Events at Select Service

Wedding tasting for an August outdoor tent reception at the Rockwood Ruins

2012-01-23T13:31:00.000-05:00

It's really difficult to imagine all the little details of your outdoor wedding reception in the middle of frigid January. We get it, it's easy to slip into thoughts of hot and comforting meals while you're bundled up inside, and it's really tricky to put yourself in summer mood when it's months away. If you got engaged over the holidays and you're planning for a summer wedding, don't forget to think summer! Stay away from heavy meals and hot soup, even if it's the first thing that comes to mind right now in heavy planning mode.

One of our summer brides for this year came in for her wedding tasting this weekend. The couple currently lives in Alberta and is planning their KW area wedding from a distance, so organizing convenient times for everyone meant a deep winter tasting with visions of sunny summer days far in the distance.

The biggest challenge on the catering end of things for a winter tasting for a summer event is working around the seasonal produce that is most definitely not available at this time of year. Our goal with every tasting is to show you our taste profile, presentation ideas, and portions, but it's harder to do this when a key ingredient or garnish is out of season. Every plate we create focuses on what is fresh and in season, both to keep costs low and to provide the best flavour and taste for the dish. This can be a slight hiccup during a tasting, when we're trying to serve a plate that screams "summer" when it's lacking the real taste of fresh summer produce.

We held the tasting in our store front shop, the Hungry Olive, which offers our guests enough space to move around, and allows us to keep the experience closer to what they will see at the event - they chat and mingle at the table, and food is brought out to them. We've previously blogged about keeping the tasting experience in-line with the event plan here, when we held a tasting for a summer bride's market station reception.

Our daily special board becomes a welcoming sign for our guests

We keep the experience at the tasting as close to the real thing as we can - table settings, linens, glassware, the works.

The first course is our signature Bouquet salad, featuring romaine lettuce tied with a cucumber ribbon. Our salads were unfortunately missing the edible fresh flowers (which we grow in our own garden in the summer) and micro greens, but the overall presentation is what we were after, as well as the taste of the dish.

We finished the salad with a classic balsamic vinaigrette

Paulette and Aengus are offering their guests a choice of three entrees, and we showed them a variety of options to choose from at the tasting. The vegetarian dish is a grilled vegetable and phyllo stack, and the fish entree is herb and citrus crusted tilapia with a pineapple salsa.

Grilled vegetable stack with a rustic tomato sauce

We showed the couple three different styles of chicken for the entree - classic roasted chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and tomato pesto, a chicken supreme stuffed with ricotta and sage, and a mole-rubbed boneless 1/2 chicken. The tilapia was cooked on our grill (the next best thing to a barbecue in the middle of winter) on a cedar plank.

We plated the chicken supreme to give them a sense of how it would all come together, and we presented the other chicken options on a platter for everyone to try.

Finished plate - rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes, grilled balsamic marinated summer vegetables, and grilled chicken supreme with a white wine sauce.

We finished the tasting with a layered raspberry and vanilla panna cotta. This is a great alternative to ice cream or sorbet when your venue does not have enough power to bring in a freezer. We bring all of the food for an event in our refrigerated catering trailer, and making the menu very fridge-friendly saves on power needs. The panna cotta is topped with mixed berry compote and garnished with mint.

Kitchen Production Behind the Scenes - It takes a lot of food to feed 1000 people

2011-12-20T13:50:00.000-05:00

Who do you call when you need to feed hundreds of people a hot holiday meal? Select Service of course! We catered hot turkey dinners for more than 1000 people last week - 800 people over three days for a factory near our commissary kitchen, and 250 people over three shifts for a factory in Kitchener. We've heard nothing but wonderful comments from all of the staff who enjoyed the meals. That's because we make it all deliciously from scratch, even when the numbers move up to four digits.

We spent our week peeling, chopping, roasting, and mashing, and you better believe our gravy is made from scratch!

Imogen takes a quick rest on the last few stacks of potatoes. This pile was originally a lot larger - we bought 600 lbs of potatoes for the week, along with 155 lbs of turkey breast, 156 lbs of turkey thighs, and 291 lbs of beef top sirloin. Oh, and we can't forget about the veggies - 200 lbs of carrots, 100 lbs parsnips, and 100 lbs of turnips. What a week!

Stuffing muffins! Perfectly portioned for large quantity orders, and they're just so cute!

Getting it there piping hot is certainly not a problem for us, we loaded trays straight from the oven into thermal Cambro boxes to arrive ready to serve. A big thank you to ABC Rentals in Kitchener for having some extra boxes available, we were four boxes short and they came to the rescue!

Thank you to ATS Automation and Dare Foods Limited for choosing Select Service for your holiday catering! We look forward to working with you again next year!

Curious about our Party in a Box? Take a closer look at one of our holiday orders!

2011-12-12T12:38:00.002-05:00

What's a Party in a Box you say? The cost effective way to have gourmet appetizers for your next party without any of the work or the freezer-burnt boxed apps you're used to seeing at the grocery store. We make all of our 200+ different canapes fresh from scratch, and you get the exact same selection that you would see if Select was catering a full-service cocktail reception at your home. Chose your own items to make up a full selection of hors d'oeuvres to serve to your guests, either as a meal replacement (who doesn't love appetizers for dinner?) or for a few quick nibbles before a full meal.

Below are some candid shots of an order we catered on Saturday December 10 for 20 guests. The hostess ordered 6 different items, 20 pieces of each. All of our canapes range in price from $1.29 per piece to $3.25 per piece, with most items coming in around the mid-range ($1.50 to $1.95 per piece). The order shown here was less than $13 per person, including HST and delivery.

The finished chilled items, ready to unwrap and serve. On the left are our signature fresh spring rolls with sweet chili dip, and on the right are our new smoked salmon lollipops

Close up of the smoked salmon lollipops, new for Holiday 2011. The sticks are included to complete the authentic lollipop experience.

The items that need to be served hot are delivered in recyclable aluminum foil trays, ready to unwrap and toss in the oven. Items like the pork skewers pictures above are marinated and raw, and need to be cooked in your oven before serving, while other items (like the pulled pork tarts picture below) are fully cooked and just need to be heated through.

The finished order, exactly as you would receive it. We re-use and recycle whenever we can (we go through a lot of boxes!) so your order will be packed into a box for easy delivery. All of the sauces, glazes, and dips will be included with your order. Depending on which items you select, some things require some light assembly.

Annual holiday Cookie Party open house

2011-12-03T15:42:00.001-05:00

Nothing says Christmas like hot chocolate and freshly baked cookies, and each year we look forward to kicking off December with the perfect mix of these holiday favourites. We prepared dozens of cookies, along with comforting hot beverages for 150 guests for the annual holiday open house at Heffner Lexus Toyota.

Display table for the Yule log cake

Traditional Yule log - we fill ours with freshly whipped cream and cover it with chocolate ganache. It tastes as good as it looks!

The "bar", featuring hot chocolate, apple cider, coffee, tea, cappuccino, and Perrier

Just a few of the many cookies and treats we created for the open house. Rum balls and mincemeat tarts are always a hit.

Catherine is ready for her first guests at the chocolate fountain and candy buffet

Christmas candies to nibble on during the reception

Pretty decor throughout the sales building to welcome guests and get everyone in the mood for Christmas. We especially love the traditional carolers each year.

Gingerbread boys and girls

The display Yule cake sits on the station, while we slice from larger "slabs" for the 150 guests

The wreath raffle, with wreaths donated from local business. Our donation is sitting on the table

Our gingerbread wreath, which we previously blogged about here

The finished candy buffet and chocolate fountain station

Christmas cookies are a tradition at Select Service

2011-12-03T15:33:00.001-05:00

We love Christmas. We especially love all the food at Christmas, and all the tastes and treats you only get once a year. Christmas cookies are a big deal at Select Service - we make them from scratch, and we feature them all season long on our dessert trays. With our store front shop The Hungry Olive, you can pick up cookie dough to bake your own (without the work!), or order a few dozen cookies to save yourself some time. We also cater a holiday open house every December which features festive cookies - we've been busy in the kitchen this week making doughs and baking cookies to get ready.

Gingerbread boys and girls, freshly iced and drying before being packed up for the party

Black pepper cookies on the left, and our signature cardamom orange sugar cookies on the right

Holiday gingerbread wreath donation

2011-12-03T15:26:00.001-05:00

The holidays are here in full force at Select Service! Select caters an annual holiday open house for Heffner Lexus Toyota, and when they asked us to donate a wreath for their raffle, we jumped at the chance to put together our own take on a festive wreath. Chef Kelvin created a wreath from gingerbread, which can hang on your door just like any other wreath (although we suggest keeping it inside, since it is entirely edible and birds like gingerbread too!).

October wedding at Hauser Hall with a family style menu

2011-10-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Denise and Matt! "Chapel of Love" was on the radio at work on the morning of your wedding day, and it was a perfect day. We loved the deep red accents - the bridesmaids' dresses, centrepieces, and the napkins - a simple way to make this beautiful space your own for the day.

Denise and Matt chose a family-style meal for their wedding, with platters brought to the table for guests to serve themselves. This is a great choice to keep the wedding meal casual and intimate, but the tablescape needs to be planned carefully to allow for enough space.

The finished dining room set-up at Hauser Hall

We set the dinner and salad plates at each place to keep service flowing during the meal. With a family style meal, all courses are brought out to the tables on platters to share, and this little detail meant we didn't need to slow down the meal by bringing plates out for each course first. Plus, the red napkins really pop on the white background.

We love all of the useful little decor details at Hauser, like the shelves downstairs - perfect for showing off your personal photos or finding a temporary home for the cream and sugar sets until dessert!

The wedding cupcakes, to be served as dessert, from The CakeBox

The cake topped was handmade by a friend (and perched very carefully atop the cupcake tower!)

Personalized wine bottle labels, love it!

Co-op student Tasha starts plating for the salad course. We used a divided platter so the salad toppings could be left for guests to add a little or a lot.

The fabulous serving team for the wedding, thank you for all your hard work ladies and gentlemen!

Chef Kelvin is behind the scenes at every wedding we cater, and here she is slicing the Saltimbocca chicken for each table.

The guests are coming downstairs, and the our team begins serving bread to the room. With a limited amount of space on the tables at Hauser Hall, we served bread instead of placing bread baskets at each table.

Gingerbread Oktoberfest heart

2011-10-18T21:17:00.000-04:00

Gingerbread heart "Oktoberfest style", made to perfection and donated to the Parent Association of the German Language School of Kitchener as a thank you to their guest speaker who enlightened the students with his presentation "Oktoberfest - Past and Present". Our co-op student from Conestoga College made and designed the cookie during her last week of co-op placement. Thank you Tasha, and good luck with your classes this semester!

Select Service and Chef Kelvin nominated for the 2011 Cambridge Times Readers' Choice Awards!

2011-09-21T15:09:00.002-04:00

The nominations are in and Select Service Caterers and Chef Kelvin are up again this year for bragging rights to the best of the best in Cambridge. Select Service has been nominated for Best Catering Company, and Chef Kelvin has been nominated for Best People -Best Chef. Voting starts tonight at midnight and runs until October 2nd at midnight. Registering to vote just requires an email address and a few minutes - register and vote here at the Cambridge Times Readers' Choice site, and watch for the winners announcements later in October.

Don't forget to vote!

KidsAbility thank you reception at Rainbow Lake

2011-09-21T15:03:00.004-04:00

A perfect day for an outdoor event, on Sunday September 11, 2011 Select Service donated their time for a thank you reception for KidsAbility. Guests were invited to browse about a dozen local restaurants and vendors who had prepared one-bite items for the reception. Select prepared a cube of watermelon with balsamic orange reduction and pistachios - a twist on a classic fruit skewer.

Modern station buffet wedding at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery

2011-09-21T14:54:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Philip and Iain! Their September 10, 2011 wedding reception was intimate with a small group of 60 guests at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. Taking advantage of the contemporary decor, Philip and Iain chose an art deco theme for their wedding, with bright popping red as an accent colour to the sleek modern space.

The menu featured three food stations - salads, pasta/potato, and meat. We prefer to break up a buffet whenever possible to avoid the dreaded buffet line at weddings. Guests are free to start at any station they like, and the evening takes on a more relaxed and casual feel.

Guests find their seats and wait for the grand entrance of the wedding couple

Josie greets guests as they arrive to the Gallery from the nearby Grist Mill where the ceremony was held. The welcome table featured a light and refreshing non-alcoholic strawberry "champagne" punch

The head table - we love weddings at the Gallery, no need to decorate, the exhibits take care of it for you!

Imogen working on salads for the buffet stations.

The salad station set-up. We used a round table to allow guests to access the platters from all sides

The potato and pasta station, featuring individual scalloped potatoes, rosemary and garlic roasted baby potatoes, and finished-in-front-of-you rotini pasta with tomato and grilled vegetable sauce

The meat station, featuring ricotta and sage stuffed chicken breast in a white wine sauce and Wellesley apple butter glazed pork tenderloin.

What a wedding! Jessica and Mark's Sunday brunch

2011-07-14T13:54:00.004-04:00

The final day for Jessica and Mark's wedding weekend was a relaxing close to the festivities, with a traditional Sunday brunch for close family and friends. The brunch featured a French toast bar, omelet bar, breakfast pastries, and coffee, tea, and cappuccinos. After the brunch, guests stayed around during the afternoon to swim in the pond.

A quick change of linens from Saturday's wedding, and the dining room takes on a whole new look

The beautiful flowers featured over the weekend were from CWD Flowers, and were presented in white milk jugs that the bride had collected over the last year

The favour baskets were a nice touch provided by the bride's family, featuring items from local companies, including the Baden Coffee Company, and Wellesley apple butter

What a wedding! Jessica and Mark's big day, an upscale country tent wedding for 175 guests

2011-07-14T13:11:00.009-04:00

The big day has arrived! After more than a year of planning, countless back and forth emails, and lining up all of the details, it's here, and we're ready to 'wow'!

The wedding day started early for our team, setting tables and getting everything into place, and for guests, the day started in the early afternoon with a 2:30 ceremony, followed by a reception at the pond, and dinner at 6:30. 175 guests enjoyed food, drink, and sharing Jess and Mark's day at the farm.

Select's AMAZING set-up team, putting all of the little touches together in the dining room

The finished guest tables

The ceremony chairs were set-up down at the house, in the same spot as last night's Rehearsal Dinner. After the ceremony, Select's team moved the chairs up the hill to the tent to be used during dinner

A horse and carriage brought the bride and groom to the ceremony site, and then gave rides to guests during the reception

Select's lovely ladies ("cigarette girls") were ready and waiting inside the house during the ceremony with trays of afternoon treats

Each tray featured candy apples from Martin's Family Fruit Farm, candied with love by Brittles N' More in Waterloo, small two-bite bags of pink cotton candy, and bags of buttered popcorn, available in little boxes or big bags for sharing

After the ceremony, guests were directed to move toward the pond for an afternoon of refreshments and entertainment while the bride and groom had pictures done around the property

The lemonade stand, ready to greet guests as they came over to the pond after the ceremony. A large galvanized steel trough was filled with bottled water and ice for guests to help themselves to. A caricature artist and magician kept guests entertained during the afternoon by the lemonade stand

Steph and Kate are busy pouring drinks for thirsty guests - we featured a refreshing unsweetened iced tea and pink mint lemonade, served in mason jar mugs

The formal entrance to the tent, with courtyard seating available for later in the evening when the sun died down

The bride's display table of pictures and special pieces.

The food stations are prepped and waiting for guests to move up to the tent for dinner

Renate and Grant are ready for their first guests at one of the two mocktail bars. Jessica and Mark each had a signature drink of their own, along with three other juice-based refreshing concoctions. Each drink featured fresh fruit or candy as a garnish

The sweetheart table, ready for the bride and groom

The barbecue station is up and running, featuring striploin steak, cedar planked salmon, balsamic marinated vegetable skewers, chicken skewers, and half cobs of corn

Josh is busy keeping with demand alongside the barbecue station, but he's having a great time

The refreshing salad station, featuring a wide assortment of options for guests to try a little of this and that

The pasta station was a big hit, with three different sauces to choose from, and a great assortment of add-ins to customize your dish

The candy buffet, provided by the bride. Each guest filled a small mason jar with their chosen candies to take home and enjoy

Kelli keeps a watchful eye over the dessert station during speeches. The cupcakes and cookie pops were provided by The CakeBox

Some of the cookie pops featured Jessica and Mark's wedding logo, provided by The CakeBox

Select rounded out the dessert selection with a wide variety of pink and white finger desserts, including miniature cheesecakes in lots of different flavours, Bakewell tarts, coconut ice, cheesecake pops, and domino cookies

Later on in the evening, Select passed around little trays of miniature diner foods, featuring onion rings, shoestring fries, mini hamburgers, and mini hot dogs (with ketchup of course!)

What a wedding! Friday set-up and rehearsal dinner for Jess and Mark's outdoor country tent wedding

2011-07-14T12:43:00.008-04:00

What a wedding! And we mean it! Select Service catered the biggest and most involved wedding we've ever taken on over three days on July 8, 9, and 10, 2011. Congratulations to Jessica and Mark who are now away enjoying their honeymoon! Our whole team loved this wedding from start to finish, and it was a lot of work to bring it all together.

You may remember this property from last year's post from the Outdoor Engagement Party, where we catered a casual dinner reception for close family and friends exactly a year ago.

Select's team rolled up to the bride's family farm on Friday July 8 to spend the afternoon doing the rough set for all of the tent pieces, including guest tables, display tables, and some decoration pieces. With any outdoor event, you shouldn't cover your tables with linens the day before, because they will get damp overnight and all of the little creatures and critters that live outdoors love to climb up damp tablecloths. The main tent was set up to seat 175 guests, with four market style food stations, two bars, a large dance floor, and some other display tables.

The first thing we saw as we drove up to the tent was the impressive courtyard the bride and groom created to encourage guests to use the beautiful outdoor space as well as the tent space.

Looking out from the tent toward the pond, where reception on Saturday will take place

This is how every event starts when Select arrives - rental companies deliver the items and it's up to us to turn the space into a dining room

Done for the afternoon, this is how we're leaving the tent until Saturday morning when we can dress and finish all the tables

The tents, tables, and chairs were all arranged through Burke's Tent Rentals, we loved the little touches inside the tent that made you forget you were outside, like these pretty lanterns on each tent pole

The menu chalkboards for each food station and the bars, provided by the bride

Moving down to the house for the rehearsal dinner, we set up five high bar tables with black stretch covers for a sophisticated stand up reception for 24 guests. The bride provided pink tulle to wrap around the tables and bring her wedding colours into the space

The simple bar set-up on the patio, ready for guests to grab something cold to drink

Jessica and Mark's wedding cocktail napkins, featuring their wedding logo

The guests have arrived, and the bride's rehearsal dinner outfit perfectly matches her tables

While the guests enjoyed the passed hors d'oeuvres on the patio, Select's team was busy inside getting some of the details for Saturday ready, including filling the bride's glass jars with candy for the candy buffet

A quick clean-up and pack-up, and our team was heading home to get some rest before coming back the next morning and getting ready for the big day.

June backyard wedding with Select's shrimp boat display

2011-07-10T22:50:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Alex and James! On June 25th, they celebrated their recent marriage with friends and family at the bride's childhood home. Guests were entertained with food and drink while the happy couple had the chance to mingle and chat with everyone. Stand-up receptions are a great way to use the space you have available to accommodate a large number of people - this backyard wedding hosted 140 guests, with plenty of room for everyone.

The menu featured a selection of passed hors d'oeuvres, a perfect way to bring in your favourite flavours and foods while offering guests a variety of items.

The feature of the evening, Select's signature shrimp boat. The boat before guests arrive.

All aboard the shrimp boat!

Great Local Chef-Off 2011

2011-06-27T10:15:00.004-04:00

Select Service was thrilled to be invited to be involved with the Great Local Chef-Off 2011, benefiting the Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre . Chef Kelvin donated her time and one-bite hors d'oeuvres to pass to guests during the afternoon reception on Sunday June 26, before the competition began. Food Network celebrity Chef Michael Smith was overseeing the event, which featured friendly competition between some of the area's chefs.

Select's signature fresh spring rolls with sweet chili dip

The finished canapes - bite-sized cubes of watermelon with blood orange balsamic reduction and pistachios

Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival 2011

2011-06-20T13:57:00.002-04:00

Select Service has just signed on to be the coffee and tea vendor for the 2011 Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival, running this year from Friday July 15 to Sunday July 17. We will be at the main stage area all weekend, selling coffee and bags of whole bean coffee. Our fabulous coffee is supplied by the Waterloo Coffee Company, where it is freshly roasted each week. All of their coffee is Fair Trade certified and organic, and it's the best coffee we've ever tasted. We're looking forward to being involved with this local event!

June tent wedding with a pig roast buffet menu

2011-06-20T11:36:00.005-04:00

Congratulations Sandra and Wally! Their June 18, 2011 wedding was the kick start to the summer tent wedding season, and we couldn't have asked for better weather. The ceremony and reception took place at the family cottage on Conestogo Lake.

The menu for their wedding featured our wildly popular barbecue buffet menu, modified to suit the couples' tastes. A classic pig roast, provided by the Roller Roasters of Waterloo was the real hit of the menu, and Select provided the rest of the meal, including lots of salads, chicken skewers, and potatoes.

The rough tent set-up, with everything in place, waiting for decoration. When we first arrived, all of the tables and chairs were stacked in one big pile on the dance floor. We take care of moving everything into place and making it just right

The cottage, right on the lake. We worked from inside the cottage and under the porch, barbecuing on-site and preparing all of the salads

Our bartenders are getting everything ready before guests arrive

Traditional whole pig roast, provided by the Roller Roasters. They started roasting the pig at midnight on the day of the wedding, pig roasting is a true specialized art.

Simon takes care of grilling the chicken skewers to accompany the pig roast on the buffet

Private canape class held at our commissary kitchen

2011-06-13T13:31:00.005-04:00

On Sunday June 12, Select played host to a small group of couples for a private canape class at our kitchen. This session for 6 people was offered as a silent auction prize at last year's Taste Local! Taste Fresh! event.

We started our afternoon with a quick tour of Select's shiny new facility, including our expansion into the lower level of our building for increased storage for our props, rental items, and decor. If you've never been inside a catering company's commissary, it's quite a sight!

This class would easily translate into a party at your home, and we supply all ingredients and tools, as well as all the clean-up. For more information about this style of interactive event, call our office or send us an email - 519-650-4777 or info@selectservice.ca

Each couple was presented with a booklet of the recipes we made during the session, to try out their new culinary skills at home.

The stations for our guests to work at

Complete with a Select Service apron

Chef Kelvin prepares the last few ingredients before our guests arrive for the class. We kept the workload light and easy, with everything pre-made and pre-sliced, ready for canape production

Small bowls for each station, with everything they need within reach

The first ambitious students dive right in to making our signature fresh spring rolls

Chef Kelvin make fresh Asian inspired crepes for the chicken parcel canapes coming up later in the class

Phyllo pastry is a great option for canapes - quick and easy, and readily available in the freezer section at the grocery store. We showed our students a few different ways to present phyllo items

Phyllo cups are a great canape option for either warm items or chilled salads. These larger muffin-cup sized shells would be perfect topper for a salad at your next dinner party. Simply fill with a warm or chilled mix and serve

Easy tart shells to make at home - cut out tortillas and bake until crisp. Brush with a flavoured oil for a little extra flavour

The finished Asian chicken crepe bundles and fresh spring rolls, ready to eat

The best part of the class is eating everything you've created at the end!

No meal would be complete with dessert. We had our students roll pepper and grains of Paradise chocolate truffles in coconut, cocoa powder, and chopped maple pepper pecans

All packed and ready to head home with their treats, our guests all left with a box of their homemade truffles.

Annual corporate dinner at the Kitchener City Hall Rotunda

2011-06-13T13:17:00.002-04:00

On Thursday May 26, 2011 Select Service catered an annual corporate dinner at the Kitchener City Hall Rotunda for 84 guests. The Rotunda is a great space for a dinner or wedding, and different areas of the building can be used to create defined spaces for reception, dinner, and dancing.

Tables and chairs set up for our team to finish with place settings.

Imogen diligently folds each napkin hours before guests arrive.

The finished room set-up

The centrepieces are from A Dutch Mill Flower Shop in Waterloo

Chef Kelvin plates the first course salad behind the scenes.

The finished salad plate - Select's custom blend of mixed greens with orange segments and olive, finished with crumbled feta and red onion. We opted to present the dressing on the side in individual shot glasses for each guest. Guests can choose how much or how little to add to their plate.

You've probably had a duo entree at a wedding or event before, so why not a trio entree? Chef Kelvin created this trio plate to offer maximum choice for each guest without the added stress of collecting meal choices through RSVPs. From left to right, the plate features venison osso bucco over pureed sweet potato with onion done three ways, quail over garlic mashed potato, and herb crusted arctic char over pureed Peruvian purple potatoes.

Spring wedding at Hauser Hall

2011-05-07T18:01:00.005-04:00

Congratulations Dana and Kyle! Their April 30, 2011 wedding was beautiful, and we especially loved the bride's attention to detail with her coordinating signage and labels.

The first step creating our signature Deconstructed Caesar salad: a crisp parmesan basket.

The salad plates are lined up and ready to be finished. This salad features a parmesan cheese basket, crispy disk of pancetta, a tangy house-made Caesar dressing, and Grain Harvest croutons. A great twist on a classic salad!

This picture is courtesy of Anne Edgar Photography, who were Dana and Kyle's wedding photographers. They were kind enough to snap a shot of the entree plate - grilled chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and sun dried tomato, with a tarragon cream sauce, served with a knot of long beans and roasted baby potatoes.

The dream team! We are so grateful to our amazing team of staff who make our weddings happen. We cannot do it without you, thank you for all of your hard work!

A family sweet table, provided by the families of the bride and groom. The couple provided take-away boxes for guests to fill with desserts for the ride home.

Another great idea: to-go cups of coffee for the end of the night. The bride personalized these cups with paper sleeves to match the rest of her favour boxes and paper details.

Breakfast at Tiffany's themed table at fundraiser gala

2011-03-25T13:36:00.005-04:00

On Thursday March 24, Select's team donated their time and hand crafted miniature desserts and hors d'oeuvres for the More Than Just Desserts event to benefit the Arthritis Society of Kitchener. We were inspired to create a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" themed table, featuring a trio of desserts and savoury canapes.

On the savoury side, all of the hors d'oeuvres featured miniature pancakes with different toppings. The sweets really stole the show, with tuxedo-attired cake pops (wouldn't these be perfect for a wedding late night or sweets table?), French macarons, and classic petit fours.

Wild and white rice pancakes with herbed cream cheese and green onion

Smoked salmon and sour cream on dill pancakes

Our very popular corn pancake with herbed goat cheese and oven dried tomato. You may recognize these from our Taste Local! Taste Fresh! 2010 appearance - they were such a hit we've been doing them for all kinds of events ever since

Classic petit fours - layers of pound cake and jam with marzipan, enrobed in fondant icing. We dressed them up to look like Tiffany jewelry boxes

The hit of the night, our tuxedo cake pops. We originally found these in Cake Pops by Bakerella, which were presented alongside Bride cake pops. We dressed up our pops for the gala, but this would be a great addition to any wedding sweet table or as a favour

Snow day desserts

2011-03-23T12:04:00.003-04:00

Winter has come back with a vengeance today, but we're not taking a snow day - we're inside churning out desserts for tomorrow's More Than Just Desserts gala to benefit the Arthritis Society of Kitchener. The event is expecting to bring 250 people together to enjoy hors d'oeuvres and bite sized desserts from a variety of local restaurants and caterers.

We've chosen "Breakfast at Tiffany's" as a theme for our whole table.

Our tuxedo-attired lemon cake pops are all dressed up with nowhere to go today. Tomorrow they'll be featured front and centre in our display, to add a touch of glamour to our table.

In keeping with the success from last week's French macaron experiment, we've done it again with a bright Tiffany blue for the upcoming gala. With 250 people expected, we've got a few more sweets and treats in store, so it's back to the kitchen to take advantage of the quiet day.

Earth Fire and Light Gala showcases the best caterers in KW

2011-03-21T11:17:00.004-04:00

Chef Kelvin and Victoria donated their time on Saturday March 19, 2011 to the Earth Fire and Light Gala at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo, to provide hors d'oeuvres for the fundraiser. Along with the top caterers and restaurants from the Kitchener-Waterloo area, we created a themed selection of one-bite canapes - our selection included mini tacos filled with a Thai chicken salad, sesame cones with brunoise vegetables in a sesame dressing, and French macarons in four tempting flavours.

French macaron mass production

2011-03-18T19:33:00.004-04:00

Our kitchen has been busy creating rows and rows of delicate little French macarons for an upcoming fundraiser event, the Earth Fire and Light Gala at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. These crisp cookies gave us some trouble in the beginning, the cookies you see here were our fourth attempt to nail down the recipe.

We had a lot of fun mixing and matching flavours and colours with these cookies. They are great to coordinate with a party theme or colours, or even your favourite flavours. We chose peach and raspberry filling (pink cookies), saffron with chocolate ganache (yellow cookie), cassis with cassis jam (violet cookies), and almond with amaretto filling (green cookies). We used a meringue-based buttercream icing for the filling on our cookies, with offers a rich creamy centre for the melt-in-your-mouth cookies.

Jess and Mark's wedding tasting

2011-03-13T12:05:00.004-04:00

Jessica and Mark and their family sat down with us on March 12 for a tasting of their wedding meal. Last year, we catered their country-themed engagement party at their family home. Their wedding is coming up on July 9, 2011, and we brought the experience of the buffet and stations planned for the wedding into our tasting.

The tasting menu, featuring only a handful of the many items to be featured over three days for their rehearsal, wedding reception, and brunch, including passed canapes, a market station style buffet, and finger dessert selection

A table set for six in the Hungry Olive shop. We brought in flowers, vases, and other decorative details that time into the country-chic theme of the farm wedding

The buffet station table, before we filled the dishes. At the wedding, guests will wander between four different stations over a longer dinner time, allowing for a much more relaxed wedding meal. Our tasting menu included the salad station, and the meat and pasta station. Chef Kelvin tossed the pasta to order with guests' choice of add-ins

For the July wedding, the bride and groom wanted to bring a touch of their personality to the drink selection. The bar will feature a selection of 5 fruity and refreshing mocktails with candy garnishes. To give them a taste of what's to come, we offered the Next Generation Ginger Soda and Virgin Bellini along with the tasting meal

The bar was set up in the Hungry Olive shop, to give our guests a sense of what their guests will experience at the wedding

The Hungry Olive is now on Twitter

2011-02-03T12:38:00.003-05:00

You can now follow the Hungry Olive on Twitter for daily updates about our hot lunch special and soup of the day. The Hungry Olive is our storefront take-out shop located in the Cambridge Business Park area of Cambridge. Updates about the happenings with Select Service will sneak in now and then, follow us! @HungryOlive

Select Service to participate in More Than Just Desserts on March 24

2011-02-02T14:39:00.002-05:00

Select Service has signed on to participate in the More Than Just Desserts fundraiser evening to benefit the Arthritis Society of Kitchener Waterloo. This is the second time Select will be present at this event, and we will be serving up hors d'oeuvres and bite-sized desserts alongside some of the best restaurants and bakeries in the area. For this year's event, Chef Kelvin has created a Breakfast at Tiffany's themed selection of savoury and sweet items - you don't want to miss it!

The event is being held this year on Thursday March 24th, at Bingemans in Kitchener. Doors open at 5:30pm, and the event starts at 6:00pm.

We hope to see you there!

The Hungry Olive gets dressed up for the holiday season!

2010-11-16T11:49:00.003-05:00

The Hungry Olive is getting ready for the holiday season with jars and bags of your favourite items to take home. All of our jellies, jams, chutneys, and rubs are made in-house, and we offer only freshly roasted whole bean coffee from the Waterloo Coffee Company. We use many of the jams and jellies in our deli sandwiches or as spreads and dips for our signature canapes.

Items coming soon:

Spice and seasoning mixes
Grilling rubs and marinades
Wine jelly
Traditional Christmas cake
Themed gift baskets - coffee, culinary, and barbecue

Stop by the Hungry Olive at 35 Cherry Blossom Road in Cambridge to see our selection.

Souper Sampler in Cambridge

2010-10-28T13:23:00.003-04:00

On Saturday October 23, 2010, Select Service participated in the Mayor's Souper Sampler to benefit Meals on Wheels. Chef Kelvin prepared our signature smoked corn chowder, which won an honourable mention from the panel of judges. Thanks to the great support from the people of Cambridge, Souper Sampler raised almost $8,000 in support of Meals and Wheels and More.

See the article the Cambridge Times wrote about this event here
Pictured in the article picture are Victoria and Kelvin from Select Service, ladling out soup to guests.

Country rustic themed wedding at Buffalo Farm in Cambridge

2010-09-26T11:26:00.006-04:00

Congratulations Danielle and Dave! On Saturday September 25, 2010, Select Service catered their wedding and reception for about 200 guests at Buffalo Farm in Cambridge. Following the ceremony, guests were treated to signature lemonade cocktails in mason jars along with passed canapes. The cocktail hour featured a wine tasting table, cigar rolling station, and photo booth. Dinner was a food station buffet with braised short ribs, beef tenderloin, Saltimbocca chicken, risotto cakes, a made-to-order pasta station, and refreshing salads. Dessert included the couples' cupcakes (some available in gluten-free), as well as an assortment of individual pies, tarts, and turnovers. The late night tables were the real showstopper, featuring a retro candy buffet, sugar cereal bar, mini slider burgers, mini Pogos, KFC, freshly popped theatre style popcorn, caramel apples, and cotton candy. Rental items, linens, and tent were provided by Affair Rentals. A big thank you to Whitney from Bliss Events for her outstanding work as lead wedding planner.

The tables were set up communal-style, a nice change from traditional round tables

Each place setting included a copy of the full menu, so guests could look forward to the treats ahead

The centrepieces included baskets of apples (to feed the horses), and mason jars with red, yellow, and orange flowers

Two stuffed buffaloes framed the head table. Real buffalo could be seen out in the fields

Napkin rolls with custom-printed bands and a stalk of wheat complete the table setting

Our team gets ready for dinner by pouring wine and water for guests as they are seated. Pouring at the table ensures everyone is taken care of, and there are fewer opened and unfinished bottles than if bottles were placed the table

Pies and tarts set out on the dessert buffet station

Catherine attends the cupcake display to direct guests to their favourite flavour. The high heel shoes were gluten-free, and cowboy boats were the regular cupcakes

Tammy helps guests at the coffee and tea station. We kept it open all night to fuel the party, and provided to-go cups for guests to take a cup on the way home.

The full bar inside the barn (limited bars with beer and wine only were available inside the tent from two horse stalls. Regular and pink lemonade were available to mix with cocktails, and pretzels and curried nuts were provided at the bar for snacks in between drinks.

A photo booth was set up all night long for guests to take candid shots for the couple

The inside of the barn, where the ceremony and the dance were held. Chandeliers provided a touch of glamour to the rustic setting.

The late night sugar cereal bar, featuring Cap'n Crunch, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Alpha Bits, Reese Puffs, Lucky Charms, Corn Pops, and Sugar Crisp.

Colourful bowls and a milk dispenser completed the fun late night help-yourself

Late night retro candy buffet, complete with small cellophane bags for guests to fill and take home. In the background, you can see the favour table with boxes fill with house-made donut holes for the trip home.

The buffet featured Tootsie Pops, Flying Saucers, Wax Lips, Love Hearts, candy necklaces, Twizzlers, gum balls, Rockets, Fun Dips, and Lifesaver mints

The popcorn station, freshly popped in front of guests.

The candy floss station, with cones of cotton candy set up in mason jars for guests to take, alongside caramel apples.

Vote for us in the Cambridge Times Reader's Choice Awards!

2010-09-24T10:05:00.002-04:00

Select Service Caterers has been nominated for three categories in the Cambridge Time Readers Choice Awards for 2010! Register to vote for us HERE

We've been nominated in the following categories:

-Best Catering Company - Select Service Caterers of Fine Foods Inc.
-Best People - Chef - Kelvin Lewin
-Best Sandwiches - Local - The Hungry Olive

Thank you for your support! Voting is open from Friday September 24 until Sunday October 3.

August 28, 2010 wedding at Victoria Park Pavilion

2010-09-04T15:28:00.004-04:00

Congratulations Melissa and Nick! On August 28, 2010 they tied the knot at Victoria Park Pavilion with 98 of their friends and family. The room was decorated with refreshing citrus colours, a perfect backdrop for the late summer wedding. Chair covers and sashes were provided by Decorating Dreams.

The centrepieces tied in to the colour theme with lemons and limes

One of the passed canapes offered during the cocktail reception - our signature fresh spring rolls with sweet chili dip

Pink lemonade and classic iced tea were available for guests to help themselves

Katharina balances a tray of wine as she heads back out to the reception. As you can see from the salad plates behind her, the small kitchen space included at the Pavilion is no problem for Select Service - we make our own kitchen space in the hallway.

The guests are all seated for dinner - a choice of chicken or vegetarian was offered. Melissa made paper carrots to identify the vegetarians at each table - a different take on the traditional coloured sticker system, and very easy for our staff to get the right meal to the right person.

Catherine and Jonathan are ready at the bar.

A pie buffet was offered for dessert, featuring chocolate ganache, berry, strawberry rhubarb, apple streusal, pecan, and lemon.

Tammy attends the pie buffet to offer ice cream on the side. Coffee and tea were available for guests to take back to their table and fix up just the way they like it.

A traditional late night selection with cheese and fruit was brought out at 10:30.

Tammy creates cappuccinos to order alongside the cheese display for guests who were dancing the night away.

Stand-up Reception with Passed Canapes at Victoria Park Pavilion

2010-08-24T17:44:00.004-04:00

An elegant alternative to the traditional sit-down dinner for your wedding, stand-up receptions allow your guests to try a variety of flavours and tastes all in one meal. For a meal replacement (a reception held over the dinner hour), you'll want to choose 10-12 different types to offer your guests. You'll have fun choosing the best menu to serve at your event, we have more than 200 different canapes available, and we're always creating new ones. Our staff walk them around to all of your guests so no one is missed, and everything is served fresh from the oven, or is assembled on site at your event.

Joseph models the miniature pizzas with tomato, thyme, and Parmesan

Chicken satays with spicy peanut sauce are just about ready to go out

Cherry tomatoes stuffed with artichoke, basil, and garlic

A great space for a stand-up reception. We added high bar tables at one end to encourage guests to stand and mingle, and place a few tables and chairs at the other end for limited guest seating.

Our signature Premium Coffee and Tea Station, complete with rock candy demitasse sticks

Wedding brunch

2010-08-24T17:42:00.001-04:00

On Sunday August 22, we catered a relaxed day-after wedding brunch for about 60 guests. Held inside the host’s home, we set up a buffet table in the dining room with breakfast pastries, salads, sliced deli meats, and fresh fruit. In the kitchen, we created a live-action omelette bar accompanied with breakfast sausages, bacon, and home fries. A great way to wind down after the big day with your friends and family.

Taste Local! Taste Fresh!

2010-08-24T15:22:00.003-04:00

Join us on Sunday September 19 for the Taste Local! Taste Fresh! festival. Local restaurants are paired up with local food suppliers to create tempting 2-bite appetizers that showcase the amazing food available in our region. This is our third year supporting this great event, and this year we are paired up with Gillespie Garden, a farm store in Cambridge.

Tickets are still on sale for this event, but only 400 are available, and last year they were sold out. If you buy your tickets before August 31, they are $65, and they are $75 from September 1.

This year the event will be held at Riverside Meadows Park, in St Jacobs from 2-5. We hope to see you there!

Summer barbecue buffet at Hauser Hall

2010-08-15T11:06:00.003-04:00

Our popular barbecue buffet with chilled salads presented for 60 guests at Hauser Hall in August 2010. The buffet was set up to be double-sided to avoid the line-up that often happens with a traditional buffet. Our granite slab is used on the buffet in place of a traditional chaffing dish to keep the meats hot.

Janeth is busy getting everything ready for the meal. We cook on-site at every event, so we arrive in the afternoon to set up our kitchen space and start cooking before your guests arrive.

Erika and Imogen are ready for guests to enjoy the buffet.

"T" shaped buffet allows guests to serve themselves from both sides. Labels were included with every item, and our team attends the buffet to answer any questions.

Juicy strip loin, sesame and soya chicken skewers, cedar planked salmon, baby potato skewers, and grilled summer vegetable skewers.

Plating for dessert. The menu featured a buffet dinner and served dessert, classic strawberry shortcake.

Moroccan themed buffet

2010-08-15T11:00:00.003-04:00

A buffet dinner for 60 people held at the host's home, featuring a Moroccan themed menu. We roasted a Mechoui lamb roast on a spit during the afternoon, and the menu featured chicken with olives and preserved lemon, carrot and raisin salad, orange and date salad, exotic spiced cous cous salad, layered tomato and cucumber salad, and apple and quinoa salad.

Welcome to our new home

2010-08-15T10:36:00.005-04:00

Earlier this summer we held an open house at our new location to invite customers and friends so see our kitchen. Most customers had never seen our old location, but we can assure this is a big step up. Stop by any time for our tour, we'll be happy to show you around!

Our work space

The heart of our kitchen

The dish area

Our extensive prop department. We have an entire room dedicated to storing dishes, platters, baskets, and props to decorate buffets and pull together your theme

We've taken advantage of every available inch to store all of the items you might need for your next event.

TinkerBell Themed Birthday Cake

2010-07-29T15:03:00.005-04:00

A delightful cake completed by Victoria and Kelvin for a July birthday. We used pastillage (a sugar paste that dries rock hard) to create the butterflies and the large petals around the top cake. The green leaves are made out of our house-made chocolate fondant, tinted green, and embossed with a leaf imprint. The TinkerBell candle atop the cake was purchased at a cake supply store.

Cost Saving Tip of the Week #7

2010-07-29T14:53:00.002-04:00

Get all your rentals from the same place.

While it may be tempting to sort through rental company websites to pick and choose the best dishware styles and cutlery patterns to suit your event, you will rack up extra delivery charges. Rental companies often charge a flat delivery rate to transport your order to your venue or home (more if it's a Sunday or after hours), and having more than one rental company supplying to your event will add up. There is also the added stress of keeping track of the items that belong to Company A and what belongs to Company B to get it all back to them. If it's a particular chair you're after, or a style of tent, find the company that provides it, and get everything else you need from that company.

Outdoor country themed engagement party

2010-07-09T09:26:00.004-04:00

On Thursday July 8, Select Service catered an outdoor engagement party with a feminine country theme. Guests were greeted with a refreshing drink station with classic Southern iced tea (with optional flavoured syrups) and pink lemonade. The menu included barbecued steaks and chicken, as well as a buffet assortment of salads. Dessert featured finger desserts, including mini tarts, cheesecakes, squares, and cookies.

Cost Saving Tip of the Week #6

2010-06-22T09:42:00.002-04:00

Hire a professional.

As kind and considerate as it is for a friend to offer their services for your event, many jobs are better left to professionals who have the right tools, equipment, and experience to get the job done. Cooking in large quantity for groups is not something you should try out for the first time for your friend's wedding. Caterers are skilled at what we do, and our job is to make your wedding stress- and worry-free. Our facilities are health inspected regularly, we maintain proper temperature control from preparation to presentation, and we bring the right equipment to the event to cook everything on-site for maximum freshness and quality.

While hiring a professional may not save you money, it will save you your friendships, and you can sit back and enjoy your party.

Cost Saving Tip of the Week #5

2010-06-18T12:24:00.002-04:00

Contrary to popular belief, buffet or family style will not necessarily save you money.

When discussing your menu, your caterer will explain the finer points of the main categories of service styles - buffet, plated, family style, or stand-up. We come across many clients who lean toward buffet or family style simply because it has a reputation for being a less expensive choice. When you factor in all costs for your meal, including service, food, and rentals, the buffet will not be your inexpensive option if you are booking with a reputable caterer. A properly planned buffet will include enough food for everyone to have a little of everything. At Select, we allot enough food for everyone to have a generous portion, and to go back for seconds. Yes, this means there is more wasted food, but your other option is to run out of food, and no good caterer should ever run out of food.

The service/labour cost is the other half of the equation. While you can potentially save on the cost of service for a buffet, the food cost is higher and ultimately makes it the same cost as a plated menu, where the portions are controlled. In addition to the service cost considerations, a buffet also requires more rental items - the tables and linens for the buffet, chafing dishes, platters, decoration, and serving utensils. Consider all of your service options and the true cost of each before making your selection. If budget is a concern, talk with your caterer about ways to trim the budget without sacrificing on quality.

Cost Saving Tip of the Week #4

2010-05-17T10:59:00.002-04:00

Limit your guest count.

If you've decided that food is an important aspect of your event, you don't need to scale back on the food quality if you limit the number of guests attending your event. Every additional person at your event requires another meal, another place setting, another portion of a table and linen, another chair, etc. We recommend for weddings and other formal events that you budget $100.00 per guest to cover food, staff, and rentals. With a smaller guest count, you can go further with your budget and perhaps add in a special late night table, or passed hors d'oeuvres during the reception.

While cutting the guest list can be tricky, it is the fastest way to reduce your event costs and stay on budget.

Gala event held at the Centre in the Square

2010-05-12T19:30:00.001-04:00

On Saturday May 8, 2010, Select catered a sophisticated gala event on the stage at Centre in the Square fro 270 guests following a concert performance. The event featured passed canapés, cheese and fruit displays, wrap bites, and our premium coffee and tea station. Event decor and planning was completed by Straight Street Event Services.

Welcome to the Hungry Olive!

2010-05-07T12:58:00.002-04:00

We are now firmly settled in our storefront location at 35 Cherry Blossom Road in Cambridge. The Hungry Olive offers paninis, sandwiches, salads, freshly baked pastries, a daily hot meal and house-made soup, as well as drinks, coffee, and cappuccinos. Stop by to see our new place or come in for lunch!

Cost Saving Tip of the Week #3

2010-05-05T10:43:00.002-04:00

Limit the timeline of your event.

Have you considered a brunch, formal afternoon tea, or late evening stand-up reception? There are plenty of alternatives to a traditional sit down dinner that can save you money without compromising on quality. The longer our staff are on site at an event, the higher the staff cost will be. Weddings in particular can add up quickly if your ceremony is planned for the early afternoon and your dance goes until after midnight. Our staff arrive before any guests are on site to set up tables and chairs, and we remain on site until the party winds down so we can take care of putting everything away. Trimming your wedding timeline is one of the best ways to drastically cut your costs.

First wedding at the Lang Tannery

2010-05-02T11:32:00.001-04:00

On May 1, 2010, Select Service catered the very first wedding ever held at the Lang Tannery in Kitchener. Located at the corner of Charles and Victoria in Kitchener, the Tannery is being completely updated and renovated to include retail shops and an event space. The wedding featured food stations, passed canapes, and a martini bar with an ice luge. The ice luge was provided by Ice Culture Inc.

The three food stations took the guests around the world as they sampled items from a Norwegian themed table with a mashed potato bar and gravlax platter, a Mexican table with black bean and beef quesadillas, and an Indian food station with butter chicken, basmati rice, and dhal rissoles. The late night tables include a market stall station with freshly cut vegetables, cheeses, and sliced deli meats with breads and condiments, and a French inspired desserts and coffee station with profiteroles, petit four sec, petit four glace, biscotti, and chocolate covered strawberries.

Cost Saving Tip of the Week #2

2010-04-07T13:09:00.003-04:00

Decide on the most important features of your event, and budget around them.

If food is important to you, Select Service is your caterer. We cook everything on site at your event, and we never sacrifice on food quality. What is the most important part of your event to you? Is the food the focus? The party? The entertainment? Allocate your budget around the focus of your event and spend the money where it counts.

Although you may be quoted different prices for food, service, etc, in our experience, a wedding reception ends up being about $100 per guest, for food, service, and rentals, unless you are planning something truly extravagant. There are plenty of ways to trim your budget elsewhere, but when you hire the best, you are letting us know that you care about the food, the presentation, and the service of your event.

Select Service at More Than Just Desserts fundraiser for the Arthritis Society

2010-03-29T09:57:00.003-04:00

On Sunday March 28, 2010, Select Service participated in a fundraiser for the Arthritis Society called More Than Just Desserts. Along with five other restaurants, we served bite-size hors d'oeuvres and sweets to the attendees of the gala event.

Select's table features our own pulled pork in a Waterloo Dark beer and chipotle barbecue sauce served in miniature tart shells, and our signature chocolate fountain with fresh fruit and profiteroles. Our pulled pork was a big hit, and it was a close run for "Best hors d'oeuvre".

Event Cost Saving Tip of the Week #1

2010-03-19T11:39:00.002-04:00

Offer a signature drink.

Whether planning a wedding, or a simple dinner at home, offer a signature drink to limit the selection at the bar. The drink can be a simple non-alcoholic punch or a fun cocktail, and you can offer the drink all night long or as guests arrive. Your guests will drink what is offered to them; an event is no different than inviting friends to your home and offering what you have prepared. A fairly simple bar with beer, wine, soft drinks, and a signature drink will go a long way.

New location

2010-02-19T10:10:00.004-05:00

We are up and running in our new location at the corner of Cherry Blossom Road and Fountain Street in Cambridge. Our new kitchen is everything we've been looking for, and our building came with a beautiful storefront that we are putting to use.

Stop by the Hungry Olive Monday to Friday from 7-2 for house-baked pastries, coffee by the Waterloo Coffee Company, grilled to order paninis, soup of the day, and deli sandwiches.

We’re moving!

2010-01-11T16:35:00.001-05:00

Select Service is moving our operation to a new building starting in February. After almost 10 years on Park Street in Kitchener, we’re getting ready to say goodbye and move on to a purpose-built facility. We will remain at 109 Park Street until the end of this month, then we’ll take a few days to ourselves to get everything unpacked and organized. We’ll be back on line on February 8 at our new location at 35 Cherry Blossom Road, Unit 3, in Cambridge.

We’re also excited about a new venture for us – Select Service is opening a take out lunch shop called the Hungry Olive at our new location. Stop in and grab your freshly grilled panini to go, or pick up an oven-ready meal to take home for dinner.

Our contact information will remain the same, you can still reach us at 519-745-4597 or by email at info@selectservice.ca

Corporate Holiday party at the Kitchener City Hall Rotunda

2009-12-12T13:53:00.004-05:00

On December 11, we catered an annual corporate holiday party held at the Kitchener City Hall Rotunda. There were 130 guests, and the menu featured four station buffets. Breaking up the buffet cuts down on lines, and allows guests to wander around to the stations they are interested in. The beautiful linens were supplied by Posh Rentals.

View of the 17 round tables from above the Rotunda

The Steakhouse Carving station featuring ribeye and carved turkey with all the trimming

Kelvin and Neil set up the pasta stations. Three kinds of pasta and sauces were sauteed to order with a variety of add-ins to customize your dish.

The seafood station. Glass blocks frame the display for jumbo shrimp with dipping sauces

Sushi and maki were provided by Sakura Island in Waterloo

Mussels steamed to order and fresh oysters complete this chef-attended buffet station.

Select's signature chop salad buffet station. Crisp lettuce is chopped in front of you with tomato, cucumber and bacon bits, then tossed with a creamy dressing.

Client Appreciation at the Children's Museum in Kitchener

2009-11-16T19:35:00.003-05:00

On November 12, we transformed the Children's Museum in downtown Kitchener into an elegant dining room for an annual client appreciation dinner. The extra-large tables seated 10 guests and took this event out of the ordinary.

Linens were provided by Primrose rentals in Stratford.

50th Birthday Island Cake

2009-04-07T15:43:00.002-04:00

This is some kind of birthday present, a private island. What a lucky lady Deb.
This is a picture of the cake with the printed pictures of the island. The cake was made to resemble the island as much as possible with the recipient of the gift (Deb) fly fishing in the water.

The cake is not to scale but it is a good representation of what this lucky lady will be seeing when she gets to her private island.

Primrose Linens

2009-04-02T14:00:00.002-04:00

2009-03-28T22:15:00.002-04:00

We just got our linen swatch books!! What wonderful colours and fabrics we have available for all our events. Brocades, satins, gathered, pintucks and organza. Welcome to the world of wonderful textures and colour. Let your imaginations run wild.

2009-03-01T11:14:00.002-05:00

VEGAS!!
It is wonderful to be back even though it is just as cold as when I left. I attended "the largest gathering of catering professionals in the world". There are some exceptionally talented and sharing caterers out there and they brought it all to Las Vegas. I soaked up information like a sponge and over the next few weeks I will integrate ideas I have learned into your catering. I really look forward to sharing some of them with you.
Kelvin

Spanish-themed Wedding at Hauser Hall, October 2008

2008-10-19T16:18:00.010-04:00

Autumn wedding at Hauser Hall in early October for 100 guests. The menu was Spanish themed, and the couple decorated the dining room downstairs.

Katherina in the kitchen slicing limes for the bar

The garnish trays for the crispy potato wedges below

Teaming up with local farmers for Taste Local! Taste Fresh!

2008-09-21T14:39:00.002-04:00

Working with Our Country Garden's fresh berries and Hergott's Cider Mill's award winning honey, we created a sample plate of crepes filled with berry compote scented with orange.

The Taste Local! Taste Fresh! event was held in Victoria Park in Kitchener

Corporate function held in a barn

2008-09-21T14:24:00.004-04:00

Our popular summer grill and salad menu featuring striploin steaks, cedar planked salmon, and an assortment of seasonal salads. Buffet decor by Select Service.

Luau Wedding

2008-09-17T15:35:00.002-04:00

Buffet decor by Select Service. Wedding held at a community centre near Kitchener, Ontario.

The bride was married in the islands and wanted an island-themed reception for her guests at home.

Cakes!

2008-09-10T11:22:00.000-04:00

Cakes created by Kelvin:

Cakes created by Victoria:

Wedding at Victoria Park Pavilion, September 2008

2008-09-10T10:49:00.001-04:00

Decor by Hollywood Weddings

Wedding at Jakobstettel Inn in St. Jacobs

2008-09-10T10:44:00.000-04:00

A small wedding for 40 guests with a sit-down dinner on the front porch.