Meet Josh Bradshaw and Charlie Karlsen, the pioneering couple behind Opus 11, who have revolutionised the luxury catering and events scene since founding the company in 2018. With a shared background in the entertainment and the events industry and a relentless passion for delivering unparalleled experiences, they’ve propelled Opus 11 to the forefront of the UK’s luxury events landscape. From collaborating with top fashion houses like Cartier and Jimmy Choo to curating unforgettable culinary and event experiences, Josh and Charlie continue to redefine the essence of luxury events with flair and creativity.
We love working in the events industry because….
Every day is different, and every event is unique, we aren’t a rinse and repeat kind of company, we are constantly creating and bringing new ideas to the table.
Opus 11 is best known for …
Being anything but ordinary! When we started we said we didn’t want to be another classic caterer, there are far too many already. Our food is at the forefront of everything we do, it’s modern, creative, visual and tastes so good.
Our biggest achievement to date is…
Our team, we have the most incredible group of young, creative, passionate people. We love seeing people grow and succeed. We are 33 and 30 years old and we have an average company age of 28 if you take my mum out (Josh reminds her everyday) and having that youth in a company really brings you a different dymanic. It’s important to bring people in, teach them, love them and let them fly.
At Opus 11, we’re inspired by ….
Success. We love success in any form, personal achievements, company achievements, promotions, killing it on a creative, client feedback, winning a job (we have a bell in the office like selling sunsets). Success for us is watching other people do their thing with confidence, pride and a lotta love.
The current canapé trends we’re loving are …
Zero waste canapés bases and garnishes. We try to not throw anything away in the kitchen, we use what we can waste wise to turn into beautiful tartlets or garnishes.
Our favourite dish to serve at a wedding is…
This is a hard one. Josh loves the more weird and wonderful, he loves it when people say ‘what in the world is that’ but I’d go for a modern Opus 11 take on British summer classics. We do the most incredible rhubarb and custard dessert, it’s got jelly on top!
Our favourite place in the world to skip the crowds is…
Clapham south tube station, it’s why we start at 10am.
We love to champion eating sustainably because
We work in hospitality so we feel we have a responsibility to make these changes. We only have electric vans, we are certified carbon neutral, we work with The Felix Project and have done since we opened. There are foods we don’t use unless we can source them sustainably and we will continue to learn and develop in this area, because if we don’t then at some point there won’t be the abundance of produce on offer.
And finally, what’s next for Opus 11…
We’ve got big plans which aren’t quite ready for full disclosure but we’re going to continue doing what we’re doing, we’re clearly doing something right. I guess a little more menu development never hurt anyone. We are very lucky to have chefs who have spent many years in Michelin kitchens so being able to continue creating is key.
For mor details to go: www.opus11.co.uk
READ NEXT: Inside: The Golden Summer Skincare Soiree with 111Skin
