Mid-March, winners of the ACE awards took the stage at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. To enter, each contender was asked to identify the two events the company completed that it felt best represented the company, as well as challenges and favorite aspects.
Throughout the year, Catersource.com will profile the winners and nominees of the 2017 ACE awards. In the next installation of our series, we are placing a keen eye on Aramark’s Catering on the Charles, a runner up in the category of catering over $2 million.
Boston University Holiday Party 2016
The BU holiday party is a festive event for the entire university community including administrators, faculty, and staff. This event presented an opportunity for Catering on the Charles to wow and amaze a wide variety of University employees in a relaxing holiday environment. The complexity and scope of this event required that team members from all 22 locations on campus come together to execute a cocktail buffet for 3,000 guests.
Delicious and elegant desserts. Photo courtesy Catering on the Charles
Challenges
Creating a menu that caters to a diverse group of guests can be challenging, but it was met by taking fun, highly acceptable menu items and elevating them with new flavors and presentations. “Our chef created a menu that balanced elegant holiday flavors with fun and easy to eat bites,” said marketing director Scott Rosario. The potato cake with garlic spinach and bliss teardrop tomato, for example, took a basic hors d’oeuvre and elevated it to a more sophisticated level.
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“When hosting an event for 3,000 guests, we typically will ask our dining services staff to support the catering team. This is a great opportunity for our dining team to gain experience working in a new and exciting environment."
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The core team. Photo courtesy Catering on the Charles
Favorite touches
The holiday dessert buffet is always a crowd favorite, said Rosario. “Our executive pastry chef created a blue, white, and silver medley of sweets to showcase the year’s theme, Winter Wonderland. Throughout the event, guests were constantly taking pictures next to the gorgeous, extremely large, edible showpiece, Frosty the Snowman—made entirely of Rice Krispie treats,” he said. The croquembouche was also made in house and one of the more elegant desserts the guests were able to experience.
The delicious croquembouche. Photo courtesy Catering on the Charles
Skilled culinary staff worked the carving stations. Photo courtesy Catering on the Charles
“There is always hesitation to begin the deconstruction of the beautiful tower,” Rosario mentioned. “When hosting an event for 3,000 guests we typically will ask our dining services staff to support the catering team. This is a great opportunity for our dining team to gain experience working in a new and exciting environment. Having skilled culinary staff work the carving stations is imperative for a successful event and great service. The collaboration is a source of pride for both the dining staff and the catering team.”
Next week on Catersource.com: Connecticut Wedding Group, part 1
