By Mairi Gillanders-Newberry | Founder, Glitz | Scotland’s Award-Winning Corporate Showband
As a professional musician and the founder of Glitz, I spend a significant amount of time at events across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Weddings, corporate dinners, awards ceremonies, private parties across some of the finest venues in the north east, from Gordon Castle in Fochabers to country estates across Inverurie, Banchory, and beyond. I’ve seen what makes an evening soar and I’ve seen what lets it down. And one thing I’ve learned after years on the bandstand is that the catering matters every bit as much as the entertainment.
I want to talk about that. Not in a generic, list-filling way, but from genuine experience. Because I have encountered a catering team in Aberdeenshire that I would recommend without a moment’s hesitation, and I think anyone planning a wedding or event in this part of Scotland deserves to know about them.
We were recently at the magnificent Gordon Castle in Fochabers, one of Scotland’s most stunning estate venues, and pulling up the drive I spotted a familiar vehicle. Country Flavours.
I genuinely felt a lift.
Because we had first encountered Country Flavours at a large corporate event for one of our most valued regular clients. That evening threw everything at the catering team. The schedule shifted dramatically, things ran two hours ahead of plan, and what unfolded in the room needed to completely change at short notice. Sound familiar? It does to us, because we deal with exactly the same pressures on the performance side. And just like Glitz, Country Flavours didn’t miss a step.
What they produced that evening was one of the most extraordinary spreads I have ever seen at any event. Oysters. Whole legs of roasted meat. Beautiful hand-dressed prawns. A charcuterie board that could have been lifted from a high-end Edinburgh restaurant. A barbecue that was nothing short of outstanding. The table was abundant, considered, and visually stunning. Every single detail had been thought about. And the staff, warm, professional, completely unflappable, matched every element of it.
Seeing them again at Gordon Castle was a genuine delight. They are, without question, the finest catering team I have encountered anywhere in the north east of Scotland.
So what separates a caterer who delivers a good meal from one who delivers an unforgettable evening? Here is what I look for, drawn from years of watching catering teams work at close quarters across Aberdeenshire and beyond.
An event never runs exactly to plan. Speeches overrun. Guests arrive late. The venue throws a logistical curveball. A great caterer absorbs all of that without it ever becoming your problem. This is the single most important quality to look for and the hardest to assess from a website or a brochure. Ask for references specifically from events where something changed at short notice. How a team handles the unexpected tells you everything.
The north east of Scotland is one of the finest food producing regions in the world. Aberdeenshire beef, fresh North Sea seafood, local game, seasonal produce from some of the most fertile land in the country. A caterer who sources locally and seasonally is not just making an ethical choice, they are making a quality choice. Ask where the food comes from. The answer should be specific and confident.
The best caterers in Aberdeenshire will not hand you a fixed menu and tell you to pick from column A or column B. They will ask about your guests, your venue, your vision, and your event. Whether that is a relaxed outdoor barbecue at a country estate near Banchory, a black-tie dinner for two hundred at a venue in Inverurie, or a grazing table for a summer garden party in the Howe of Alford, the food should feel like it was designed for that occasion and no other.
The front-of-house team is as important as the kitchen. Guests interact with the serving staff all evening. A warm, attentive, well-presented team elevates the entire atmosphere of a room. The Country Flavours team, every time I have seen them work, carry themselves with exactly that quality.
Aberdeenshire is full of extraordinary venues, from castles and country estates to converted farm steadings, coastal properties, and private grounds. Not every caterer is set up to work across all of them. Ask about the venues they have experience at and whether they have worked at yours or somewhere similar. Outdoor and remote events in particular require a level of logistical capability that not every company can deliver. Country Flavours, based in the Howe of Alford and experienced across the full range of Aberdeenshire venues, are built for exactly this.
Country Flavours is a family run business owned and managed by Elizabeth and Lawrence Greig, based in the Howe of Alford. They are regarded as one of the north east of Scotland’s finest wedding, event and outside catering specialists, and having seen them work first-hand on multiple occasions I can say that reputation is entirely deserved.
The food is exceptional. The team are exceptional. Their ability to adapt and deliver under pressure, to completely change course mid-event without anyone in the room ever knowing, is a quality I have only seen matched by the very best professionals in any field. For weddings, corporate events, private parties, outdoor celebrations, and everything in between across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, they are the team I would call first and the team I would trust completely.
Visit Country Flavours at: www.countryflavours.co.uk
Before you confirm any caterer for your wedding or event in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire, ask these questions:
The answers will tell you whether you are booking a caterer or booking a partner. For your wedding or your event in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, you want the latter. With Country Flavours, you get both.
Glitz | Scotland’s Award-Winning Corporate Showband
Based in Aberdeen. Available across Scotland including Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Five national industry awards. Fourteen years of corporate event excellence.
For enquiries about live entertainment for your event, get in touch with the Glitz team.
