If you’re anything like us, your weekly schedule is packed! Living in the city means daily hustle and bustle and a somewhat topsy-turvy existence. Often exhilarating, sometimes exhausting, never dull! While it all may seem somewhat hectic, we still love to celebrate our friends and family and the important and momentous moments in our lives....
A great aspect of having a winter wedding is that it’s not peak season! This means significant savings when it comes to booking your venue, as well as your videographer, photographer, and DJ! You can use all your saved money to add extra touches to your big day (or use it for the honeymoon)! ...
Ok, at first blush, the words ‘corporate’ and ‘Christmas’ don’t necessarily freely associate. No, Charles Dickens did not write “A Corporate Christ-mas Carol,” although some employees may relate a little too intimately with the Scrooge character. And no, the line “visions of Christmas bonus-es danced in their heads” appears nowhere in the famous yuletide poem...
Love is a concept that eludes, or perhaps resists, a clear-cut definition. The evidence seems to lie in the ubiquitous usage of the word for all sorts of circumstances and contexts. We say, I love donuts, or I love my Mother or I love my fiancé, all in the same breath, and yet they have...
I know it seems like a million months away, but the truth is, if you’ve decided to host a Christmas dinner party this year, it’s a lot closer than you think! We don’t want to induce pre-holiday panic or anything, but one of the most important factors for throwing a successful holiday dinner party is...
They say it takes only seconds to make a first impression. While this may be somewhat discon-certing, it’s an aspect of human nature that holds true--and with good reason. Back when we were living in caves, our ancient ancestors had to make very quick judgements when venturing out to hunt and gather. Let’s face it,...
Love is a concept that eludes, or perhaps resists, a clear-cut definition. The evidence seems to lie in the ubiquitous usage of the word for all sorts of circumstances and contexts. We say, I love donuts, or I love my Mother or I love my fiancé, all in the same breath, and yet they have...
Ok, at first blush, the words ‘corporate’ and ‘Christmas’ don’t necessarily freely associate. No, Charles Dickens did not write “A Corporate Christ-mas Carol,” although some employees may relate a little too intimately with the Scrooge character. And no, the line “visions of Christmas bonus-es danced in their heads” appears nowhere in the famous yuletide poem...
I know it seems like a million months away, but the truth is, if you’ve decided to host a Christmas dinner party this year, it’s a lot closer than you think! We don’t want to induce pre-holiday panic or anything, but one of the most important factors for throwing a successful holiday dinner party is...
As I enter Savoury City Custom Catering, Donna Wadsworth (affectionately but accurately referred to as the Head Honcho), is nowhere to be seen. I can hear her disembodied voice in the hallway, suggesting that she is everywhere and nowhere at once. It’s an apt description, as being the owner of one of the best-loved custom...
Ying and Jeff had chemistry right from the start. Literally. Jeff completed his degree in Chemistry from UBC at the same time that Ying finished her science degree from the University of Waterloo. Subsequently, both ended up in the same cohort while earning a Bachelor of Education at UBC. The rest, as Ying says, “is...
We met at work,” Anna confesses. “Milo was the chef and I was hostessing at the same restaurant.” She laughs, “I actually asked him out because he’s pretty shy. I don’t think he would have ever done it!” Once Anna and Milo began dating, things progressed fairly quickly. Anna recounts, “after three months of dating,...
Twelve years ago, just before the ubiquity of online dating apps, the internet brought Allycia and Cyrus together. “We met way back in the Myspace days,” jokes Cyrus. “Then after meeting randomly here and there, it slowly developed into a serious relationship.” Amore in Amalfi Fast forward to Italy, 2016. There are few places in...
One of the best things about custom catering weddings is we get to experience a diversity of venues, themes, ideas, and trends! Every wedding we cater is unique and wonderful in its own way and reflects the personalities, interests, and characters the wedding couple. Indeed, no matter how many weddings we cater, it never gets...
At Savoury City, we’ve never veered from our original concept: “it’s the food, stupid.” What we mean by this is that the quality of the food is paramount. Locally-sourced, organic, farm-to-table, fresh and seasonal are not simply buzzwords to us, but an everyday reality and meaningful food philosophy. While we love being creative, updating our...
While weddings are, by nature, traditional affairs and much of the guest etiquette has not changed very much over the years, the advent of smartphone technology and social media; however, have complicated wedding dos and don’ts to some degree. So, while you may know the common social wedding rules, there are some grey areas that...
There used to be a section in GQ Magazine called “GQ Regrets,” where they would reprint one of their old articles from a previous decade and apologize for promoting what now was clearly a horrible fashion trend. I think the best one was their 1970’s feature on “men’s fur bathing suits.” The regrets section was...
As custom caterers, we’ve been witness to a plethora of “I Dos” and watched countless brides and grooms take that iconic walk down the aisle! Part of what we love about catering weddings is we get to see how each couple puts their signature on their special day. It’s truly amazing and inspiring to witness...
Country and barn weddings have risen in popularity over the past decade and we see no end to the trend, as more and more couples seem to be opting for “rustic and rural” over “delicate and ornate.” We totally understand why people love the concept. The mix of rural charm, outdoor beauty, and refined elegance...
There’s something uniquely magical about afternoon tea. Maybe it’s because its origins are rooted in British antiquity, which is at once singularly quirky, and fabulous. Lewis Carroll’s enduring Mad Hatter floats to mind--a very civilized ceremony occurring in the midst of chaos, absurdity, whimsey, and madness. But that’s, perhaps, the joy of afternoon tea. It...
Our breakfast catering menu options are made fresh in-house, and are always healthy, hearty and flavourful! We’ve got a wide variety of breakfast options that will satisfy your staff’s varied dietary realities. We’ve got elegantly simple continental breakfast menus of freshly baked muffins and scones and fresh seasonal fruit and coffee to fabulous and hearty...
Now that wedding season is in full swing, we thought we’d talk a little about wedding etiquette. Being in the custom catering business for as long as we have, we’ve seen the good, the bad and, yes, the ugly. There is a lot that goes into creating a wedding and knowing the “dos and don’ts”...
The actual origins of barbecue are shrouded in mystery, and a multiplicity of theories and myths abound as to which country or region was the true forebearer to what we now consider modern barbecue. My personal take on this is simple: Not long after the invention of fire came the happy discovery of barbecue. I’m...
One of the most indelible memories I have is dining al fresco at a farm in Gordes, France. It was one of those perfect summer evenings, the golden light casting a magical hue over the rural landscape. The rustic, antiquated, wooden long table was set with simple elegance: wildflowers, cloth serviettes, and jugs of Rose....
As custom wedding caterers, you know we were totally excited about the recent royal wedding! What was Meghan going to wear? Who will walk her down the aisle? And, most importantly, what did they EAT! ...
Swedish artist, Christian Marclay, once said, “art is all in the details.” We couldn't agree more! We believe that attention to detail separates the good from the great--it separates shoes from Manolo Blahniks, designers from Karl Lagerfeld, cars from Bentleys, singers from Aretha Franklin and dancers from Fred Astaire. It’s the near-obsessive adherence to the...
While Savoury City has become renowned for its custom catered weddings over the years, many people don’t realize that they’ve been quietly transforming the corporate custom catering world one business at a time. While catering weddings is largely different than corporate affairs, many of the core principles that Savoury City adheres to when catering special...
This week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Savoury City’s Head Honcho, Donna Wadsworth, to chat about wedding trends. Having custom-catered weddings for decades, there are few people more qualified to talk with authority on the subject! Over the years, Donna has seen it all--the good, the bad and, yes, even the ugly!...
A New Office Culture Sometime in the late 90’s, with the rise of Silicon Valley, corporate culture began to change. Gone were the grey, dull, regimented office spaces, devoid of character, imagination--the kind made famous in movies such as 9 to 5 (still love the theme song!) or lampooned in the cult film, Office Space...
For us, it’s always been about quality, flavour, and creativity! Right now we’ve created a gorgeous Deconstructed Nicoise Tuna Salad--beautifully seared fresh tuna, grilled asparagus, greens, free-range hard boiled eggs, roasted beets, steamed green beans, olives and a really flavourful vinaigrette. I love this concept for corporate meetings because it’s healthy and easy to eat and...
It’s an open secret that the way to sustain any successful business is through hard work, passion, and an abiding love for what you do. When you ask most high achievers, or anyone who is great at what they do what their secret is, most will invariably tell you that they never feel like they’ve...
Being in the catering industry as long as we have, we’ve catered all types of weddings! Big, small, rustic, modern, rural, urban, expensive, economic, and everything in between! ...
Stop and Smell the Macaroons How often are we reminded to stop and smell the roses--to take a moment to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us, and the little daily miracles that make life so worthwhile. Sometimes we get so busy catering events, that we very rarely get to take a moment and appreciate all the amazing...
In response to what he thought about vegetarianism, the iconic playwright, George Bernard Shaw, once claimed, “the thought of two thousand people crunching celery at the same time horrified me.” The image is, indeed, disconcerting! However, the reality is that perceptions and misconceptions about what it means to be a vegetarian have changed radically over...
Tears of Joy We may be veterans in the custom catering biz; we may have catered hundreds of weddings over the years; we may have held countless wedding tastings, but the truth is it never gets old! Just look over at our Head Honcho, Donna Wadsworth, during the vows if you don’t believe us! You’ll see...
We at Savoury City love a good party. The more creative the better! We were thinking recently about our love of a good theme party and how it's a great way to break free from the expected, the norm and (God-forbid), the mundane! There is, perhaps, no better reason or opportunity (not that you really...
We know that the title of this blog may be misleading. While some of us may be dreading the big 5-0, most of us embrace the milestone. I mean, let's face it, these days 50 is the new 30! You're far from cruise wear and taking up lawn bowling! So why are we "groaning?" Let...
We've been watching the Winter Olympics with our friends over the last few days, and it got us to thinking about the evolution of hosting sporting event home parties. From the Super Bowl to the Stanley Cup, we've come a long way from the faux-wood paneling in the basement "rumpus room," trading up for sleek,...
Millenials Changing the Food Game When I was a teen, I used to buy three chocolate bars for a dollar at the local 7-eleven on my way home every day (and I wondered why the acne?!). Now teens are making smarter choices and cutting out processed, high-fructose snacks. Those millennials are changing the food game...
Celebrate with style! By 70 you've lived a life! You've had a career, raised your kids, survived at least 1 marriage and gained a lot of wisdom and experience along the way! You've earned the right to celebrate your big day in style! And, let's face it, at 40, you've barely just begun! ...
A few years ago, many of my Asian friends started inviting me to Red Egg and Ginger Parties, alternatively called 100 Day Celebrations. To be honest, I had no idea what that meant or what they were all about. When I asked my friend, Connie, who invited me to hers, she explained that, tra-ditionally, the...
Your first day of school. Your first kiss. Your first car. There are only a finite number of firsts in one's life--which is precisely what makes them so monumental. Therefore, it would be an under-statement to claim that a baby's first birthday is a special occasion for all parents. It goes without saying that honouring...
You’ve got a major event to plan and the big question is invariably where in the city to hold it. There are so many different venues, each with their own unique vibe, atmosphere, ambiance and, yes, challenges....
So you've just binge-watched the latest season of "The Crown" and now you absolutely need your next event to be a plated affair! A Buffet-style dinner just won't cut it anymore! I mean, would Princess Margaret have to stand up and wait in line to get her food! God Forbid! ...
The truth is that people may forget what you said, or what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel, and a custom catered meal will defiantly help in making that lasting positive impression. ...
These days just having the family over for dinner can be a logistical quandary. It seems that everyone has very different dietary specifications, which very seldom seem to overlap! My sister is a vegetarian, but still eats chicken; my mother is on the “no carb” diet, and is currently swearing off bread and pasta; my...
As many of you already know, Savoury City Head Honcho, Donna Wadsworth, has been in the catering biz for a very long time! Her Executive Chef, Mathew Koyanagi, has also prepared, cooked and baked meals in some very diverse places! In truth, between the two of them, they can cater virtually any venue! From back...
As veterans in the business, we’ve catered more weddings than we can remember! Well, that’s not entirely true. We do remember each and every wedding we cater. We remember because, throughout the process, we get to know the bride and groom and their families, and for that spot of time, we feel like a part...
Whether plated, buffet or family-style, Savoury City is famous for its creative, mouth-watering, and gorgeous cuisine. And while we know that the word Savoury figures prominently in your name, we don’t want to overlook our sweet side! What meal would be complete without it?...
Recently I was re-watching the classic film An American in Paris. I love that iconic opening scene when the great Gene Kelly wakes up in his tiny Parissien walk-up. His homunculus one-room flat creatively serves as bedroom, kitchen, dining room and washroom! While this is a comic exaggeration of life in Paris for the 1940’s...