Nashville Wedding Catering Trends: We Dish the Scoop on Chef’s Market
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
It's easy to assume that catering companies focus solely on food and that's it. Fact is, there are catering companies who believe in providing more than just food but also great presentation and quality service. Chef's Market is one of those companies that not only serve tasty, delicious and even cutting edge food but the experience is enhanced by creative presentation and great event decor. Say goodbye to boring ol' chaffing dishes sitting in a row on a table and hello to interesting buffet tables and food that tastes as exquisite as it is presented.
Nashville Vendor Spotlight: Chef's Market, a Wedding Catering Company
Number of years in the business:
We’ve been in business for the past 13 years in August, time has definitely flown by!
How did you get started in weddings?
Jim Hagy, the owner of Chef’s Market has been involved in the restaurant industry his entire life, in fact he’s a third generation restaurateur, so when Chef’s Market opened in 1997, getting into catering and more specifically weddings just felt very natural for the business.
What do you like most about weddings?
We truly believe that food brings people together and having the opportunity to provide that service at such significant a celebration as a wedding is very gratifying for us as a business. We also love designing and creating unique and beautiful food displays and table décor, it’s one of the things we’re known for and it’s always fun incorporating a bride’s vision into our food presentation.
Photo source: Divine Images
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? / Why should a bride hire you?
We have an amazing team of people who make our events happen and we think the fact that everyone from our Catering Director to our Prep Chef is personally invested in each event has a lot to do with our success as a catering company. Our talented staff has the ability to see the event through from start to finish, including overall event design concept and style. We do not just focus on the food, we also “get” the big picture! Our emphasis on design and presentation really makes us stand out and our innovation and quality of food and service are only a few reasons why a bride should look into having us cater her wedding.
Picture source: Divine Images
Picture source: Divine Images
What is your specialty?
While we cater everything from plated meals to buffet style menus, lately many brides have been opting for heavy dinner stations. We’ve never boxed ourselves into any specific category as far as cuisine is concerned as we love to try new recipes and presentation styles, however in general we love to give ordinary food a gourmet twist, such as adding a flavorful Red Pepper Jelly to spice up ordinary Ham Biscuits.
Do you provide bar service?
Although Chef’s Market does not have a liquor license, we are happy to lend our expertise in planning for bar services, including suggestions of beer and wine brands, quantity, etc. Additionally, we offer the following bar services; bar-set-ups, mixers, juices, fruits, ice, bar tools, soda, bottled water and ABC Certified Bartenders.
Photo source: Kristyn Hogan Lifestyle Photographer
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors – helpfulness, professionalism, style?
This is a tough one because Nashville has such an incredible wedding industry! We really feel than any vendor who’s apart of TWESA (Tennessee Wedding Event Specialists Association) is not only going to know what they’re doing but also be professional, creative and passionate about weddings, which are all necessary qualities for building a working relationship with each other in this industry.
Who do you recommend when you’re not available/not a fit?
There are many great caterers to choose from but we often recommend both the Clean Plate Club and A Catered Affair for any reception that we’re unable to cater ourselves.
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event/food trends?
Catering is a business that’s continually evolving, which is great, as it keeps us moving forward with menu and design ideas. We’re constantly reading restaurant and catering trade publications as well as local and national blogs in order to stay ahead of the game. We also make sure to attend at least one catering conference per year.
Let’s discuss current catering trends
Are there currently any popular menu items or dining styles that you’ve seen or even would like to see?
What’s most popular right now is for Brides and Grooms to choose foods they love, which really means that anything goes when it comes to catering. It’s nice to see that couples are not afraid to express themselves through their food choices. Instead of having the same menu at every wedding, we are seeing a wide variety of different items!
What is your favorite dish to serve at a wedding/event?
For a recent wedding of ours, the Bride and Groom asked for personalized sushi rolls, which was a lot of fun for us to put together! Our favorite dishes are always the ones where we get to truly ‘cater’ the food to the couple getting married.
Photo source: Chefs Market
Yummy, bite sized treats. Picture source: Kristyn Hogan Lifestyle Photographer
Which food trend do you dislike?
While mashed potato and macaroni bars are always going to taste great and be popular for weddings, we have done so many that it’s not as fun for us as other menu items.
Which catering trend are you glad is gone?
Hmm, we’d have say satellite cakes from the 80’s…it happened once, we hope it never happens again!
Boy I'd love to see a picture of that cake! What are your favorite websites for inspiration and to stay on top of food/catering trends?
We love reading both local and national food blogs, there’s just so much diversity out there and it’s great to see what others are writing about. Some of our go to blogs are: Love & Olive Oil, Lannae’s Food & Travel, Confections of a Foodie Bride and The South in My Mouth.
What's your favorite TV show and why?
Top Chef is great not only because it’s interesting to see what industry’s up and coming chefs create, but the time crunch is often reminiscent of our catering kitchen on big event days!
Chef's Market complements it's great food with stellar food/table design! Photo Source: Joe Hendricks Photography
Grilled canteloupe fruit pearls. Photo source: Chef's Market
While I can't cook, I love Top Chef too!! What is your favorite thing about catering weddings?
We love meeting all of the different couples who hire us as their wedding caterer. No two weddings are alike and there’s always something new, it’s hard to get bored in this profession!
What is the biggest misconception about your industry?
People often assume that the quality of catered food is not very good, when in fact; it all depends on who you choose to do the catering. The old “rubber chicken” analogy is thrown around a lot, but in fact catering food can be great! A good caterer knows what foods will and will not work, given the venue restrictions, time lines, etc, and they will guide you in choosing a menu that will be great for your event. Maybe you have dreamed of sweet potato fries for your day, but your venue doesn’t allow cooking on site. An experienced caterer will have the courage to tell you that your sweet potato fries may fall flat….(literally!)...but they will also be able to suggest good alternatives. Every catering company needs to have a fantastic Culinary and Sales team that understands the intricacies of logistics and planning in order to be successful, and we feel really lucky to have both of those at Chef’s Market!
Photo source: Kristin Hogan Lifestyle Photographer
Thank you Genna and Shannon for filling us in on Chef's Market. It's exciting that there's a caterer in town with whom brides can work with to really achieve their vision! Brides, let us know if you've worked with Chef's Market or if you're about to work with them on your wedding, we'd love to hear your feedback in our comments!
About the Author:
Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide
Hey - I'm Ashley! I started AshleysBrideGuide.com to give Nashville brides, or folks planning a Nashville wedding, a local resource for inspiration and resources. Hope to see you at a bridal show soon! Happy Planning.
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Posted on August 10, 2010 |
Filed under: Cakes & Catering, Luxury Wed Finds
