The art of tablescaping

Mother and daughter Mandy Rogers and Poppy Rogers run Poppy’s Place in Ruskington and are currently developing an outside catering side to their business based on the art of ‘tablescaping’ or food art – presenting a beautiful table, filled with food, flowers and colour.

The concept comes from Australia, according to Poppy.

She said: “We had a party one day and did a platter for ourselves and people absolutely loved it.

“We love tablescaping and wanted to try it out on others.

“We realised how sociable it is with the design of the ‘grazing table’. Everybody can circulate and access it.”

It spiralled from there with other people asking for Poppy and Mandy to do it for them having seen the photos on social media.

The pair pay attention to detail, spending up to an hour and a half carefully laying the food out on large covered boards, sometimes using slices of rustic walnut tree with the bark still on, supplied by a friendly tree surgeon.

Poppy said: “It is everything we are interested in – food, flowers, colour and taste.”

These party centrepieces can be filled with many local delicacies– charcuterie cured meats, premium cheeses from the Lincoln Cheese Society, roasted ham joint, stuffed chine, pies and sausage rolls from Picks butchers, Wilcox bakery and Ruskington Poultry. Fresh fruit and vegetables, dried fruit, artisan bread, home made chutneys, edible flowers, aromatic floral arrangements and sweet treats are all there. Or it can be a sweet board filled with cakes and goodies. They have even done a savoury cheesecake.

They will adapt to a client’s requirements. “We do love a design challenge,” says Poppy.

“Some people like a ‘flat lay’ without any height to it, some people a Bohemian look. Some want it sleek and chic.”

A recent wedding table included a doughnut wall for the children. They have also done grazing tables for birthdays, anniversaries, hen parties, Christenings, barbecues and corporate events. Poppy hopes to attract more corporate clients for the ‘wow’ factor and bespoke service.

The grazing tables cater for over 30 people, but they have adapted to smaller groups. The grazing board feeds eight to ten people. The grazing hamper serves up to six and grazing boxes, made from envronmentally friendly materials, feed two or four. And they leave very little washing up, with the boards taken away afterwards.

To find out more visit: www.poppysplace.uk