garden Café was one of the highlights of our wedding planning. Sian and her team were so kind, attentive, helpful, and made the day run so smoothly. Choosing Alex Chef was one of the best decisions we made, and we’d recommend them in a heartbeat.

Rachel and Tom, Cambridge, July 2023

Sian and Alex,

Just wanted to drop you a note to say a HUGE thank you for the delicious catering at the wedding – the pre-planning help, unreal menu and great team on the day made it perfect, and the guests raved about it too, we seriously couldn’t have asked for better.

Thanks again,

Grace and Lewis, Swannington, Norfolk, September 2023

I just wanted to send you an email to say thank you so so much for everything last weekend – the food was fantastic (as we knew it would be) and the whole team helping were just so lovely to have around, we wanted you all to stay and party with us at the end!🙂

Sophie and Max, Voewood, October 2023

We just wanted to say a massive thank you to you all for making our wedding absolutely perfect. From the first time we contacted you to the day itself you’ve all been so personable, easily reachable and gone to every length to make our vision come to life for our day.

We had the best day, enjoyed the food so much and had so many compliments and comments from our guests on how amazing everything was. It was so lovely to get to spend some time with those there in the evening and get to know you guys a little bit.

We really had the best day, it’s going to take a while to come down off cloud 9! We’ll definitely be coming back to the Garden Kitchen Cafe and will certainly have you on speed dial if we ever need catering for any events in the future/recommend you to anyone else asking for catering options.

Sarah and David, Voewood, July 2023

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for being the best caterers for our day, the food was delicious and service/ attention to detail was brilliant. We had lots of compliments from guests for the food and the team, you were wonderful.

Sian, thank you for the chats and talking me through all my questions! You were brilliant.

Sarah and Paul, Waxham Barn, June 2023

We can’t thank Alex, Sian and the team enough for all that you did and brought to our wedding. It was such a dream dealing with you all – right from the initial food tasting with Alex and making plans with you on the lead up.

The selection of foods on offer was second to none – giving us such an array of choice for our guests at our wedding. You offered such a versatile style and way of eating, catering for all allergies, food preferences, likes and dislikes which is a tricky task in todays world!

The family style of sharing plates brought such a social experience at the tables and so many of our guests commented saying that it was the best wedding food they’d ever had! The canapés were a good size, with plenty to go around and the popcorn broccoli was such a hit!!

Nothing was ever a problem when planning and communicating with Sian on the lead up. The team on the evening of our wedding were so friendly and helpful and did such an incredible job attending to so many guests.

We would recommend Alex Chef to everyone and would ask you back for any other catering events.”

Jess and Tom, Godwick Hall, June 2023

Hi Alex, Sian and team,

I just wanted to email you to thank you for all your hard work and cooperation with the SNS event. You were both an absolute pleasure to work with, and I really appreciate your efficiency, flexibility and reliability throughout the entire process. The ‘can do’ attitude of you both was incredibly refreshing and I appreciate how hard you both worked to make the event the success it was.

Sian did a great job on the night and her waiting team were brilliant. They were quick, there was lots of them and they were well presented which I really appreciate on an event.

I went around the stands on Thursday collecting general feedback, and asked about food as part of my questioning. Every single person I spoke to who had attended the dinner said it was absolutely delicious and there wasn’t a single negative comment from the people I asked. I also got numerous comments about how other people had booked on their behalf so gave the wrong menu choice, and how accommodating and flexible the team were on the night in changing the food etc.

All in all a great success, and I am truly thankful.

Victoria at Huxley Events for EEEGR, May 2023

Thank you all for doing such a sterling job on Saturday. Was brilliant and everybody has had positive feedback, so thank you.

Annelise at Hare Raisers Ball, April 2023

Thank-you so much for you and your team’s brilliance at Carol’s birthday weekend. All our guests had a fabulous time and, in the thank-you letters we received, the food was highlighted for being wonderful and quite remarkable for an outdoor event for that many people.

The style, content and delivery were all first-class. It was absolutely delicious, punctual and delivered exactly what we were after. Dealing with you and your team was remarkably easy and your service team were very special: efficient, professional and delightful. You must be very proud of them all.

Thank-you so much.

Charlie and Carol 2022 (Blakeney, North Norfolk)

I just wanted to say a big thank you for catering our wedding party on Saturday. The food was
amazing, our guests commented on how great it was.
Katie and the team were lovely and super helpful all throughout the day. We didn’t need to
worry about a thing!

Isabella and Gary April 2022 (Barn drift, Cley)

Garden Kitchen ran a flawless operation at our recent conference and exhibition, catering for
600 people: breakfast, lunch and coffee stations and then 360 for the gala dinner. Pre-event
things were a bit of a moving beast, but Alex and Sian were brilliant, so accommodating and
always had a solution when things changed. During the event the service staff were
outstanding, some of the best event staff I have ever experienced, slick, polite and professional
and nothing was ever too much trouble. The chicken burger and mac n cheese at lunch I could
have eaten ten times over! The evening gala dinner run like clockwork, serving 360 people
quickly is no mean feat, however they seemed to do it effortlessly. The meal tasted great, and
I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from guests! I really couldn’t have delivered the event without
Garden Kitchen!

East of England Energy Group Conference May 2022 (Norfolk Showground x 350 people)

Just wanted to feedback that we were very happy with the food! Many guests complimented the
food and waiting staff afterward.
Also, Katie was excellent! Unflappable and so lovely, we really wanted to feedback how great
she was.

Isaac and Chao July 2022 (Waxham barn)

Thank you so much for the amazing service and food you provided. Your team provided service
beyond expectation and we were delighted. I will provide a full review for you but just wanted to
pass you my initial thanks, we are so pleased to have chosen you and would wholeheartedly
recommend you. Hope to stay in touch and look forward to working with you again.

Lara and Ian July 2022 (WoodBastwick)

Your staff were brilliant on the day of our wedding and we received lots of compliments
regarding the food.

Sadie and Tom August 2022 (Chaucer Barn)

Just wanted to send you an email to say thank you to you, Katie and the team for last Saturday!
All your help leading up to the day was great and turned out perfect on the day. The food was
incredible and all our guests commented on how good it was. Everything went so well and
everybody who we met from the team was so lovely and attentive. It really made our day feel
special. Thank you!

Louise and Jordan August 2022 (Curds hall Barn)

Dear Sian, Alex and the whole Alex Chef Crew,
Thank you for everything you did for Tara’s and my wedding this weekend.
After nearly 3 years since we initially booked you and the disappointment of having to delay, the
weekend rushed past in a blur of colour and joy.
Your incredible food, your unwavering support and attentiveness, your attention to detail really
helped make our wedding perfect.
All of our guests were raving about the food and kept telling us it was the best wedding food
they had ever had.
Personally, that lamb was absolutely knock-out – couldn’t have been more perfect if you tried!
Your food and service have completely exceeded every expectation, our distant memory of our
tasting with you, which was delicious, pales in comparison to the actual event, somehow!
Sian, you and your family in-particular took such great care of us and your clearly inherently
kind nature made Tara and I felt at-ease and really taken care of.
I could continue going through all the positive adjectives in English language, but I’ll end with
another – THANK YOU.
Gratefully yours

Chris and Tara September 2022 (Voewood)

Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to you.
The food was amazing, everyone was raving about it!
And thank you to Katherine and the team, who made everything perfect!
Seriously amazing service!

Vivienne August 2021

Dear Sian and Alex
I can’t express how wonderful the food was on Saturday and how much I appreciated everything
you did. The menu was just perfect and beautifully executed, the staff were just gorgeous and
so helpful and I basked in your glory all weekend!
I’ve had so many enquiries about you and passed on your details to at least two guests who are
planning events for next year. I hope they make contact because you deserve it, and I hope
they invite me along to enjoy your lovely food all over again!
Will be round to Hoveton before too long to say a huge personal thank you once everyone’s
gone.
You were all brilliant and I’m so glad you could do it. It was just wonderful.
Viv xxx

Tessa and Joe July 2021

Hi Sian, Alex and team

We just wanted to say a massive thank you for everything you did for us over the weekend and in the build up.  The food was superb and, even more importantly, you and your staff were just an absolute pleasure to have around.  We had so many comments from guests on both fronts and we can’t thank you enough.

I don’t think Sian was in the marquee for my speech but in it I said that if your food was half as good as the way in which you guys have dealt with us through a number of enforced date/number changes and the hospitality restrictions of the last 18 months then we were in for a treat, and it’s safe to say the food more than lived up to expectations. It’s been a great comfort to us through our wedding planning stress to know we’ve had a caterer lined up of your calibre and integrity, so thank you to you both and please do pass on our thanks to all of the brilliant staff who worked on the day.

We look forward to visiting Garden Kitchen next time we’re in Norfolk!

Joe & Tessa x

Sophie and Tyler Clifford August 2021

Hi Sian,
Me and Sophie just wanted to say a massive thank you to you and all your team for our wedding
catering last week. The food was amazing, all our guests commented on how tasty it was. Your
staff were all super friendly and helpful and all went out of their way to make sure everything
was perfect!
If there is anywhere you would like us to leave a review please let us know!
All the best for the future.
Thanks again
Tyler and Sophie

Lucy and Cameron Craig August 2021

To Sian,

Sian, you’re so brilliant and we’re so grateful for everything you did for us on the long build up to and on our wedding day. The service was impeccable and the food was just amazing- thank you so much for ensuring it all ran so seamlessly. Everyone was just so lovely and friendly and we’re really grateful for your attention to detail- we’ve saved the first cork in our wedding memory box! Take care!

Love from Lucy and Cameron Craig xxx

George and Naomi July 2021

Morning Sian

Thanks so much for your well wishes!

It was perfect, the entire day. We couldn’t have wished for anything different. The only thing we wish is that we took some cheese toasties home!!

You and your team were excellent. Please pass on our sincere thank you to the chefs and every single one of the girls. It ran like clockwork and we didn’t have to worry about a thing on the day down to you all. Thank you.

It’s bizarre that it’s all over now…!!! I’m sure you’ll be grateful for us not bothering you with calls anymore but genuinely thank you for your help throughout, it wasn’t easy with the pandemic!!

Naomi and I wish you and the team all the best but hope to see you here and there perhaps in the cafe!

Many thanks.

G and N

Kate and Jason Bryant June 2021

Hello Sian,

Well…. didn’t we have a lovely time – in fact a fantastic time.

We can ‘t thank everyone there at the hall – especially you – for making our day special. You have been brilliant.

It’s been a bit of a whirl this week (and back at work) but we’ll catch up soon and write you all a proper letter of thanks.

Meanwhile please pass on my thanks to the ‘girls’ who looked after us so brilliantly – and of course, Tim and Alex.

THANKS

KATE, JASON AND LOIS.

Steph and Tom June 2021

Hi Sian,

We just wanted to say a huge thankyou for Monday and making our wedding absolutely seamless! The food was incredible and the service was excellent. We have had so many comments from people over this last week to say how friendly and helpful the staff were as well as how delicious the food was.

Honestly so happy with how it all went!

We will make sure to make the trip to the garden kitchen cafe next time we are in Norfolk 😊

Thanks so much,

Steph and Tom x

Antoinette and Nick – 2019

Dear Alex,

Well you did it again… many thanks for such a wonderful meal for our golden celebrations. We loved it and so did our guests, great food plus Sian and other staff to serve it! Thank you again.

Hannah and Josh – 2019

Dear Alex and Sian,

Thank you so incredibly much for the absolutely fantastic service you have provided for our special day. The service was over and beyond and all the help you provided to us beforehand was so incredible considering a lot of our family was organising from overseas. We will never forget the amazing, magical touch you added to our day.

Stephane and Stefanie – 2019

Dear Sian and Alex,
Thank you again so much for all you have done on our wedding day. Everyone loved the food and the staff! The service was impeccable and everyone was so helpful and friendly.

Ayrton and Olivia – 2019

Dear Alex, Sian and the rest of the team,

Thank you so much for everything you did to give us the most incredible wedding day. It was beyond perfect, guests were and still are constantly telling us how amazing the day was.

I could not recommend you guys enough, you pulled the day together with your food and service and you gave my wife the day she had been dreaming of. For that I cannot thank you enough!

Rachel Buxton, Hoveton Hall 05/07/2017

Just wanted to let you know that we had fab feedback from everyone at last nights Roche event, great chef, and great service, a credit to you.
Rachel.

Poppy Everitt, for Monika Vinada,
Holkham Hall 30/06/2017

Dear Alex & Katherine

Once again a huge thank you is in order to the both of you for catering & serving at our event on Friday evening.

Alex, so sorry I didn’t manage to say hello on Friday, however the food once again was utterly delicious, I received so much good feedback from the guests. I am also dying to pop along to the Garden Kitchen Cafe during the summer.

Katherine, Thanks so much to you and your lovely, friendly team for the seamless running of the catering & serving. It’s such a big weight lifted having someone so reliable & self sufficient coming in to lead the serving team. The ladies with you were also brilliant, please pass on our thanks.

I am sure we will be working together on another company event soon, however in the meantime I am SO looking forward to being a bridesmaid at Emilia & Joel’s wedding this coming december at Voewood and enjoying the delicious food once again!

Warmest Regards

Poppy x

Bob Mason, Father of the Bride. 01/07/2017

A huge thank you for the most wonderful food last Saturday and the most impeccable service by K and her team.

I know Vanessa and Robin wanted a menu to remember and Alex you delivered in spades.

I personally had the crab and porchetta – stunning food.

Apart from the food the weather was perfect and the setting awesome.

Nothing else to say !!!!

With very best regards

Bob

Jemma Guest Married 27th May 2017

Hello Katherine, I hope this finds you well.

I just wanted to send you an email to say thank you so much for all your help and support in the preparation for our wedding day, you were so accommodating from start to finish. It was the most amazing day and all the staff at Alex chef made that possible. Chris did a fantastic job as did his team and we really can’t compliment them enough. Everything ran so smoothly and they were so attentive to us and all of our guests. The food was exactly what we hoped for and more, and every guest commented on how delicious everything was. im only gutted I didn’t have at least one of everything, what with the 29 degree heat and all the excitement of the day.
I will of course be leaving a review on the Alex chef website but we wanted to thank you before hand. The day couldn’t have been any more perfect. It was lovely having the opportunity to work with you and to meet Chris and his team and I have no doubt that should we need a caterer in the future, there will be no hesitation as to who we will come to.

Jemma

Zoe and Mark, Barn Drift, Cley, Norfolk
September 2015

Mark and I just wanted to thank you and your team for Saturday. You were all brilliant and the food was amazing. Thanks again for being a part of it and thank you to Katherine and her girls. You were all brilliant ?? All the best, Zoe x

Leila and Merrick, married September 2015
May I thank you as Mother of the Bride for your complete and professional service from our very first meeting to the completion of the wedding that you made totally magical for both the Bride & Groom!

Every detail was overseen in total detail, without doubt due to your understanding of the importance of communication between Client & Company… Katherine & Evie gave me the greatest confidence that I could enjoy my daughters wedding in total calm! Which indeed was very much the case.

Alex your catering was outstanding, from the pre wedding supper to the Wedding day itself! The Wandering Oyster & seafood bar to the most supreme Wedding Breakfast served by seamless waiting staff! Was not only a total feast for the eyes but of the best quality local produce & beyond delicious…

Blair & I will shortly be celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary and you will without doubt be called upon again to wave your magic…

May I also pass on so many compliments to the Chef from our guests!!

Nieves and Boysie married at Hoveton Hall
September 2015

I just wanted to tell you what a huge success Saturday night was.

There were so many wonderful comments about the food, what wonderful ingredients, what a great menu, but most of all how delicious! Our guests felt thoroughly spoilt which was exactly what we wanted!

And your front of house team were fabulous. Professional but absolutely charming with it, please do thank them again from us. And best wishes to Sian for her wedding!

Huge thanks for all your hard work

Mr and Mrs Rodgers married 07/07/15

Hi Alex, Katherine & team

I hope you are all well.

Just a quick note to say thank you so much for being involved in our wedding day. Your help was invaluable & you helped to make our day a very special one.

Everyone commented on how great the food was. Even though we didn’t quite have the ideal BBQ weather it was very much the perfect BBQ! It was really delicious. Also the staff were lovely & helpful too, particularly with Katherine rushing around!

We would be happy to recommend your services to our friends & family in the future.

We couldn’t be happier with how the day went & you were a big part of that so thank you very much.

From the new Mr & Mrs Rogers.

Justine and Dominic, married at Voewood house
20/06/15

Above all we would both like to thank you for the utterly stellar show of talent, taste and professionalism at our wedding. As I’m sure you were aware, our guests were stunned by the banquet you laid on, with it’s lavish playfulness as well as continuing complete deliciousness!! It really served as the absolute focal point to the social aspect of our wedding, exceeding all our expectations and providing a gastronomic wonder for our two different continents of friends to both meet over and enjoy together. You guys rocked it!!

What’s more, Justine and I couldn’t have felt more taken care of by Katherine and her team. You were there for everything and made us feel completely special and worry free! A special thanks for magician together the quick, pre ceremony, vodka snifter!

All in all, other than deciding to marry each other, we both agree that working with you guys has been the best decision we’ve ever made!!

Mollie Griffiths, Wedding 28/03/2015

Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to you.

the food was amazing, everyone was raving about it!

And thank you to Katherine and the team, who made everything perfect!

seriously amazing service!

Carolyn and Carl Lumley – 6 September 2014

Alex was fabulous from start to finish with our wedding catering. He invited us for a tasting and we could discuss the elements of our menu. We wanted to use local ingredients and Alex made suggestions which gave the menu a perfect touch. We opted for canapés after the wedding ceremony – which our guests loved. Above all, Alex took the stress out of our day, his team is extremely professional and the guests loved the food – even those with gluten free requirements. A big thank you for making our wedding breakfast a lovely event – fantastic beef main course, cooked to perfection and dessert was heavenly!

Hayley and Ben Married at Lanwades hall July 12th 2014

We just wanted to say thank you so much for the fantastic job you and your team did on our wedding day. The food was awesome!! Everyone has commented on how gorgeous and tasty it all was. We can’t reccomend you highly enough!

Sharon and Roy Parents of Laura Sands,
married 09/09/2014

Just wanted to say a BIG thank you for helping to make Laura-Beth and Simon’s wedding day so special!
The food was absolutely fantastic -first class! Everyone was blown away! What a team. Highly recommend!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Oli Smith 21/08/2014

Thank you so much for the amazing food. So many guests commented on how awesome the food was and how lovely the staff were.

Cathy butterworth, 02/8/14

I hope you are well. Thank you so much for making our wedding day so perfect. We loved the food so much and the whole occasion was amazing and exactly how we planned it. Everyone LOVED the food and we have had so many compliments on how amazing it was. I couldn’t have been happier so thank you so much.

Charlotte Kibbles 05/07/14

I just wanted to say a big thank you for everything. The food was delicious, the waitstaff were brilliant and everyone said how nice you all were.

Tracey and Steve May 2014

We cannot praise Alex and his team highly enough. The food was outstanding and every single guest enjoyed it and commented how fantastic it was. Being some distance away from Alex and our wedding venue he made it easy and stress free and Michelle made our day run so smoothly we didn’t have to lift a finger, Canapes, meals, buffet, cake and all the hire were arranged and arrived and cleared away again without us even knowing. Thanks to you all for making our day so fantastic and next time we are in Norfolk we will definitely be calling on you again!

Sheena Shellian – Married April 19th 2014

Alex & team truly did a great job on the day, Thank you for all of your help beforehand and the menu-tasting which was really reassuring. All raved about the food, lamb was particularly good with the evening buffet Scotch eggs a big hit! Special thanks for my menu cooked just how I like it! everyone had a great time with food a particular high, so many thanks again. I would definitely recommend you to everyone, no hesitation.

Matilda and David – Married November 2013

The food that Alex produced was INCREDIBLE – what
he pulled off was beyond words, everyone was raving about it, it was quite
simply stunning, a glowing review if you ever needed it for him!!!

Chris and Joanne – Married December 2013

Thank you very much. We had an amazing day, we were both extremely pleased with how the whole day went.

The food was fantastic, nothing but glowing reports from everybody so thank you very much. The waitresses were great and special thanks to Michelle who made sure everything ran smoothly and made sure all the guests were happy.

Shelley Picton – married September 10th 2013

“Alex and his waitresses were second to none. All our guests could talk about during and after the meal was how amazing the food was. Alex managed to accomplish an amazing meal, a BBQ during what could only be described as the wettest day possible. We were astounded and pleasantly surprised at Alex’s resilience and determination to provide what was the best BBQ we have ever had. A massive thank you to Alex and his waiting staff who were so helpful and friendly and provided exactly what we wanted in terms of food and atmosphere.”

Emma-Jane and Sam Oeterrli
Married August 21st 2013

Alex Firman is a great chef who can deliver fantastic food at a really reasonable price for a whole lot of people. Alex is creative and imaginative in his creations and pays a lot of attention to his clients in order to ensure that they receive exactly what they want. The quality of his cooking is amazing, he is very generous with his portions and he will go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that your event is perfect.’

David and Felicia Roberts
Married July 27th 2013

A massive thank you for catering for our wedding!
The food was simply amazing! And better than we could have ever imagined! Our guests all commented on the food, and many said it was the best wedding food they had ever had!
Thank you also for organising all the peripheral things like equipment hire and waitresses. We had a perfect day, and this was in no small part thanks to you!

Maddy & Ross Cooper (married July 20th 2013)

Alex and his team were the perfect choice for our wedding catering. Alex was adaptive and creative throughout; producing a special and memorable occasion, at an appealing price. The end result was exactly what we wanted and so many guests commented on how wonderful it was. Michelle and the waitressing team were great too – a fizz glass wasn’t left empty for more than a moment! Thank you all for making it so special

Jamie and Alex Nunn
Married 15th June 2013

Thank you so much for the amazing food and service you provided on our special day. You came up with our dream wedding menu and it didn’t disappoint on the day. Everyone was very impressed! We cannot thank you and all the ladies who helped the day run so smoothly!

Suzanne Handesley (July 2013)

Thank you for the superb catering that you and your team provided for my daughters wedding. The food was exactly as we’d hoped, hit just the right note and was enjoyed by everyone. Indeed several of our guests commented that it was the best food they’d had at a wedding. Your attention to planning and detail before the occasion ensured that all went smoothly on the day. And the staff were excellent, providing a great service with such professionalism and courtesy

Hannah Cook (Suffolk illustrator) Summer 2011

We have always loved the look of Alex’s food so when it cams to planning our own wedding, we knew straight away who to choose as caterer, In fact the results were even better than we had imagined! from the delicious canape’s to the handmade after dinner chocolates, the menu and presentation were perfectly thought through, with each dish complimenting the next. Our guests were all very impressed and we still talk about the food to this day!