To help you cater for any Jubilee celebration, executive chef at Fosters Event Catering, Paul Biggs gives you his tips on creating a quintessentially British cocktail and a dish that is a perfect addition for your picnic check list.

Creating the ‘English Garden’ Cocktail:

Use the following measurements to create a cocktail in a tall glass for wine or a pitcher to share:

• ¾ Hendricks Gin
• ¼ Pimms No.1
• ½ English Apple Juice
• 1 ½ Cranberry Juice
• 1 ½ Elderflower cordial (if you like to go the extra mile, elderflower is now in season so it’s the perfect time of year you create you own cordial)

Drink responsibly or create a non alcoholic version by taking out the Pimms and Gin.

If you like to make things look a bit more interesting why not freeze some fresh strawberries and add them to your drink instead/or as well as some crushed ice for that finishing touch.

The Recipe: Hand Raised Chicken and Ham Pie ‘ROLLS’

Hot Water Pastry:

• 500g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 whole eggs
• 100g butter
• 100g lard
• 170ml water

• Mix salt in flour in mixing bowl, make a well and add whole eggs.
• Bring butter, lard and water to the boil in a saucepan until all the fat is melted.
• Add to flour mix and beat until incorporated, wrap in cling film and set aside.

Filling:

• 1kg lean diced raw chicken [no bones or skin and preferably 50/50 breast and leg meat]
• 240g lean, diced, raw ham/gammon
• 800g good pork sausage meat [or peeled sausages] ; the better the sausage meat , the better the pie!
• 4 whole beaten free range eggs
• Salt and pepper
• Zest of 1 small lemon
• 1 sprig of tarragon [picked and chopped]
• 2 sprigs of flat parsley [picked and copped]

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until well mixed together.

Assembly:

•  Roll out the pastry into long rectangles.[This is exactly the same way as making sausage rolls ]
• Spoon the mix along one edge of the pastry or put the mix in a piping bag and squeeze it out along one edge.
• Brush the remaining area of pastry with cold water and roll up to form a big long sausage roll.
• Brush with beaten egg and bake as a whole piece at 160c until the core temperature reaches 75c.
• Remove from the oven and cool/chill, then cut into required sizes.

This dish works really well with a good chutney!

 No time? Order your hamper now!

If you’ve left everything to last minute or don’t have the time to spend tied to your kitchen and need an easy way to ensure your workplace celebrates the Queen’s Jubilee in style, Fosters Event Catering will cater for your office with specially made to order party picnic hampers.

The picnic hampers include everything an office needs to enjoy the event; delicious food and drink, Union Jack cup cakes as well as the must-have party paraphernalia Union Jack bunting, flags and serviettes all perfectly presented in a traditional wicker basket.

To book your hampers please contact Fosters Event Catering by calling 0117 9776611 or e-mailing info@fostersevents.co.uk. Full menus for the Jubilee Hampers are available from the Fosters website, www.fostersevents.co.uk.