Weddings, parties, anything!
Well known for her chicken pâté, wedding and events caterer Chantelle Quinn has learnt a trick or two about food and service after running her own bar and restaurant in Ashburton. In 2012 she enjoyed a stint on MasterChef New Zealand and by 2019 she
is celebrating her tenth year in the food business and loving every minute of it.
Overlooking the stunning Southern Alps, cows are happily grazing whilst Chantelle Quinn and her group of local working mothers prepare for the next event in her commercial kitchen. Two years ago Chantelle, her Irish-born husband Damien and 11-year-old daughter Bella moved to this idyllic rural spot and are just loving it.
Bella loves to come home from school and join in the culinary fun. ‘The taller she gets, the easier it has been for her to find her way around the kitchen, and it hasn’t been too hard to encourage her to try her hand at most things,’ Chantelle explains.
Chantelle says she also enjoyed helping in the kitchen at Bella’s age. ‘I always had a keen interest in food and my first job was working as a kitchen hand/dishwasher at 14 years of age. I learnt from the start that to make a kitchen work successfully, everyone needs to be willing to do what’s needed.’
Her outgoing friendly personality made her an easy choice for the 2012 MasterChef New Zealand reality TV show. ‘After three months of living and breathing food reality television, I came ninth overall in the competition. The whole experience gave me the confidence to turn my bar, which was called Twelve, into a restaurant. From there I saw a gap in the catering market, and I eventually closed the restaurant so I could concentrate on weddings and events full-time.’
The move has been great for Chantelle and her clients. ‘I’m so glad I made the change because my new business, TwentyFour Catering, has meant I can concentrate on my passion, which is food. It also means I have a better work/life balance, which has been great for my family.’
With her strong work ethic a constant theme, it has not been hard to bring together a professional team to deliver at weddings and events. ‘My point of difference is in the way I personalise my events. When a client enquires about a function or a wedding I don’t just send lists of food choices and wait for their decision; I meet them and we work together to create individualised menus.
‘With a personal event such as a wedding, you need to make sure that every part of the day says something special, including the food.’
Additionally, Chantelle says food trends change as often as wedding dress styles, but the current favourites are fresh seasonal vegetables and New Zealand-grown beef and pork. ‘Food service styles are really personal to different people too, which is why we offer all styles from family-style sharing to canapés or set menus.
‘We focus on great relationships with our key contractors,’ Chantelle adds, ‘and the feedback is always about the food, our attention to detail and our commitment to using local products and fresh ingredients. I’m so grateful to have a professional team to work with.
‘One of the most important team members is actually my mum – she’s the one who grows the herbs and edible flowers in our garden, she supports our chefs with food prep and plating, and she makes sure all of the dishes are washed and sparkling clean, not to mention how she helps with Bella and the non-business side of my life. I’m very lucky to have such a supportive team; being able to work from home means I’m always in my happy place!’