Choosing your wedding menu is one of the few planning decisions you get to make with a fork in your hand. Our tasting evenings exist so that nothing about your menu is a guess: you taste the dishes, try the wines, and build the meal your guests will still be talking about next year.
Cooked in-house, from the first canape to the last bite
Everything served at The Hackney comes out of our own kitchen. Our head chef trained in Michelin-starred kitchens and leads a team that blends modern European technique with seasonal ingredients, so the food is layered, refined and genuinely soulful, whether that is a delicate blini at cocktail hour or a warm sharing platter landing in the middle of your table.
That matters for a tasting, because what you try is exactly what your guests will be served: the same kitchen, the same plates, the same room.
Two ways to taste your menu
We offer two tasting formats, and both are available exclusively to couples who have booked The Hackney and paid their deposit.
The Group Menu Tasting (£50 + VAT per person) is a relaxed, restaurant-style evening where you sample a curated selection of our most popular dishes and wines alongside other couples. It is the best way to experience our food style, portion sizes and presentation as your guests will.
The Private Menu Tasting (from £450 + VAT) is for couples who want to refine their menu in detail. You choose the specific dishes you would like to try and work through them one-on-one with our head chef and events team.
How the group tasting evening works
The evening runs as a nine-course set menu, served in full-sized portions shared between two. Because our wedding menu is too big to serve in one sitting, we split it across two set menus - Menu A and Menu B - each covering half the range. If you want to taste everything, you are welcome to attend both.
A few details worth knowing before you book:
- You will taste all the wines available for your wedding selection
- You and your partner can bring up to two additional guests (contact us if you would like more)
- The evening starts promptly at 7pm, as we wait for all couples before service begins
- Couples who eat vegetarian or vegan can book our dedicated Veggie Menu Tasting
The room is softly lit and styled with our tableware, so the evening doubles as a preview of how your own wedding breakfast will look.
Dietary requirements and the small print
Once you have booked, we will be in touch to confirm any dietary needs. We can accommodate allergies and intolerances wherever a dish’s recipe can be adapted, but because the group tasting is a set menu, we cannot substitute dishes - if a dish cannot work without an ingredient, it may not be possible to serve you that one.
If one of you is vegetarian and the other is not, you have options: attend Menu A or B alongside the Veggie Tasting, or book a private tasting and choose exactly what suits you both.
From the tasting to your table
Whatever you fall in love with at the tasting can be served your way on the day: a plated five-course dinner, a family-style sharing feast, a canape reception or bowl food for a standing celebration. Menus are seasonal, locally sourced where possible and designed around your guests’ dietary needs from the start.
The drinks get the same attention. Our bar team builds your selection from signature cocktails, a cremant toast and a considered wine list. The same kitchen also runs our supper club, if you would like to taste their cooking before you have even enquired.
Booking your tasting
Tasting spaces are limited and fill quickly, so once your booking is confirmed, reserve your evening early - we will send you the booking link as part of your planning. If you have not booked The Hackney yet, the tasting is one more reason couples choose us: start by checking your date on the calendar or take a look at how weddings work here.