Chef Gareth Mullins on the wedding food rules you need to know

As the executive chef at Anantara The Marker Hotel in Dublin since it opened in 2013, Gareth Mullins is renowned for his food.

With the recent addition of Forbes Street by Gareth Mullins to the property, Anantara The Marker Hotel, which is located on Grand Canal Dock, is known for gourmet experiences in a luxurious setting.

It is also known for stylish and bespoke weddings, from intimate rooftop celebrations to expansive ballroom events, all of which come complete with carefully curated menus from Mullins and his team.

As a food expert, Gareth Mullins will be part of The Register, Irish Tatler’s immersive wedding planning experience, which will take place this Saturday February 10 at Anantara The Marker Hotel Dublin. Mullins will be part of the Wedding Insiders panel discussion with luxury wedding planner Tara Fay, Emma Hogan Eyre, aesthetician and head of education at Skin Formulas, and Jessie Collins, editor of Irish Tatler.

Additionally, guests will get to sample a delicious selection of canapés from Mullins and his team throughout the event.

Featuring 30 of the best Irish wedding venues in one room, The Register is a unique opportunity to meet Ireland’s most sought-after wedding venues in one location.

With two sessions to choose from – 11:30am to 2pm and 3pm to 5:30pm – tickets (now in limited availability) can be purchased HERE. One ticket costs €30 while €50 covers two tickets.

For a preview of what guests can expect from the expert panel discussion, Mullins shares his insights on planning your wedding’s culinary offering below.

What's the most important thing for couples to think about when planning their wedding menu?

You need to understand your package and budget, but I would say to do a choice of main course options if you can. It’s also important to consider the time of year that your wedding will take place when choosing what ingredients to use – for example, don’t choose strawberries for a winter menu. The wedding tasting is where you can talk to your chef about all of this, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy the food and make choices together as a couple. I love doing wedding tastings, they are always fun, and you can see the couple’s excitement growing for the big day.

What trends do you predict we'll see in wedding menus this year?

I hope that the real focus will be on choosing ingredient-led menus with a strong focus on the season the wedding is happening. Seeing a little of the couple's personality on their menu is a lovely touch; in either the cocktail chosen, the wine or even a particular dish that means something to them.

How can couples ensure sustainability is considered in the menu planning - can you share any tips on Irish producers that you are excited about this year?

There are so many great Irish producers to choose from that I would love to see cheese being offered as its own course in weddings this year. It's such a beautiful way to finish a meal and we here in Ireland have some of the best cheese producers in the world.

Are there any no nos around food and drink for larger numbers that should be borne in mind?

I would stay away from anything that’s very niche. I love the classics and try to keep a wedding menu to dishes that I know are crowd pleasers with simple elegant flavours that celebrate Ireland. There is a reason that things like Irish smoked salmon, lobster, crab, grass-fed Irish beef fillet, wild turbot, and chocolate desserts work on wedding menus - everybody loves these ingredients.

Late night wedding food - are you for or against? What do you recommend?

I am definitely in favour of it because you can have a bit of fun with your late night food. Dishes like our mini sliders with Cashel blue cheese, beer battered fish and chips, and buttermilk chicken with housemade barbecue sauce are all loved by our guests late in the evening.

Finally, it’s almost Valentine’s week - what will you be cooking at Forbes Street by Gareth Mullins for romantic dinners?

They will be having beautiful Flaggy Shore oysters, Dublin Bay prawn raviolo, Bollinger champagne sorbet, beef fillet with a bordelaise sauce, and a sharing dessert called ‘berry romantic’, which includes a pillow of vanilla and white chocolate mousse with a tart lemon compote. The meal will finish with some love heart-shaped handmade chocolates. Plus, of course, there will be course signature cocktails and expertly chosen wine by our sommelier Maxim Prokopenko.

To secure your place at Irish Tatler’s immersive wedding planning event, visit theregister.ie now.