Kate caters for a satisfying career

As a tot, Kate Lester would clamber to stand on a chair to watch and help her mum cook. Now her mum, sans chair, is often helping Kate as she prepares to cater at events throughout Hawke’s Bay.

While an innate love for creating meals both exotic and ‘‘old school’’ was inherited from her mum Jane and grandmother Noelene, it was never anything more than a pastime for Lester outside work or varsity. Until a couple of years ago. After getting a degree in consumer applied science in clothing and textiles from Otago University, Lester, now 34, moved to Wellington, where she worked for a fashion designer before forming her own business 10 years ago.

She designed shirts and sold them in her Lester Square stores, which at various times were in the Old Bank arcade, Dressmart and Featherston St.

After three years of competing with cheaper products made in China, she closed the business and returned home to Hawke’s Bay, where she worked in hospitality and eventually found herself teaching coffee-making at Bay Espresso cafe.

In May 2013 Jane’s embroidery guild held a retreat in Havelock North and needed someone to cook dinner.

‘‘She asked me, so I did it, and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be,’’ says Lester.

Helping her on that first night was dad Mick, who like Jane is often still helping out whenever he can.

Shortly after the embroidery gig she was asked to cater a wedding, and with a bit of urging by her then boss, Chris Jarvis, she ‘‘took a leap of faith’’ and began Kate Lester Catering.

‘‘[Jarvis] sat me down and said ‘just do it’. He pushed me out, in a good way. I was supposed to stay on part-time at the cafe for security, but that lasted about a month,’’ she said. ‘‘I just winged it a little’’. Apart from a Facebook page and business cards, she has done no advertising. As an early, and astute, move she held a cocktail party for about 30 potential clients.

‘‘Word of mouth from that saw me doing quite a few Christmas parties and birthday parties,’’ and from that came corporate functions and other dos.

Nowadays she is ‘‘flat out’’, working all but nine days between October and January. She employs one casual staffer and hires temps as staff for functions. With steady bookings until April, and inquiries coming in for winter, business is growing.

Now regularly catering to groups of more than 100 people, it is a far cry from the first meal she ever prepared.

‘‘Mum was a nurse. When I was about 8 or 9 she was on a nightshift and I cooked my dad dinner. That was probably the first meal I ever made. There was probably a microwave involved,’’ she said.

She appears genuinely, and very gratefully, surprised that the business has been such a success.

‘‘You do something for a while and your friends and family tell you it’s really good, but then to get paying customers saying how amazing the food is . . . That is an amazing feeling’’.

Among those to be impressed was MasterChef host Ray McVinnie, who sought out Lester after he’d tasted tapas she made at a FAWC (Food and Wine Classic) event last year.

‘‘He came out to the kitchen and gave me a judgment, talking about my clean, fresh flavours. It was incredible. He nearly made me cry,’’ she said. ‘‘Well, you know, I was quite tired.’’

Her menus range from exotic to traditional; from Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Asian to asparagus rolls.

She puts her success down to always using fresh produce, and using a butcher who ensures she gets only the best meat.

‘‘I’ve been lucky to have The Village Butcher in Havelock North.’’

In June she began using a purpose-built kitchen made by Freeway Horse Floats. At around $40,000 including commercial ovens, it was a significant investment, but will pay off in the long run.

‘‘It’s made an incredible difference. I was using Bay Espresso’s kitchen until I got it. Now I do everything in the mobile kitchen. You can squeeze two people in it quite comfortably, and now I’m getting a lot of work because I have it,’’ she said.

In future she may employ one or two more people, but she will always remain ‘‘hands on’’.

‘‘I’d never want to stand back. I’d always want to be involved, because that’s the best part.’’