Urban Kitchen earns organic approval

Event caterer Urban Kitchen has become London's first Soil Association-approved organic event specialist.

The firm, which produces bespoke menus for about 250 events a year for clients such as Armani, Calvin Klein and Anita Roddick, won approval after a year-long testing process by the organic accreditation body.

All the caterer's organic event menus will use only organic and wild-caught produce and, where possible, Fairtrade ingredients.

Jonathan Rutherfurd Best, the company's managing director, said that more and more corporate and private clients wanted to ensure the source and quality of their food.

"Organic food is about the way we live now. It's about enjoying food, demanding the best quality and trusting the source of ingredients. Putting it simply: organic food tastes better."

Matthew Turnbull, Urban Kitchen's marketing manager, said that menus were about 20% more expensive than conventional food, reflecting the extra cost of buying organic produce. Organic canap‚ party menus start at about £45 per head.

But he added that there was a growing demand, despite the fact that 97% of its business being standard non-organic fare. "More of our clients, for personal belief or corporate image, want organic menus." However, he said, the accreditation allowed the caterer to add one or two organic dishes to menus.

Spring menu items include: chargrilled Suffolk asparagus with preserved lemon a‹oli; Sheepdrove Farm Cheviot lamb and sugar snap skewer with mint and tomato chilli jam; and diver-caught king scallop (wild produce that can't be certified organic) with spring onion, coriander and hot sesame oil.