| Southern Exposure caters to wedded bliss
The catering firm's attention to detail makes sure wows follow vows
Imagine a wedding reception at which the caterer is honored with a standing ovation. Such are the accolades bestowed upon the full-service competencies of Southern Exposure Catering.
Many couples are unaware of the decisions demanded in planning a wedding. Cost varies wildly depending on tables, linen and dishware selected. To determine a food budget, the team at Southern Exposure subtracts rental and service costs from the couple’s catering budget. They typically create multiple proposals, ideally before the tasting session, which include such details as the style of chairs and the plates the cake is served on.
“The couple has to think about what will be a lasting memory for this wedding,” says Catering Manager Amy Nunez. “It gives them a little more perspective as to where they’re willing to compromise and what vision they want to hold on their special day.”
General Manager Patricia Langrehr-Marsh acknowledges that designing an event of this magnitude can seem overwhelming.
“Just throw anything at me that you’ve already decided,” Langrehr-Marsh says. “I know you have priorities. If I extract those from you and I can feel my way through the maze of confusion, I can extract what I need to prepare a proposal.”
“Afford yourself time to do it right,” Nunez suggests. “Don’t just go out and ask for proposals and then assume that the cheapest one is really going to uphold your vision. But don’t also assume the most expensive is going to get the highest quality.”
For a flawlessly executed reception, Southern Exposure interfaces with the rental companies to ensure that nothing is forgotten or duplicated at the venue.
Food safety is one concern of Executive Chef Adam Beckett. Lengthy events require multiple deliveries, and some foods just don’t travel well.
“When you talk about service style and food, it’s all about holding times,” Beckett says, “especially at an off-premises site. Some things I can’t do on a buffet line and still hit the quality. Does your venue have a kitchen? Doing things on-site might cost a little bit more, but the quality and what you’re able to do increases.”
Friday tastings are difficult for most caterers, who typically are preparing for weekend events. It’s not unusual to be charged for product samples, but Southern Exposure credits these fees towards the clients’ contract.
“It helps to have a great idea of what direction you want to go,” Beckett says. If you’re having a steak dinner with a sauce on it, that’s a real main focus of your event. You should try it. Don’t worry so much about the little things, like bread.”
Dishes made with seasonal produce may not be available at the time of your tasting. Beckett suggests an initial tasting to gauge a caterer’s level of quality, and closer to the event, sampling seasonal recipes.
Beckett notes that customers are requesting healthier fare and more organic and local foods. Seasonal chutneys and coulis can replace traditional cream and butter sauces.
“We’re sitting in the middle of the food belt and we’ve got a lot of great farms,” Beckett says. “I have some great organic farmers and they have awesome food, but you have to realize that the cost difference between organic and non-organic is huge.”
Clients increasingly inquire about budget packages, creating a conundrum for Langrehr-Marsh and Nunez, as packages may include services the couple doesn’t need.
“The girls itemize everything,” Beckett says. “If this is your budget, we’ll give you nine different ways to hit it, so just point us in the right direction and we’ll help you along.”
Buffets are more cost-effective than sit-down service, which requires additional china and staff. Couples are also empowered to add their own dishes to the menu, eliminate service, and recruit friends for set-up and clean-up. Southern Exposure doesn’t charge corkage, and buffet table flowers are complimentary.
Numerous clients were drawn to Southern Exposure by the attractive presentations enjoyed at a prior event.
“It’s obvious our passion and our creativity show in the work that we do,” Beckett says. “Even if someone orders four appetizers that are just a drop-off and pick-up, it’s still going to look beautiful and magnificent. We have a standard we always stick to regardless of what you pay.”
Langrehr-Marsh, a bride herself, appreciates the value of effective planning.
“It was totally different being in those bridal shoes,” she says. “The day-of, you’re concerned about your hair, your make-up, your veil. You don’t want to think about if the caterer is thinking about this and that.”
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Southern Exposure Catering, 2901 A Research Park Drive, Soquel, 479-9086.
Catering Considerations
As the reception can consume half of the nuptial budget, compare comprehensive costs and services of each caterer.
• Reserve your venue. The location defines your reception’s capacity and the availability of kitchen facilities, tables and other amenities, which affect catering costs.
• Establish a budget to help focus on your most valued elements.
• Compile a list of caterers from friends, business associates, and the venue’s site coordinator. Ask each the same set of questions. Check references.
• What service style complements your theme? Buffets can be less costly than sit-down meals. Price multiple options.
• What services are included? What are the charges for tables, linens, china, glassware, decorations, flowers, coffee service, cake-cutting, set-up and tear-down?
• What beverage service is available? Is there a charge for unopened bottles, or a corkage fee if you provide your own? Are mixers, ice, and non-alcoholic beverages included?
• Get a detailed schedule—encompassing set-up through clean-up. Make sure it coincides with that of your venue and personal expectations.
• What is the service cost including gratuity? What quantity of supervisors, servers, and bartenders is included? How will they be attired?
• Can the caterer cook? Taste key menu items that fit your theme. For familiar foods like fruit trays, ask for photographs of their presentation.
• Finally, the contract should detail each of the preceding factors, with itemized costs, minimum/maximum attendance, price of each adult and children’s meal, payment schedule, and cancellation provisions. Verify the caterer’s liability insurance and health permit.
| Written by Karen Petersen |
| Friday, 16 January 2009 | |
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It’s all about Southern hospitality for this stellar caterer
Ann Confer’s grandmother made sarsaparilla and a ton of money selling hamburgers in Mississippi in the early 1900s. Evidently, the family’s connection to food stuck with Ann. She lived with her grandparents while her widowed mother worked long days running her own restaurant, but Ann soon found a passion for entertaining. So, at the age of 8, she catered a cookout for her friends. She learned flower arranging at charm school, where Miss America also taught her how to properly cross her ankles.
“There was no entertaining in the South without table linens and flowers,” Ann says, “and everything matched.”
Eventually, Ann’s spirit for celebration paid off. Now at the helm of the popular Southern Exposure Catering, Confer and her staff cater all year round. During a recent trip to the venue, I found the air saturated with the aroma of warm chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen. Upstairs, Ann and her assistants, Patricia and Amy, composed masterpiece celebratory occasions.
Not surprisingly, the caterer’s success lies in some special ingredients.
When Ann’s youngest child was 3 years old, she opened a Mexican restaurant in the Galleria in downtown Santa Cruz. Accruing a following of UC Santa Cruz students, in 1985 she accepted the opportunity to run Oakes College’s coffee shop. She began catering University events, where her attention to detail and charming presentation earned her an exquisite reputation.
“Flowers go with everything they do,” says LuAnne, Ann’s daughter. “My mom always felt like that just created an ambiance that made people feel that they were being nurtured by someone who cared.”
LuAnne, who now manages New Leaf’s New Beet Cafe in Capitola, was instrumental in developing the catering business.
“She’s so artistic, so talented,” Ann says. “Between the food, the customer service, and LuAnne’s presentation, that’s really what set us apart.”
After leaving campus, Ann shared a commercial kitchen with Brown Bag Lunch Company, until Brown Bag was ready to expand. She moved into the cozy Aptos cottage that had housed Chez Renée and opened Southern Exposure Bistro, gaining Chef Adam in the process.
“He has the most integrity of any chef I’ve ever worked with,” she says. “If it’s not good, it’s not going.”
Following the downturn after 9/11, catering carried the restaurant. Then in 2004, LuAnne was involved in a near-fatal car accident, requiring a series of operations. Ann and her husband Charlie cared for their daughter and grandchildren, while assistant Patricia ran the operation. Realizing she had no heart left for the restaurant, Ann decided to sell.
Moving back into the Brown Bag neighborhood, Southern Exposure could again concentrate on its core competency as an all-service, custom party provider.
Ann and her staff strive to understand each client’s vision, and offer everything from set-up and decorations to uniformed bartenders. Chef Adam can recreate a bride’s traditional family recipe. At the event, the on-site supervisor and staff are in step with the pre-arranged timeline.
“Not only are you getting quality of food,” LuAnne explains,” but you’re getting 100 percent full blown love and care in presentation, in delivery.”
With client contracts written in advance, the business feels the pinch of the economic environment. Neither the 30 percent increase in food costs nor the fuel surcharge added to each supplier’s delivery can be recouped.
In March, Ann purchased the Brown Bag Lunch Company, which sells economical prepared meals through delis and mini marts. Chef Adam’s sister Bethany is the General Manager, and Ann’s 17-year-old grandson assists in the kitchen.
In November, both fully cooked and ready-to-cook Thanksgiving dinners will be available. Southern Exposure can even arrange the meal on your family’s special platters.
Recalling her youth, surrounded by aging Southern Belles in her grandmother’s living room, Ann explained the passion that drives her company today.
“They were always cooking,” she says, “or doing something that had to do with food in a happy atmosphere. Food has always symbolized to me hospitality and love.”
| Written by Karen Petersen |
| Wednesday, 30 July 2008 |
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