The owners of many companies have gone to great lengths over the past month to provide their employees with an enjoyable afternoon, evening or even a simple bonus to show their appreciation for the past years hard work. It is a tough decision for those in charge, it has been a rough couple of years financially, and the choice between a holiday party and watching the bottom line is cause for many a headache. To those companies who chose J. Scott Catering to take part in their holiday party plans, we would like to extend a big thank you.
At the end of December we worked with a client who decided to choose a new venue and caterer for this year’s holiday party. There is a lot of planning that goes into changing what you do every year and putting your trust in someone new to make it happen is always a source of anxiety. But this client put their faith in us to pull off a successful event for their staff, and so we went to work to do just that. And as many other clients would agree, change is often good.
The event was held at the Phoenixville Foundry in Phoenixville, PA. With over 300 guests the layout and timeline were key to making this event a success. As people arrived they were escorted to the Mezzanine for cocktails and hors d’oeuvre. Stationary hors d’oeuvre included a classic crudite with a variety of florets and julienned vegetables accompanied by red pepper and spinach dips. A cheese display was also offered with a sampling of mustards to try with gruyere, smoked gouda and gorgonzola cheeses just to name a few. Passed hors d’oeuvre selections included traditional Bruschetta, bacon wrapped scallops with horseradish dipping sauce, shrimp cocktail served with spicy cocktail sauce and lemon wedges and finally pecan crusted chicken with orange tarragon dipping sauce.
After cocktail hour guests took their seats, first come first served, and were greeted by the owner of the company. He remarked on how nice it was to have everyone all together and thanked all in attendance for their hard work over the past year. And that despite the still struggling economy that he was immensely proud of his employees for pulling through with great accomplishments throughout the year. Anyone in the room could feel the pride he feels for his company and the sense of family that everyone at the company enjoys. It reminded me why I am so proud to be the owner of J. Scott and the hopes I have that all my employees feel a sense of pride for their work and that they are included in the J. Scott family.
The dinner was served, beginning with a Caesar salad. The dual entrée featured beef tenderloin au poivre and Maryland lump crab cake accompanied by green beans almondine and roasted red bliss potatoes. After dinner the dessert station was opened. This holiday season our cheesecake station has been a very popular dessert option and was served at this event as well. Coffee and tea were also served.
Along with all the culinary festivities guests also enjoyed the musical talents of Chico’s Vibe, the popular tri-state area band covering pop music from every era. Big thanks must go out to all our friends at the Foundry and our staff who made this event possible. Thank you to Christina Livingston for the photos. I wish everyone all the best in the New Year and here’s to keeping at least one resolution past January!
