There is a new tart on the New Forest Events menu.
It has buttery pastry, fresh figs, sweet pears, salty blue cheese, fresh herbs and pickled celery on the side.
It sounds simple. It is not.
Simple food is usually where people discover whether you actually know what you are doing. There is nowhere to hide behind seventeen sauces and a decorative smear of something nobody can identify.
This tart has to be right at every stage. Crisp pastry. Fresh fruit with enough sweetness to carry the filling. Blue cheese with enough character to be interesting, but not so much that it attacks the rest of the plate. Herbs that bring freshness. Then the pickled celery, doing the sensible work of stopping the whole thing becoming too rich.
It is autumn on a plate. A very good plate.
The pastry is the serious bit
Let’s start with the pastry.
Pastry is Nova’s territory. She is a Leiths-trained patisserie chef, which means she is allowed to be smug about it. In this case, the smugness is earned.
A proper tart needs pastry that is crisp, golden and properly baked through. Not pale. Not floppy. Not a sad, damp base collapsing under the filling like it has given up on life.
The pastry needs enough structure to hold the fruit and cheese, but it should still be delicate when you cut into it. That balance comes from good ingredients, careful handling and not rushing the bake because guests are arriving in twenty minutes.
The tart is blind-baked first, then filled and finished until the pastry is crisp and the filling is just set. It sounds technical because it is technical. Pastry notices when you cut corners.
That is the difference between a proper tart and a soggy disappointment wearing a garnish.
Sweet figs, pears and salty blue cheese
The filling works because the flavours are doing different jobs.
The figs bring soft sweetness and a deep, jammy richness. The pears bring a cleaner, gentler sweetness and a little texture. Together, they are autumn without resorting to covering everything in cinnamon and calling it seasonal.
Then comes the blue cheese.
Blue cheese brings salt, savoury depth and a little bite. It stops the tart drifting into dessert territory. This is not a sweet tart with cheese accidentally involved. It is a savoury dish with fruit doing some very clever work.
Fresh herbs are folded through the filling and scattered over the top. Thyme and rosemary work particularly well here, but the exact herb mix can shift with what is looking good. That is the point of seasonal cooking. The menu does not need to pretend every ingredient is available in perfect condition all year round.
If something is not at its best, it does not go on the plate. Revolutionary, apparently.
Why pickled celery is not an afterthought
The pickled celery is the sharp, crunchy thing that keeps the tart from becoming too much.
The pastry is rich. The blue cheese is rich. The fruit is sweet and rich. Delicious, yes. But without something fresh and acidic, the dish would start to feel heavy after a few bites.
The pickled celery brings acidity, crunch and a clean finish. The acid does the work. It cuts through the butter and cheese, wakes up the fruit and gives the whole dish some lift.
It is not there to look pretty beside the tart. It has a job.
There is a reason chefs keep reaching for pickles when a dish needs balance. They are useful. They make rich food more enjoyable rather than simply making it richer and hoping everyone carries on eating.
A properly seasonal dish
Figs and pears are at their best in autumn. That is when they belong on this tart.
This is not an all-year-round menu filler that changes its name slightly depending on the month. It is a seasonal dish built around what is good now.
At New Forest Events, we take a foraged and seasonal approach to catering across Hampshire and the New Forest. Menus move with the landscape. Herbs, fruit, vegetables and wild ingredients are chosen for flavour, not because a spreadsheet says they should be available in February.
That approach makes the food more interesting. It also means the finished dish can change slightly between events. Different varieties of pear. A different blue cheese. Fresh herbs from a different part of the season.
The idea stays the same. The ingredients are treated properly.
You can read more about our approach to bespoke menus and seasonal catering, including private chef service, grazing tables and farm-to-fork event food.
Where this tart fits on an event menu
This tart is useful because it can do several jobs.
It works as a plated vegetarian starter at a wedding or private dinner. It can be served in smaller portions as part of a grazing table. It can sit comfortably on an autumn or winter party menu, alongside meat, fish and other seasonal dishes.
It also works particularly well for weddings where the vegetarian option needs to feel like an actual dish rather than an apology.
There is nothing worse than serving the vegetarians a plate of grilled vegetables while everyone else gets something with thought, texture and a sauce. The vegetarian course should be good enough that the meat eaters look across the table and start asking questions.
This tart holds its own.
Serve it warm with a sharp dressed salad for a lighter course. Serve it as part of a broader grazing spread with chutney, leaves and local cheeses. Or make individual versions for a drinks reception or intimate private dining menu.
It is elegant enough for a wedding. Relaxed enough for a party. Robust enough to survive service outside a restaurant kitchen, which is where event food earns its keep.
Dietary requirements, handled properly
The tart can be made vegetarian, and we can adapt the dish for gluten-free guests and other dietary requirements where needed.
This is not a matter of removing one ingredient and hoping nobody notices. Pastry, cheese, preparation surfaces and service all need to be considered properly.
Nova holds Level 4 Food Safety and allergy certification, so dietary planning is handled with care and proper communication. We ask the right questions, record the requirements and make sure the kitchen and service team understand what is being served.
Nobody wants to spend their event wondering whether the food is safe. Nor should they have to.
If you are planning an event with several dietary requirements, our catering service can help build a menu that works for everyone without turning the whole meal into beige compromise food.
The New Forest Events approach
New Forest Events provides bespoke event catering, private chef service, mobile bars and event planning across Hampshire, the New Forest and surrounding areas.
We work with private clients planning weddings, milestone birthdays, winter parties, corporate gatherings and intimate dinners. We also work with trusted local partners and venues, including Palais Des Vaches and Warborne Farm.
Our focus is food that feels considered without becoming stiff. Seasonal produce. Good pastry. Thoughtful combinations. Proper service. No needlessly complicated performance pretending to be lunch.
New Forest Events was named Best Bespoke Mobile Bar & Event Catering Company 2026 – Hampshire by SME News. We were also named New Event Management Company of the Year 2025/26 in the South England Prestige Awards.
Lovely recognition. Still not a substitute for making good pastry, obviously.
Whether you need a private chef in Hampshire, a party planner in Hampshire or an experienced event planner in Hampshire, we can shape the food around the occasion rather than forcing your event into a standard package.
Add it to your event menu
The fig, pear and blue cheese herb tart with pickled celery is available as a seasonal addition to bespoke event menus.
It is a strong choice for autumn weddings, winter parties, private dining, grazing tables and vegetarian-led celebrations. It is warm, rich, sharp, crisp and properly satisfying.
Most importantly, it does not punish anyone for not eating meat.
If you would like to add the tart to your event, get in touch with New Forest Events. Tell us your date, guest numbers, venue and the sort of food you want people talking about afterwards.
We will handle the menu, the pastry and the pickled celery.
You can worry about what to wear.
