Tasmanian caterers are renowned not just for their skills in the kitchen, but for their adventurous spirit and willingness to work outside traditional spaces. Why restrict yourself to an event within four walls when you could be enjoying gourmet food on the beach, in a paddock, up a mountain, or even aboard a boat?

By embracing Tasmania’s natural splendour and unique venues, your caterers will ensure your event is one to remember. We’ve handpicked some of Tasmania’s top catering talent. Read on to learn how each of these businesses can bring a point of difference to your next business event.

Waji Food

Born in Bangladesh, Waji Spiby has 35 years of experience working in restaurants and high-end hotels across Australia and Europe. But it’s working from a self-powered mobile kitchen in remote regions of Tasmania that he’s at his happiest. “My thing is to bring restaurant-quality food – perhaps even better than restaurant food – to wherever you are,” Waji says. “Even in the most oddball place, every event gets the same care and attention to detail.”

To date, Waji Food has catered events at Eagles Eyrie on a chilly alpine ridge above Maydena. Food has been served on the still banks of the Gordon River, beside the looming Gordon River Dam. And diners have eaten at the tiny settlement of Melaleuca, surrounded by luscious heritage listed forests in Tasmania’s Southwest National Park. Not even Waji’s van could make it to Melaleuca, though – that event required guests, food, and equipment to be flown in by plane.

Pristine Catering and Events

Based in the kitchen facilities of Hobart Function and Conference Centre, Pristine Catering and Events is owned and operated by Niall Mitchell, an experienced venue operator with more than 30 years in the business. HFCC is a beautiful venue filled with natural light, providing wonderful views of the boats that sail into Constitution Dock. While this is Pristine’s home base, the hard-working team is equally comfortable in Hobart’s other large waterfront venues, including Princes Wharf 1 and MAC 02, as well as more historic intimate spaces including Hobart City Hall and Hobart Town Hall.

Flint Kitchen

Flint Kitchen’s Scott Heffernan spent his childhood on Tasmania’s West Coast, and his earliest kitchen experiences involved cooking whatever fish or crustaceans he’d been able to head out to catch.

“I grew up thinking that fixing yourself a crayfish omelette for lunch was pretty normal,” Scott laughs.

With 25 years of hospitality experience under his belt, Scott established catering company Flint Kitchen – and he hasn’t strayed too far from that original ethos of eating and preparing what’s fresh, local, and in season.

“I honestly don’t understand why you wouldn’t use the produce that’s right there on your doorstep,” he says.

Scott’s approach at Flint is to cook with fire wherever possible, whether that’s a wood oven, smoker, or hibachi grill. He has catered many events on Bruny Island, including one that required all his kitchen equipment to be lowered off the dock at Alonnah onto a small boat.

He also loves some of the unique venues on the East Coast. If an event takes place on the shores of a local beach, where staff and guests can bond over a surf session when their working day is done, then all the better.

Sabre Catering

When Rebecca Sinclair established Sabre Catering five years ago, she hoped her willingness to push the boundaries with event venues would help create memorable moments for clients. But not even Rebecca could have imagined catering a dinner on the helipad of the RV Polarstern, a German polar research vessel that docked in Hobart en route to Antarctica.

“That one was really fun,” Rebecca says. “One of the best parts of my job is connecting with guests, which at that event was the ship’s crew from all around the world.”

Rebecca knows running a kitchen in the middle of nowhere can pose a logistical challenge; rushing to relocate a marquee at Four Mile Creek when a storm blew in was particularly memorable. But she believes it’s well worth the effort for the satisfaction of providing a tailored experience, and the chance to work closely with her clients to accommodate their personal requests. Whatever the venue, and whatever the weather, Rebecca’s clients may relax knowing that tucked safely into her apron are her backup plans for every eventuality.

“Having an event not happen is never an option,” she says firmly.

BW Events

Accomplished chef Bernadette Woods has built an excellent reputation in the hospitality industry through her work in Donegal, Noosa, and major resorts across Tasmania. As the founder of BW Events, Bernadette has brought the commitment to excellence that has been forged through her time at established venues, and combined that with the versatility and creativity that makes Tasmania’s catering sector so distinctive.

From long-table dinners in the spectacular light-filled conservatory at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens to cocktail receptions on the Riverview Deck at Glen Albyn Estate, BW Events works to serve the perfect menu in the perfect place – leaving clients free to focus on connecting with each other.

Hamlet

Hamlet CEO and founder Emily Briffa has two big passions. The first is delivering training programs and work experience to disadvantaged Tasmanians, and the second is delivering delicious food made with local produce. The magic of Hamlet is in the way it brings these passions together, resulting in a community-focused catering business that also functions as a registered charity.

Since Emily established Hamlet in 2016, it has grown from a café-only social enterprise to a small-scale catering operation. Early this year, it expanded with a second commercial kitchen.

“The catering side of things is brilliant because it allows our training program participants to get experience in an environment that is more structured and less unpredictable than the café,” Emily explains.

The expansion has also allowed Emily and her team to say an enthusiastic ‘yes!’ to opportunities such as catering the recent TEDx Hobart conference at the Odeon Theatre.

“We love events that allow our trainees to connect with guests,” she says. “Community is very important to us, so when we are able to engage directly with the community and show what customers can achieve by working with us – rather than just sending out our food in boxes – that’s really rewarding.”

The beauty of choosing a Tasmanian caterer lies in their ability to transform any space into a place of connection, reflection, and celebration. Their can-do attitude and local insights ensure the only limit is your imagination.

This article was originally published in the Business Events Tasmania Magazine – June 24 Edition. You can find this magazine and all our other previous magazines here!