Catering for an event isn’t always easy. Between trying to please everyone’s palate and calculate just how many rice paper rolls you’ll need to wrap to feed 37 people, it can make you want to leave your plans of gourmet nibbles behind for frozen party pies and carrot sticks. But before you rewrite the menu for that corporate meeting, engagement party or even just a Sunday family get together, let us tell you about one Brisbane catering team that really knows to put the mmmm into gourmet – Vanilla Pod. 
While Vanilla Pod knows that a party without cake is just a meeting, they also know that cake alone isn’t enough to feed a horde (even if we do wish we could just eat their incredible cakes and cupcakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner sometimes). So along with hand crafting sweet creations for even the most extravagant events, they whip up gourmet catering food from scratch that looks just as good as those cakes. All made to order at their Ascot kitchen, using nothing but the best and freshest, locally sourced, seasonal produce, these delicious nibbles can be delivered to your door and elegantly presented on platters without you having to lift a finger (except to pick up the phone and order it). For morning teas or even high teas, let the Vanilla Pod team take care of everything from freshly baked scones with jam and cream and sweet chocolate caramel slices to dainty ribbon sandwiches with fancy fillings like Barossa turkey, brie, spinach and cranberry sauce. 
If you’re planning a stylish event that needs something a little more (a cocktail party or relaxed wedding reception, perhaps?), choose from canapés and finger food like dukkah encrusted lamb meatballs, sundried tomato, feta and basil frittatas, and scrumptious teriyaki chicken rice paper rolls. Those frozen party bites aren’t sounding quite so appealing now, are they? Vanilla Pod can even set you up with gourmet salads to go with a BBQ or roast, and craft epic cheese platters – because while the cake might steal the show, it’s usually the cheese and crackers that have us hovering around the food tables. To find out more and check out the whole menu, head to the Vanilla Pod Specialty Cake Kitchen website. Words by Ranyhyn Akui
