One of the secrets to our success is our partnership with Boardwalk Catering. Together we can offer our guests fully catered cruises from the commercial galleys on board A.Q.A and State of the Art. Over the years this partnership has delivered every type of catering option imaginable – from formal five-course dinners to grazing stations and roving canapes.

So to kick off 2019, we sat down with Managing Director and Head Chef Tim Darton to get the inside scoop on how to make your next event a taste to remember!

What do you think will be the most trendy food items for events in 2019?
2019 is really the year of sharing. Sharing plates, grazing stations and table buffets are the current trends. People are preferring to select what they want from a wide variety on offer, rather than have their food already plated. We offer a large range of grazing stations and buffets onboard both Sydney Harbour Yacht Charter’s vessels to cater to this popular trend.

What event food has had its day or is no longer trendy?
‘Heavy’ food is out. Fresh, colourful and healthy food is in. Our clients are much more health-conscious than they have been previously and for this reason, we’re steering away from foods that are fried or have lots of butter.

What are the key ingredients of a successful event?
When it comes to food, you should always make sure your guests feel satisfied. I don’t think people ever have a good event experience if they’re left hungry. We work with clients to ensure it feels like an abundance of food is being served, while at the same time being mindful of budget and wastage.

Who is the most famous person you’ve catered for?
Sir Richard Branson, who hosted an event on board AQA last year!

What’s the strangest request you’ve received as a caterer?
We get a lot of requests for various things, but the strangest would have to be from a guest attending a wedding we were catering. She emailed a few weeks before the event and attached a 12 page booklet of dietary requirements which we had to follow. Of course we obliged, but it was strange as we had never seen anything like it and have never seen anything like it since.

What’s been your most challenging event to cater?
We catered a corporate event for over 200 people in the city with food stations. It was challenging for a number of reasons including the bump in time/loading dock location, amount of equipment required, building layout and kitchen facilities. The team ensured it was a complete success but we had a lot to talk about at the weekly meeting!

What do you love about working with SHYC?
First and foremost, the fact fact we get to go to work on two of the most luxurious boats on Sydney Harbour! We get to cater for some amazing events, as well as celebrities, which is also quite exciting. We are always trying to improve our offering and the team at SHYC are generally the first to try all our new dishes and creations. We believe that quality brands should align and I think that’s the reason our partnership works so well.

What is Boardwalk Catering?
Boardwalk Catering services weddings, corporate, private and charter yachts. We provide generous amounts of food with personalised service and attention to detail at reasonable prices. We are easy to work with, accommodating and have a loyal client base, as we integrate with our clients to service their events as a whole, rather than just the food or just the service offering. People also choose us because our food is extremely accessible and recognisable.