What's New at Pepper's Catering

For the 9^th year in a row, Pepper’s Fine Catering has been named “Best Caterer” in Worcester Magazine’s Best of Worcester 2014.

We would like to thank you all for your votes and continued support, and of course to our entire team for their hard work and dedication!

Illustration by Hannah Robidoux

On Tuesday January 7th, Pepper's Fine Catering owners John and Susan Lawrence were featured in the Shop Talk section of the Worcester Business Journal. John and Susan, a husband and wife team, recently celebrated 25 years of business for Pepper's Catering. Their Shop Talk Q&A with Worcester Business Journals's Rick Saia explores Susan and John's unqiue working partnership and the challenges and rewards of running a large-scale catering operation.

John and Susan also offer up advice to anyone interested in starting their own business. “It better be your dream," says John. “Because you really have to have an awful lot of passion and diligence and wherewithal to really suit up every day to stay in business. It's a full-time sport.”

To read the entire article on the Worcester Business Journal website, click here.

We here at Pepper’s Fine Catering are thrilled to announce that for the second year in a row, we have been selected by The Boston Business Journal and The Commonwealth Institute as one of the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts.

Susan Lawrence launched Pepper's in 1987, after amassing extensive experience on the business side of the food industry. Today she runs the company with her husband, John, who also serves as head chef. Under Susan’s direction, the company has grown to include 24 full time employees and partnerships with leading area venues such as Elm Bank, Tower Hill Botanic Gardens, Hanover Theatre & Mechanic’s Hall.

Over the 25 years they have been doing business, Pepper's has solidified a reputation for delivering outstanding events. The guidance they provide extends beyond the intricacies of the menu to include lighting, food presentation and customer service. Specializing in contemporary regional and international meals, all offerings are prepared using fresh, local ingredients—many from John and Susan’s garden, with nine 20-foot beds of organically grown herbs, produce and edible flowers. 

“When I started Pepper's 25 years ago, I had a vision of what kind of company I wanted it to be,” says Susan. “Being able to realize my vision has been the most rewarding aspect of my career. I’m proud to lead a company that not only incorporates excellent food, but excellent people, too.” 

Southern New England Living magazine, a new publication dedicated to highlighting the many great aspects of Southern New England, met up with Pepper’s co-owner, John Lawrence, to get his insight on planning the perfect house party. Below is an excerpt from "House Party:  Tips from the Pros on Planning Your Next Get-together in Style, without All the Stress," by Rachel Arroyo. 

Carefully Conceptualize the Menu
Food and beverage are central to ensuring a memorable at-home gathering.  John Lawrence - who has co-owned Pepper's Fine Food Catering in Northborough, MA, with his wife Susan for 24 years - says, since 9/11, people have changed the way they entertain. "Before people were entertaining all around, in crazy locations and spending a lot of money. Now it is more of an intimate experience." Don't get him wrong, "People are still having big parties, but the guest list is filled with people they know and love, first and foremost."

Lately he has been seeing a lot of requests for Latin American cuisine. "Ceviches are popular, but with our local ingredients,” says Lawrence. Mojitos are also big. And even though he thought the cupcake trend was going to die off, it's still going strong. "They've become more inventive,” he says, "branching out to include interesting fillings like pina colada and Baileys Irish crème - fun twists on old favorites." A streak of whimsy seems to have taken the party scene by storm.  He reports: ''I'm seeing a lot of colors, lively linens in polka dots and lime green."

For crafting the perfect get-together, Lawrence offers a few tips. One: "Think whimsical and think fusion," he says. For instance, if you're using Asian lanterns, go with lime green instead of the traditional red. "It sets a tone." Two: Greet your guests with a cocktail. Cava, a Spanish champagne, is a great value and can be mixed with watermelon or pomegranate juice for a fun, mildly alcoholic drink. Three: "You've got to have the music,” he says, but don't stress about the playlist. Go to Pandora - an online radio station - and pick your favorite artist or musical genre. Four: "Keep the menu fork friendly," a rule he lives by. People shouldn't have to put down their plates to cut bit-sized portions of food. And, lastly, "Consider the guest list," he says. Invite outgoing, talkative people to create an atmosphere for conversation.

You can find the complete article in Southern New England Living's premier issue, which debuted this month.  Pick up a copy at your local newsstand or give Pepper’s a call and we’ll be happy to forward one to you! 

For more information about Southern New England Living, visit http://www.southernNELiving.com

Thanks Everyone for Voting Peppers Catering "Best Caterer"!

The votes are in for Worcester Magazine's "Best of Worcester 2011", and for the 6th year in a row, Peppers Fine Foods has been named "Best Caterer" in Central Mass!

We'd like to thank you all for your votes and support; our clients' satisfaction really does mean everything to us! Also we want to congratulate and thank all of our team here at Peppers who work so hard to make us - and keep us - #1!

Thanks again everyone!

Voting Ends Friday, March 11...Please Vote Online Today!

Pepper’s is so proud to have been voted Best Caterer by Worcester Magazine for five straight years, and we are eager to continue the tradition!

Help us to extend our run to 6 consecutive years by voting for the 2011 Best of Worcester Awards! Voting began this week and within 8 hours, Pepper’s had already received 100 votes! Join in the fun and cast your vote today to help keep Pepper’s in Worcester’s Winner’s Circle!

Voting runs through Friday March 11 but you hope you’ll vote much earlier than that!

February 2, 2011 – Pepper’s Fine Foods Catering, a full-service caterer serving a broad section of New England with an emphasis on Massachusetts, is pleased to have been selected as a 2011 winner in The Knot Best of Weddings, a special section in The Knot Boston magazine and on the Boston regional section of www.theknot.com, the Internet’s most-trafficked one-stop wedding planning solution.

This is the second year Pepper’s has been voted a top pick for The Knot Best of Weddings.

The Knot Best of Weddings 2011 provides a “by brides, for brides” guide to the top wedding professionals across the country and is a must-have when it comes to selecting the best-of-the-best wedding resources. Engaged couples will find detailed feedback on local wedding businesses reviewed by thousands of newlyweds.

WeddingWire is thrilled to announce Peppers Fine Foods Catering has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds who shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Peppers stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Peppers Fine Foods for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Peppers is among the very best wedding caterers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011. 

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.