Catering Testimonials
"Dear Kylie and staff
Thank you so much for being a part of our wedding day. the food was fantastic, we have had several comments about just how good the food was and not only the food, the service was also fantastic. we had such as amazing day so its great to hear our guests rave about certain parts. Thanks again."
From Lisa and Steve Grace 26 Oct 2010
KUDOS FOOD DESIGN 2010 - Present day
"Thank you
"Thank you for making this special day for Peter and Jing so very very special and memorable. (And your food was unbelievable!) Hopefully we'll be back again in due course."
Sylvia and John Searle
5 June 2011
"Would like to say a BIG thank you to you and your staff for catering our wedding in January 2011 at the Mudcastle.
We had organised our wedding from Brisbane and only communicated via emails. You made so easy to do by answering all of our questions big or small with prompt replies.
It was by far the best we could of ...ever imagined. It looked and tasted so good.
We highly recommend you to anyone who need a caterer! - Thanks team!"
Josie and Kieran Gray
14 January 2011
THE CATERING COMPANY 2006 - 2010
"Dear Cheryl,
Thankyou very much for the fabulous food & service at our wedding. All the guests commented on how good the food was. Please pass our thanks on to your staff as well. Thanks again."
Fiona and Chris
27th October 2007
Food Service Vol 5 No 6 July 2007
Developing the aqua culture
Four chefs, a historic Nelson boatshed, a water view to di(n)e for: All ingredients for the launch of the new Aquaculture New Zealand. Bill Floyd was there to check it out.
If you were a New Zealand chef asked to use farmed mussels, salmon or oysters in the launch of a new industry group featuring gubernatorial gourmets and seafood industry chiefs used to experiencing seafood cooking by the best chefs in the world: What would you do?
Oh, and you had to man your seafood station in a charming and delightful historical boathouse hall built out over the water with very limited kitchen facilities - ie, two 2.7 metre long trestle tables plus electric cord.
That's the task put to NZ chefs Charles Noville (executive chef, Bellamys and Compass Eurest Group), Jason Dell (executive chef Blanket Bay) and Eugene Hamilton (executive chef Shed 5 Wellington); plus Nelson-based catering diva Cheryl Collie. Collie's own team did mise en place for the trio plus some seafood dishes of their own.
"The event was very important for us," says Mike Burrell, CEO of Aquaculture NZ.
"We had pivotal positioning statements being released by both the Prime Minister Helen Clark and the minister for aquaculture; we had domestic and international media there and we wanted an event that was more than a policy platform: We needed to walk the talk when we said how good New Zealand aquaculture products are. Or in this case we wanted everyone to "taste the talk". And they did: Our invited chefs produced world class epicureal excellence," says Burrell.
"The New Zealand aquaculture industry is currently worth over $300 million and is working to become a sustainable billion dollar business by 2025.
"Most successful export industries learn how to be internationally successful by starting within the domestic market. New Zealand chefs for decades were land focused when they looked for menu inspiration. We're an island nation and seafood is an obvious choice for any New Zealand operation, but unless a chef was operating a very impromptu blackboard menu he or she couldn't guarantee supply of the best product 24/7.
"The emergence of our aquaculture industry champions has changed that. Our salmon industry has focused on world-best production and created a wonderful resource for New Zealand chefs. The experience and feedback from those chefs has now allowed the industry to start to develop significant export successes. Similarly the oyster industry worked with New Zealand chefs and in so doing, refined production and harvesting techniques that means half-shell oysters, the equivalent of the finest French Belon, are now starting to appear on menus from Manhattan to Tokyo.
"And paradoxically it's interesting to note that the third member of the trilogy, the Greenshell mussel, started life as an international culinary star first, and is now being championed by New Zealand chefs.
"So for the launch of Aquaculture New Zealand a stunning chef presence was core to the event; and we wove the occasion around those chefs", says Burrell.
For the event, each chef had an industry expert at their side. Noville worked with Kannha Keo, a Pacifica Seafood's shucker. Kannha holds the title for being the world's fastest mussel shucker.
Dell had New Zealand King Salmon seafood technologist Lisa McCarron as his sous chef for the night.
Top Talleys oyster shucker, Karina Taylor, made sure a constant supply of fresh Nelson oysters were there to complement the Clevedon Oyster "half-shells" flown in for the event.
ON THE MENU
New Zealand Greenshell Mussel Station
Charles Noville...
Salmon Station
Jason Dell...
Oyster station
Eugene Hamilton...
Mise en place
Underpinning them all was Collie's team from The Catering Company. She was also asked to create a signature canapé to go with Hunters Miru Miru for the first toast. Only requirement was that it had to be superbly easy to eat, finger-food and include all three aqua-champions: mussels, salmon and oysters. She produced an Aquaculture Menage-a-trois Spring Roll and included a finely diced Golden Bay apple in it:
Aquaculture Menage-a-trois Spring Roll
Smoked Salmon Sushi Selection: An assortment of Maki sushi, Nigiri Sushi and Onigiri Sushi using New Zealand King Salmon.
The King Salmon Roll: Fresh Salmon Fillet with Spinach and Ricotta encased in a Light Puff Pastry.
Fritters on French - Smoked Chilli Mussel Fritters topped with Sour Cream and a dash of Nelson Tomato Ginger Jam.
NZ Green Shell Mussels Dynamite: Grilled ½ Shell Mussels topped with an Asian Style Kewpie Mayonnaise.
Pacific Oyster Soup Shots: Decadent and Creamy Oyster Soup topped with NZ Salmon Roe.
BBQ Station: Moroccan Marinated Chicken Kebab or Marinated Lamb Kebab with Jewelled Couscous Salad, served in Mini Noodle Boxes.
Dessert Station and New Zealand Cheeseboard Station.