~CONTENT POWERED BY HOLLY SEED~
Judy Fuller, owner and operator of Kiwi Katering, never serves carrots when she caters. Why? Because she isn’t your average caterer. Judy is on a mission, and that mission is to give Sheridan a taste of something more exciting than pulled pork and potato salad.
Judy’s been cooking and baking as far back as she can remember. Growing up in New Zealand (hence the ‘Kiwi’ in ‘Kiwi Katering) her mother was her first influence in the fine art of making delicious food. Her formal training in the food business began when she started working at a flourmill turned high-end restaurant. There, she learned her craft in not only preparing food, but also in the importance of customer service.
Fast forward to fall of 2014. Judy transitions from using on site locations for her catering business to establishing a home base on Main Street. Sheridan Brand had the chance to sit down with Judy and ask her about her new location.
Not only does Judy not conform to the usual western catering ways, she also doesn’t conform to so-called “normal” business methods practiced by most caterers. Instead of having a set-in-place menu and a list price, Judy works with her customers to build a custom menu that fits within their budget. From there, she works with her highly talented staff to follow through with an interesting and delicious catered meal. An average catered event in the area would serve sliced meat, buns, chips and salsa, carrots and celery, and brownies. An example of a menu that Judy has created for a recent customer is a French platter with smoked salmon, a varied assortment of cheeses, and mousse pate for dessert. She says she doesn’t serve carrots because, “Serving carrots is such an easy out.” If Judy is catering an event, you can expect to see more sophisticated appetizers than carrots and celery.
When describing Kiwi Katering, the word ‘diverse’ comes to mind. Judy talked about the varied backgrounds of her staff. Besides Judy herself being from New Zealand, members of her staff come from places such as England, Ireland, Ghana, and Uzbekistan. One thing that Judy stressed was the importance of treating her staff well. She quoted Richard Branson, “Train people well enough so that they can leave; treat them well enough so that they don’t want to.” One way Judy treats her staff this well is by passing onto them any tips that Kiwi Katering is given. Unlike most caterers, Judy doesn’t charge a tip on top of her catering fees, but if a customer insists on giving her one anyway, she makes sure to hand the tip directly to her employees.
So far Judy’s hard work and unique philosophy have proven almost as fruitful as these chocolate covered strawberries shown below.
The picture above was taken at the new Carlton Real Estate office across the street from Kiwi Katering on North Main. Judy did such a fantastic job that Margaret Carlton gave us these pictures for our article with this quote: “We can’t thank Judy enough for the talent and effort she poured into our successful Open House ribbon cutting event. The food was delicious and the presentation was fabulous.” Below are some more pictures from Carlton Real Estate’s Open House.
Now with her new location right on Main Street, Judy looks to expand her clientele by sharing her love for culinary excellence in taste and presentation. We here at Sheridan Brand can’t wait to see what Judy comes up with next.
*Lord of the Rings from… New Zealand
*First commercial bungee jumping from… New Zealand
*First person to climb Mt. Everest from… New Zealand
*Owner of Kiwi Katering originally from… New Zealand (Not Australia)
