Bright Young Things founder Kate Stewart clues us in on the hottest summer catering trends. 

1. Savoury/sweet merging and cross over. Herb and spice based desserts/palate cleansers, savoury macarons (think lime, pepper berry and avocado or pumpkin, walnut and chèvre) and a fresh take on the ice cream cone: duck liver parfait, seville orange marmalade, pistachio praline and thyme

2. Food ‘crosses’ – think cornets, crookies, pizza-burgers

3. In-house and housemade – think house butter, breads and homemade mustards.

4. New takes on classics – think lamington-inspired ice cream sundaes, Iced Vovo babycakes (with a hidden raspberry jam centre, coconut cake, musk-whipped marshmallow frosting and fresh coconut to garnish), Reuben sandwiches, croque monsieur and the prawn cocktail

5. American imports are still strong – hot dogs, sliders, meat balls, onion rings, mac ‘n cheese

6. Being more health conscious – offering more considerate options for dietary requirements

7. The evolution of salt – its move into sweet world and the growth of the boutique salt market / flavoured salts.

8. Coconuts – they’re the ‘it’ summer item

9. Honey – especially honey from urban beekeepers 

10. Pineapples – as a design motif and an ingredient

About Kate Stewart

Kate is the founder and director of Bright Young Things. She has lived, dreamed and worked events for her whole life, and has been in the catering world for over 12 years. Her philosophy is that there is always a solution and to keep pushing the boundaries of what can be imagined, designed and made to work logistically. She is honoured to have a strong and loyal network of corporate and private clients, and to be a part of some of Melbourne’s major events and celebrations including Melbourne Food & Wine, the Victorian Polo Club, David Jones, BNP Paribas, the Starlight Foundation and The Greatest Show on Earth.