Pepper's Fine Catering wins Worcester Business Journal's 'Best Of Business' Award for 2014!

Posted by John Lawrence on Mon, Jan 20, 2014

Pepper's wins Worcester Business Journal's 'Best Of Business' Award for 2014!

"Worcester Business Journal recently conducted its first Online Readers Poll to find out who are the Best Of Business in our region! The best business-to-business companies that truly offer the best service, sweat all the details and have customer-focused employees who deliver outstanding products and services."

To read the entire article and see a full list of the winners, click on the image below.

BOB Logo 2014

 

To attend the Party follow the link below for registration:

 www.wbjournal.com/BOBawards

Best Of Business (BOB) Party
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
5:00 – 7:30PM
Coral Seafood
225 Shrewsbury St.
Worcester, MA


Tags: Events, Pepper's Fine News

Worcester’s Bride and Groom Magazine features spring 2012 wedding catered by Pepper’s

Posted by John Lawrence on Thu, May 02, 2013

Wedding CakeWorcester's Bride and Groom Magazine recently published their spring 2013 issue, featuring a four-page spread of the May 2012 wedding of Pepper’s Fine Catering clients Ryan and Jacqueline McMullen. The wedding was held at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Bolyston and catered by the Pepper’s team. 

Jacqueline has a special relationship with Pepper’s, she is a former employee! We were thrilled to become part of her and Ryan’s special day, and to create such special memorable moments for the two of them and their guests. For the couples’ garden wedding, they wanted to tie in an element of nature by incorporating both significance of “love birds” and their shared appreciation for travel. To set the right tone, faux bird nests, bird cages, and leaves were placed throughout the venue, as well as a scrapbook of destinations the couple visited together. 

The appreciation of nature was complemented in the food design, as well. Desserts were served atop a slab of natural birch with decadent twigs and leaves distributed around.  The most striking element of dessert was of course the cake.  Keeping with the theme, we incorporated love birds made of porcelain as the cake topper and used an actual tree stump to set the cake on.

Each unique touch contributed to a magical wedding that encapsulated Jacqueline and Ryan’s affection, tastes and chemistry.

To read more about the McMullen’s ceremony and to view photos from the event, click here and head to page 24.

 

Tags: Events

Pepper's Selected as One of Top 100 Women-Led Businesses by BBJ

Posted by John Lawrence on Mon, Nov 19, 2012

describe the imageWe 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.” 

Tags: Accolades, 25th anniversary, Events

Worcester Living Magazine gets tips on edible blooms from John Lawrence

Posted by John Lawrence on Thu, Aug 02, 2012

describe the imageWorcester Living Magazine recently collaborated with Pepper’s Fine Catering for their June 2012 issue on edible flowers, offering a look into the horticultural side of cooking. The following is an excerpt from “Edible blooms are colorful, flavorful additions for summer dishes,” authored by Barbara M. Houle.

John Lawrence is a chef who can create crowd-pleasing foods and party-perfect drinks to make summer get-togethers fabulously easy and fun. He also knows how to get the most out of a garden.

Lawrence and his wife, Susan, own Pepper’s Fine Catering in Northboro, where they maintain 10 raised garden beds in summer and early fall. Their kitchen gardens are a little slice of botanical heaven, offering fragrant and colorful edible flowers, a myriad of pepper varieties and must-have herbs. A favorite edible bloom is nasturtium, a colorful addition to any garden, according to Lawrence, who explained that the annual flower’s mild, peppery taste makes it excellent in salads. Nasturtiums in a wide range of colors bloom from midsummer until frost. “The more you pick, the more they pop,” said Lawrence. Double and semi-double flowers make a great presentation as a plate garnish, he said. Daylilies are another edible delight in the garden. So are Johnny-jump-ups and pansies, both colorful additions to salads made with tender, young greens.

Basil, parsley, rosemary, sage, lovage, tarragon, cilantro and lavender are just a few of the other plants that flourish. Fresh and dried herb leaves are used as food flavorings by the chefs. The plants have both culinary and ornamental uses; each plant contributes to a beautiful garden design, said Lawrence. Pepper’s is an award-winning company deeply rooted in the horticultural community. It has catered weddings and special functions at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston for 24 years and numerous events at Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s historic Elm Bank in Wellesley and Tyrone Farm, a country estate in Pomfret, Conn.

John Lawrence routinely gives cooking classes and demos at the Clarke Culinary Center in Milford, using locally grown ingredients whenever he can. He and his wife are strong supporters of local farms.”

You can find the entire article, which includes some of John’s delicious recipes, in the June 2012 issue of Worcester Living Magazine. 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 Worcester Living, visit them at http://www.telegram.com/section/WorcesterLiving

Tags: Events

Massachusetts Horticultural Society Garden to Table

Posted by Peppers Team on Fri, May 20, 2011

The First Harvest

MA Horticultural Society Garden to TableThe Massachusetts Horticultural Society kicks off its Garden to Table initiative with the The First Harvest, a 3-course tasting prepared by Pepper’s Catering Chef John Lawrence.  The tasting will feature some of the earliest greens from their Chef's Garden, a 22-bed vegetable garden designed to inspire culinary combinations.  Join Chef Lawrence as he prepares a wonderful Spring Pea Panzanella Salad, Preserved Lemon & Lovage Risotto and succulent Citrus Grilled Scallops.

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society Garden to Table program was designed to promote the benefits of local harvest and growing your own foods through educational events and cooking demonstrations. Along with the Chef's Garden, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society also planted the Pantry Garden to serve the needs of a local food pantry. 

  • Where:  MHS Horticulture Center at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street (Rt. 16), Wellesley, MA
  • When:  Monday, June 6, 2011 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. 
  • Cost:  $45 per person (space is limited)
  • Reservations can be made by calling 617.933.4995 or by ordering online here.

Tags: Events

The Worcester Women's Conference

Posted by Peppers Team on Tue, May 17, 2011

The Worcester Women's ConferenceJoin us on Friday, June 3rd as the Worcester Chamber of Commerce presents The Worcester Women’s Conference at the DCU Center in Worcester from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  Pepper's Catering will be on-hand serving some of our tasty dishes.

For more information or to register, visit the Worcester Chamber of Commerce website or call 508.753.2924 x 229. Hope to see you there!

Tags: Events

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Chef John Lawrence

Posted by Peppers Team on Thu, Apr 14, 2011

cinco de mayoIt’s time to push the burritos aside and make way for some fabulous contemporary Mexican cuisine!  Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style with Chef John Lawrence at The Clarke Culinary Center in Milford to demonstrate the ease of cooking some great Mexican dishes. Enjoy Chilled Shrimp and Crab a la Veracruzana, Duck Carnitas and melt in your mouth Tenderloin with Morel Mushrooms and Chipotle Cream!  It's Cinco de Mayo at it's best!

  • Where:  The Clarke Culinary Center, 393 Fortune Blvd., Milford, MA
  • When:  Thursday, May 5, 2011  6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
  • Cost:  $85 per person
  • To Register:  Call 800-842-5275 x206 or visit Clarke Culinary Classes for more information and directions.

Tags: Events

The Taste of MetroWest

Posted by Peppers Team on Tue, Jan 25, 2011
taste of metrowest03/15/2011, Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center: This Metrowest Chamber of Commerce event will showcase the region's excellent culinary and cultural attractions with representatives from the area's finest restaurants, caterers, gourmet and ethnic markets, gift boutiques, wineries, brew houses and local purveyors.   
 
Live entertainment, raffles and People's Choice Awards make this a fun and inexpensive night out.  Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door.  For more information and a list of participating vendors, please visit the Metrowest Chamber of Commerce.

Tags: Events

Worcester's Best Chef at Mechanics Hall

Posted by Peppers Team on Tue, Jan 25, 2011
worcester's best chef.com01/30/2011, Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA: The annual Worcester's Best Chef competition is a great way to treat your palate to some of the best food this area has to offer.  Our own Chef Paul Wilson returns to the judges panel along with Chef Barry Sexton from Food Network's Dinner Impossible and Food Network's Chopped contestant Chef Alina Eisenhauer, chef/owner of Worcester's Sweet Pastry Shop and Wine Bar.
 
Meet host Billy Costa from TV Diner and the chefs one-on-one during the VIP session from 5 to 6 p.m. before the event opens to the general public from 6 to 9 p.m.  For additional information and ticket purchase, visit the Worcester's Best Chef website.  Tickets are also available through the Mechanics Hall Box Office.

Tags: Events

Peppers' Cooking Class at Clarke Culinary Center

Posted by Peppers Team on Tue, Dec 07, 2010

boston common cooking seriesThe Clarke Culinary Center in Milford, Massachusetts announced their schedule of cooking classes featuring the finest chefs in the region sharing their love and excitement for food as well as a little of their expertise. If you love food, check out their schedule of upcoming presentations at Clarke Culinary Center.

On December 16, Peppers Fine Foods Catering's John Lawrence will host his own cooking class at Clarke, "Get Out of Your Shell – Scallops! Scallops! Scallops!"

If you love shellfish, this event is for you; featuring some of Chef John's favorite award-winning sea scallop recipes such as Wild Mushroom Crusted Scallops with Vanilla Bean Scented Parsnip Puree, Roasted Scallops with Fennel Jus and more!

  • Where: Clarke Culinary Center - 393 Fortune Blvd, Milford, MA
  • When: Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
  • Cost: $70 per person
  • To Register: Call 1-800-842-5275 x206 or visit Clarke Culinary Classes for more info and directions

Get out of your shell and join Peppers!

Tags: Events