The Story of Tilia Bespoke Catering
Born from a love of good food and great friendship.
How It Began
We never had a grand business plan.
Becky and Laura met at preschool when their eldest sons were both just two years old. Becky came from a childcare background; Laura worked in law. But they shared a genuine love of cooking, entertaining and bringing people together over good food, and were both ready for a change.
Tilia grew completely organically. It started with cakes for friends and family, then small parties, then larger celebrations. One recommendation led to another and, before they knew it, they were catering weddings, private dinners, corporate events and celebrations across Oxfordshire and beyond.
Even today, much of their work comes through word of mouth – and they’re incredibly proud of that.
The Name
Tilia is the Latin name for the lime tree.
These beautiful trees surround their village here in Oxfordshire. They’re not only beautiful but useful too – producing edible flowers and leaves. It seemed a fitting name for a business rooted in nature, seasonality and bringing people together around food.
What Makes Us Different
Clients still deal directly with us. Always.
Although the business has grown enormously over the years, we’ve never wanted to lose what made it special in the first place. We answer the emails, create the menus, cook the food and are there on the day making sure everything runs smoothly. We think that’s one of the reasons people come back to us time and time again.
We don't disappear.
From the first enquiry to the last plate, you deal directly with Laura and Becky. No account managers, no middlemen.
We look ahead.
We don't clock-watch or wait to be told what to do. We're constantly anticipating what's needed next so you never have to think about it.
We genuinely care.
Whether it's a wedding, a corporate dinner or a funeral, our role is always the same – to look after people. Properly.
The Tilia team – ready for whatever the day brings.
Our Food
Generous, seasonal, colourful and completely bespoke.
We don’t follow food trends for the sake of it. We’d much rather create food that people genuinely love to eat than dishes that look fashionable for six months. For us it’s all about flavour, beautiful ingredients and food that brings people together.
Sharing feasts are probably what we’re best known for – relaxed, sociable and encouraging everyone around the table to enjoy the occasion together. But we equally love creating elegant plated dinners, beautiful canapés, bowl food and desserts that become talking points in their own right.
No two events are ever the same, so we don’t believe the menus should be either.
Ingredients We’re Proud Of
Local producers. Exceptional ingredients.
Buying locally isn’t something we do because it sounds good – it genuinely gives us better ingredients, better flavour and allows us to support brilliant local businesses who care just as much about quality as we do.
Our bread
Our cheeses
Our meat
Our fish
Seasonal venison
Looking After People
It’s never just about serving dinner.
Over the years we’ve stayed behind to calm nervous brides, quietly fixed dresses, found missing buttonholes, soothed stressed grooms, helped grandparents, hunted down forgotten birthday cakes, rearranged timelines when speeches overran, and worked through power cuts, torrential rain and broken ovens.
Most of the time our clients never even realise these things have happened. And that’s exactly how we like it.
“I didn’t have to think about a thing. That’s probably the greatest compliment we can receive.”
Tell us about your event.
Every Tilia event starts with a conversation.