Last year we had the pleasure of meeting Lorena Moloney, owner of Pasticceria Lorena when she came to view our new venue and brought us a sample of her delicious Italian treats.
As a talented pastry chef offering a unique service, we were excited to introduce Lorena to our list of recommended suppliers and thought we would interview her about her business and share how she can bring the sweet taste of Italy to your Rustic Barn wedding.
Lorena, tell us a little about you and your business?
Pasticceria’ is Italian for Patisserie and ‘Lorena’, well that’s me! I am an Italian pastry chef with an inherent love of food (particularly the sweet type), family, fun and I am a bit partial to a good glass of prosecco. My skills come from knowledge passed down through generations of my family, my love of recipe books and of course lots of practice. As a result I make authentic Italian cakes and pastries using the finest Italian ingredients; everything is made by hand from home as you can’t beat that artisan touch. My business was born in 2014 when I swapped my performing arts career for my love of baking, and now I find great pleasure in helping couples think outside the box when it comes to their wedding cake. My clients are definitely foodies who don’t like icing and dare to say “arrivederci” to the traditional tiered wedding cake.
What is it that Pasticceria Lorena offers wedding couples?
I design, bake, deliver and style dessert tables, sweet canape tables and favours. My work can form part of the drinks reception, make a statement at your wedding breakfast or be an alternative to that traditional tiered cake in the evening.
Most of my work consists of a show stopping feature cake that is complimented by a selection of mouthwatering mini pastries, but my services do not stop at baking. Working closely with a wedding stylist, I design and set up the complete bespoke display to suit the theme, style and colour scheme of your venue and day. My most popular cake is my traditional Italian wedding cake, layers of the lightest sponge soaked with a liqueur of choice and layered with lashings of pastry cream. These gateaux style cakes are decorated with creams, meringues, fresh, fruits, chocolate, flowers and pastries.I have recently also designed a new monogram version of this cake offering a personalised cake landscape.
What makes your services different to other cake suppliers?
Dessert tables are not new to the wedding industry. You will find most cake makers who make cupcakes, cake pops, macarons and donuts to accompany their tiered cakes, but you won’t find many cake makers who make patisserie and desserts and I can confidently say, I am the only Italian pastry chef in the area who offers these services. Aside from offering something completely unique, my dessert tables offer your guests plenty of choice and in the same way tapas is a social way of sharing food, my mini pasticcini are great for sharing and bringing people together. My services are also far more wide ranging because I offer dessert tables as part of the wedding breakfast, evening reception or even as sweet canapes during your drinks reception which is how they are traditionally served in Italy.
What kind of dessert table would you recommend for a wedding here at Hanbury and what’s on trend this year?
I am really keen to create something that is bespoke to the couple, so I always get a sense of what couples want from their day, but in a beautiful barn setting such as Hanbury, it’s important to celebrate the outdoors and the rustic vibe of the surroundings, so I highly recommend ditching the bridal white for some milk or dark chocolate when it comes to a feature cake, complemented by some fruit and flowers to bring that colour and freshness to the table. It’s important to consider seasonality when it comes to choosing your cake and desserts. I love to celebrate fruits and flowers that are in season and that reflect the time of year you are getting married. Chocolate and nuts are beautiful autumnal flavours, whereas summer berries and meringues are wonderfully light and fresh in the summer months.
When it comes to styling, using props that will complement your overall decor would be best, working closely with a stylist like Louise from @lushoccasions we could create a stunning table made from wine barrels, a foliage backdrop, along with crates, logs and lanterns to finish the look. My A frame ladder stand also makes a great focal point at your wedding breakfast or evening reception, and a beautiful way of displaying your desserts in a tiered effect.
As for what is on trend, whilst I follow and am quite aware of trends, I am not bound by them and don’t believe couples should be either. Your wedding is one of the biggest days of your life and it should reflect who you are, not what someone else dictates because it’s on trend. I prefer to be a trend setter not a trend follower, I actually think that we are reaching a point where anything goes when it comes to weddings. Gone are the days of following wedding traditions, it’s more about being unconventional and unique.
If this blog has tantalised your tastebuds and you want to find out more, you can follow Lorena on Facebook and Instagram @pasticcerialorena or visit her website www.pasticcerialorena.com
Written by Lorena Moloney, owner of Pasticceria Lorena
Photo Credits:
Daniel Hughes Photography
Sara Hazeldine Photography
The Georges
Angelic Photo