The teams of Ice House and Crushed Ice Catering are in high gear for a year of fantastic events in Louisville, Kentucky and beyond. Continue reading below to learn how they are planning for 12 months of successful catering and special events:
The world of event planning and catering is one with many moving parts and is consistently influenced by the surrounding culture. At the pace of today’s culture, a key characteristic necessary of any business looking to succeed is their ability to anticipate their client’s needs and wants. For the Ice House and Crushed Ice Catering teams, their ability to intuitively anticipate their client’s needs is what sets them apart from the competition.
As we move further into 2020, while dutifully working for our corporate clients and brides, we are anticipating what this year will hold and what details and trends that you can expect to see in the coming months. Read below to find the 11 catering and event trends that we anticipate making a big splash in 2020.
REACHING BEYOND THE SOUTHERN COMFORT ZONE
“I am expecting to see people more and more choose menus filled with flavors from the eastern hemisphere. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing like digging into the comfort of classic southern dishes, but I certainly am anticipating the opportunities to showcase Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine for our 2020 clients. We already have a handful of weddings and events that we are creating Indian menus for. It’s a lot of fun.” – Laurence Agnew, Executive Chef
MEATLESS BEYOND MONDAY
I predict that as meatless meals are gaining popularity in daily food culture, menu designers will have the opportunity to explore options that not only provide alternatives for vegetarian and vegan guests but also shine as brightly as meat-centered dishes. Ingredients like jackfruit and parsnips can create the heft of meat in a dish with an entirely new flavor profile, I love that. – Darci Stuhlman, Client Experience Manager
CHARCUTERIE FOR EVERY TIME + EVERYONE
2019 proved that the charcuterie board is here to stay, which I am personally very excited about. But for 2020, we will certainly see a creative expansion on this crowd favorite, both literally and figuratively. I am excited to see the physical evolution as well. Rather than solely building the charcuterie out we’re going to see more boards featuring height varying elements to shake it up a bit! Expect to see charcuterie boards that cater to various dietary needs such as vegan boards with tons of veggies, crackers, meatless protein options, and vegan cheeses. Along with this, there certainly will be an expansion in the offering of sweet charcuterie boards such as a waffle board and fondue as well! – Lindsay Brough, Director of Catering Sales
CBD INFUSED COCKTAILS
Thanks to the legalization of CBD, Louisville saw a large spike in the consumption of CBD food and beverage products in 2019. Because of this, I am looking forward to seeing clients and couples wanting to feature CBD in their 2020 bar menus. With wide variations of cannabis flavor to use, the combinations are endless. – Laurence Agnew, Executive Chef
COMPLEX MIXOLOGY
I am excited to watch adventurous culinary energy inspire bartenders to develop cocktails with more complex profiles. This winter, I had a cocktail that was more bitters than spirit or juice (The Sawyer, a brainchild of Don Lee at WD-50 in NYC), and it was so refreshing to not be able to put my finger on what I was tasting! I would like to see more of that. – Darci Stuhlman, Client Experience Manager
HEALTHFUL OPTIONS TO SIP
Clients and couples who prefer serving more healthful options to their guests will have plenty of options to choose from. At this point in time, almost everyone is aware of the health benefits of kombucha, so why not treat your guest to a healthful hard kombucha such as June Shine? Between the 6% ABV and bubbling probiotics, you’re sure to have a good time. – Laurence Agnew, Executive Chef
DRINKS FOR ALL
I’m anticipating seeing clients looking to feature more non-alcoholic beverages like Phocus water for example! Infused teas and creative mocktails that incorporate local, in-season ingredients will be a great addition to any bar package. – Spencer Freeman, Catering Sales Manager
PEARL ACCENTS
If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, can we suggest that pearls are a bride’s bestie? This soft and timeless gemstone gives a dose of nostalgia when incorporated into modern designs. I predict that we will be seeing these little beauties more and more, from delicate embroidery details on wedding dresses to brides donning striking hairpieces solely made of the gemstone. – Morgan Blake, Brand Manager
ALTERED FLORALS: SPRAY PAINTED, DRIED, + DYED. OH MY!
Couples who are looking to tie the knot are likely to bring a bit more color to their floral pieces this year. Rather than choosing the classic winding greenery that beautifully accented the beloved neutral palettes of past wedding seasons, we are anticipating to see brighter fauna in the future. The possibilities are endless with various bleaching, dying, and drying techniques. – Erica Outlaw, Director of Business Development
A COOL 2020
We’re feeling blue but in the best way! The sleek look of a black suit just may be fading into cooler blue hues in the coming 2020 wedding season. While grey and black suits may be getting the pause, we see cobalt, navy, and Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year, Classic Blue, taking center stage at the end of the wedding aisle. – Lindsay Brough, Director of Catering Sales
OFFICE MORAL
Corporate Events are shifting outside of the traditional holiday party and annual meeting, and with good reason: studies show that gathering your teams outside of the office encourages them to think outside of the box. The benefits do not end there: Off-site celebrations are perceived as more validating, while off-site team-building exercises boost employee engagement. For these reasons, corporations are seeing the financial rewards of events and are hosting more creative functions to recharge and reward their teams. – Darci Stuhlman, Client Experience Manager
