Best Display award at More Than Just Desserts benefiting the Arthritis Society of Kitchener

On Thursday March 22, 2012, Select's team competed once again for Best Dessert and Best Hors D'oeuvre at the annual More Than Just Desserts event benefiting the Arthritis Society of Kitchener.  Chef Kelvin and Victoria donated their time and some delicious little treats to this event, to compete with local restaurants and caterers.  New to this year's competition was an award for Best Display, and we brought out all the big guns to create our Summer Garden Party themed table.  The weeks of design planning and crafting paid off, we won for Best Display!

We had about an hour before guests arrived to create the table, here is the display finished and waiting for the food to complete the look.  The food items were a big part of our display, but the "bones" of the display still look fresh and summer-y 

 The bunting banner in front of the table was created by Victoria, as seen in many outdoor and casual themed weddings lately.  DIY touches bring everything together and keep the display looking relaxed.  

Chef Kelvin starts putting together the first food items for display 

We love the lemons, wouldn't this be perfect under a lemonade and iced tea table at an outdoor reception? 

The finished display with hors d'oeuvres and mini desserts.  Our hors d'oeuvres were grilled zucchini wrapped around cherry tomatoes stuffed with tarragon reduction goat cheese.

The official debut of our miniature shot glass desserts!   From left to right: Mississippi Mud Pie, Mango and Raspberry Mousse Parfait, and Lemon "Meringue" Pie.  Tiny spoons are available to the left of the desserts, so you can savour every bite!

 

  

 

Thank you to everyone who came out to support this great cause!  We'll be back next year to defend our title!

Corporate open house reception at the office

Fancy new office on the third floor?  Check.  Sleek and modern furniture?  Check.  Open house fast approaching, but who can cater without a real kitchen?  No problem, we've got you covered!  We bring it all with us, including portable convection ovens so your hors d'oeuvres are served hot from the oven, and all we need is a space to work in with power and water.  Last month we catered the open house celebration for Electronic Arts in downtown Kitchener (working out of one of their meeting rooms called "Paradigm Shift") for about 60 guests.  Guests popped in and out at their leisure, and we set out snacks throughout the office for guests to discover as they wandered the new space.  Once most guests had arrived, we passed a selection of hot hors d'oeuvres.

 

Parmesan shortbread with Chevre pecan dip, set out as a welcoming snack on the reception desk

Stephanie sets up on the bar on an unoccupied workstation - no need to bring in clumsy portable bars, any space can be used. 

High bar tables with contemporary stretch black covers were brought in to space around the office, offering a place to set down your glass while you help yourself to a stuffed cherry tomato.

A cheese and fruit display board with crackers, set out on a workstation desk

An assortment of crisp flatbreads with our lime chutney hummus

Recent cake creations

Celebrations cakes don't need to come from the grocery store or your local wholesale club - try your local caterer for a cake made from scratch!  Last month we created several cakes for one of our corporate clients, wouldn't you love to be in the office for all of these birthdays and celebrations?  All cakes were created from scratch by Chef Kelvin.

Chocolate cake with our "Mars bar" icing and finished with chocolate curls

Beautiful spring-themed birthday cake 

 

Valentine's thank-you cake

Focus on corporate lunch platters

The first few months of the year after the holidays are traditionally slow in the hospitality industry, and caterers are no exception.  While we're resting up from a busy two months at Christmas, we're also refocusing on our day-to-day catering, like all of the pretty platters we make for our corporate clients.  These are some of our favourite platters - they're bright and colourful, or just plain tasty.

Our latest addition to the corporate sandwich platter line-up: The Make Your Own Sandwich Platter.  This arrangement features sliced beef, ham, and smoked turkey with cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses, along with an assortment of breads and condiments.  Perfect for a casual lunch office meeting, or a brunch reception at your home.

A real staff and customer favourite, our Traditional Sandwich Platter is sure to please any crowd.  Cocktail-sized pieces are perfect for afternoon stand-up receptions, or a working meeting.  

 Featuring beef and horseradish, tuna salad, ham and Swiss, Brie and red pepper jelly on open-faced baguette, and egg salad croissants.

Our Vegetarian Antipasto Platter.  Forget the salty deli meats, this platter packs in tons of flavour without all the nitrates.  Pairs perfectly with breads and crispy flatbread.