Wedding venues & wedding catering usually go hand in hand because most professional venues keep everything in house with their own kitchen & chef but we work differently and have got close to some fantastic outside bars and caterers over the years.

That said, it’s hard to beat a team that’s based right here in the beating heart of the venue! The Gastropod run their pop-up polytunnel café all season in the marquee meadow, feeding hungry campers and organizing celebration wedding meals ranging from an elopement picnic hamper for 2, wedding meals in the cafe itself (up to 30 guests) to tapas, tagines, curries, BBQ’s & buffets for 150 guests or more.

SmallWedding set up in Gastopod Cafe

The Gastropod is a family affair run by Linzi and Nick, who live nearby with their 4 young children and have built on the success of their sister café Snail’s Pace on the Camel Cycle Trail.

Extensive travel and stints living and working abroad (mostly before they had the children!) mean this couple bring real flair and understanding to their world inspired menus, plus a passion for ethical sourcing and sustainability at every level.

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Another central plank of the Gastropod’s menu planning is many plant based food choices with locally sourced eggs, dairy, meat & fish all included where required, but with veggie and vegan dishes featuring more prominently than many traditional wedding caterers.

Wedding buffet salads

The Gastropod family believe in hearty home made food; down to earth cookery with decent portions and lots of love stirred in. With so many children at home they’re great at catering for little ones, and always look after guests with allergies or special dietary needs.

You can choose straight forward wedding catering on the day with canapes and drinks served post-ceremony in a woodland clearing next to the wedding pavilion, with a full service wedding breakfast afterwards at your reception in the main marquee.

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You can arrange catering on the day, and breakfast or brunch on the day of the wedding or more often as a lovely send off (and hangover cure!) the day after.

Or you can go the whole hog (no pun intended – a hog roast is one thing they don’t actually do!), and opt for their wraparound service with a welcome supper the night before the wedding, catering on the day, then a farewell breakfast to say goodbye to everyone the morning after.

When it comes to your main wedding food canapes have to be small and delicious. Eaten with fingers by hungry guests straight after the actual wedding ceremony they’re usually served with drinks right next to the wedding pavilion where you’ve made your vows.

The Gastropod Cafe - canapes at Cornish Tipi Weddings

You can decide on warm or cold canapes (often a combination of both is best) like sweet potato slices with avocado & red amaranth, beetroot wrapped quail’s eggs, sundried tomato tartlets or pesto puffs with goat’s cheese or shaved parmesan, mini cheese & chive scones, chicory leaves with roasted walnuts & pomegranate seeds, salmon & cream cheese blinis, slices of Spanish tortilla, chilli prawns or traditional or veggie sausages with a honey mustard glaze.

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Once up in the main marquee or in the star tent if it’s a smaller wedding, Nick does a great BBQ with veggie skewers and halloumi, juicy corn on the cob, griddled courgette and aubergine, maybe jerk chicken or Cornish beef, butcher’s sausages and home-made burgers, perhaps line caught Port Isaac mackerel. All served with generous salad bowls, big buffet sides & zingy salsas…

BBQ wedding food at Cornish Tipi Weddings
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Cornish sharing platters, aromatically spiced tagines, authentic thali plates of delicious dahl and curry, tapas and their famous wood fired pizzas are all on offer too (although pizzas are restricted to the big marquee because that’s where the oven is!).

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Gastropod-Pizza-at-weddings

Linzi is famous for her baking and will also make your wedding cake. One of her favourite tips is to  have a big mixed cake table with a centrepiece tiered sponge (so you can still have that iconic cutting the cake shot 😊) lavishly decorated with seasonal fruit, flowers and herbs (often grown in Nick’s veg beds onsite at the back of the Gastropod Café).

Wedding Cakes with Bride & Groom cutting cake
Gastropod Wedding Cake

Then guests come up and choose their fave cake (best gluten free brownies ever? gooseberry & elderflower? blueberry and lemon? chocolate with hand-dipped strawberries?) as their desert course, or staff can slice and serve to table if you prefer. This way you get a wow factor pudding (everybody loves a cake table!) combined with your wedding cake which saves on the budget. It’s a win-win!

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Wedding Cakes at Cornish Tipi Weddings
Gastropod-Cakes-serving and tableGastropod plated desserts for large weddings

Wedding Pavilion set up for a small wedding meal

Smaller weddings (up to 20 people can dine in the pavilion after a wedding ceremony) will often choose a buffet service or the afternoon tea menu served on traditional cake stands – cucumber sandwiches, fresh baked scones, clotted cream and jam – the perfect vintage vibe.

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Afternoon Tea at the wedding Pavilion at Cornish Tipi Weddings

Afternoon Tea at the wedding Pavilion at Cornish Tipi Weddings

To top it all off, the Gastropod is fully licenced and their friendly team will keep guests’ glasses topped up (Gastropod staff will be busy uncorking the champagne or mixing Mojitos or jugs of Pimm’s to serve straight after your I Do’s) at the pavilion and afterwards can arrange bar service in the main marquee.

Gastropod staff Serving drinks

There’s always plenty of late night food options too, but the Gastropod have so often seen evening food wasted that Linzi’s other big tip is not to bother. Concentrate on a real feast earlier in the day and spend the savings on your honeymoon!

To discuss your plans contact Linzi on  & check out The Gastropod's website here www.gastropodcafe.co.uk

Cornish Tipi Weddings marquee at night

Photo credits: appleBimages; Ben Selway; Stephanie & Nicole; Charlotte Atherton; Lyra & Moth; Cornish Tipi Weddings; Prim's Kitchen

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