What Actually Happens at a Game and Flames Wedding

People ask me this all the time. "So what actually happens? Do you just... rock up with a barbecue?" The short answer is no. The long answer is a story I love telling, because no two weddings are ever the same - but the magic is consistent.

I have catered over 25 weddings in the last year alone, and every single one has received a five-star review on Hitched. Not because I am lucky. Because we over-deliver. Let me walk you through what a typical Game and Flames wedding looks like from my side of the fire.

4:00 AM - The Fire Gets Built

Most of your guests will not see this part. But this is where the magic starts. We arrive at your venue in the dark, unload the Argentine crosses, the fire pits, the planchas, and around 200kg of sustainably sourced charcoal and wood. Depending on the menu, we might have a whole deer, a whole lamb, venison haunches, and enough vegetables to fill a market stall.

The first fire goes on around 5am. A whole animal on the cross needs 4-6 hours of slow cooking. That means if your ceremony is at 2pm, the fire has been burning since dawn. By the time your guests arrive, the air already smells incredible.

The Secret Weapon: Canapes During the Ceremony

Here is something most couples do not think about. That gap between the ceremony and the wedding breakfast? It is usually 60-90 minutes. Guests are drinking on empty stomachs. Energy dips. The atmosphere stalls.

We fill that gap with fire-cooked canapes. Pigeon poppers (our most requested item - spiced pigeon breast wrapped in bacon, cooked on the plancha). Wild boar and apple meatballs. Halloumi and charred pepper skewers. Your guests get fed, the drinks flow, and nobody is hangry by the time they sit down.

The moment guests see a whole animal turning on the cross and smell the smoke, the energy changes completely. People gather around the fire. They take photos. They talk. The cooking becomes the entertainment.
- Cai

The Wedding Breakfast

This is where it gets serious. We serve 3-5 courses depending on your menu, all cooked to order on the fire. A typical menu might look like this:

• Starter: Smoked chalk stream trout with garden greens, pickled pink onion and soured cream with fresh lemon zest
• Main: Venison haunch and loin marinated in our signature venison rub, grilled medium rare, with chimichurri sauce
• Vegetarian main: Wild mushroom risotto with vegetable stock, white wine, plenty of butter and parmesan (can be made vegan)
• Dessert: Fresh orange and almond cake with crème fraiche, honey, crushed pistachio and seasonal berries

We cater for every dietary requirement. Vegan, halal, gluten-free - you name it. One of our best reviews came from a couple whose vegan guests said it was the best food they had eaten at any wedding. That is the standard.

What About the Weather?

This is Britain. It rains. I have cooked in horizontal rain, in 35-degree heat, and once in actual snow. The fire does not care about the weather, and neither do we. We bring gazebos for the cooking stations, but honestly, most guests want to be near the fire regardless. There is something primal about it.

For indoor-outdoor venues, we set up the cooking outside and plate inside. The logistics work either way. We have done castle courtyards, beach weddings, barn conversions, country house gardens, and festival fields. Take a look at our gallery - you will see we adapt to whatever space you give us.

The Real Difference

I will tell you what separates us from every other wedding caterer. It is not just the food - though the food is exceptional. It is the fact that the cooking is part of the experience. Your guests do not just eat. They watch a whole deer being carved. They smell the smoke. They feel the heat. They talk about it for months afterwards.

That is not a marketing line. Read the reviews. "Our guests are STILL talking about the food." "The live cooking was the highlight of the entire day." "Better than any restaurant meal we have ever had."

Every wedding we do is bespoke. No set packages, no templates. You tell us your vision and we build a menu around it. That is how it should be.

See you around the fire.

- Cai