An event with exemplary taste is one that stays remembered. For this reason, venues like the Château Le Jardin in Vaughan, Ontario, pay equal focus to the quality of its kitchen as it does with other event ingredients.
“When we ask what our clients enjoyed most about their time with us, more often than not, they’ll have our food and beverage services at the top of their list,” says Christopher Parentela, President of Château Le Jardin. “That’s not too surprising either when you consider how much of a role food plays in keeping guests happy, engaged, and connected.”
Sure enough, food and beverage services rank high among event planner’s most sought-after qualities when choosing a venue. Not only can breakfast, lunch, or dinner breaks create networking opportunities, but high-quality meals can make a positive impression on guests.
Appealing to all senses
Keeping crowds well-fed is easier said than done. At Château Le Jardin, the job falls to Executive Chef Luigi Raniella and a seasoned team of culinary professionals who prepare an average of 5,000 dishes every week.
“Whether we’re hosting a group of ten or a room of hundreds, our goal is always to serve fresh, local flavours that offer something a little different than what our guests are used to,” says Parentela.
Those flavours range from rich pasta dishes to chicken parmigiana, fresh salads to antipasti, veal scallopini to lamb roast, salmon au gratin, Italian sausage, calamari Fritti starters, and beyond. Le Jardin’s menu also includes traditional summer barbecue fare, kosher meals, and vegetarian plates.
Indeed, when it comes to feeding groups, choice counts. To that end, the Château Le Jardin’s food and beverage team collaborates with planners well in advance of their event to craft a menu that will appeal to their group’s specific tastes, dietary needs, and special food requests. The venue also offers three distinct Menu Templates for those who require a little inspiration, including the Bordeau, Cannes, and Marseilles-themed menus.
“We recognize that it can be difficult for planners to put together a menu for their guests, especially when they don’t know their options or what kind of dishes are most popular,” notes Parentela. “That’s why our event coordinators make it a point to sit down with planners, find out what their guests want, and then coordinate with our food and beverage team to make it happen.”
Coming back for more
It’s been 35 years since the Château Le Jardin fired up its kitchen. In the decades since, the team has fired up their kitchen to serve thousands of guests from around Canada and the globe. In addition, it has also established a food-take out service to share its unique approach to cuisine with local residents (www.cjtakeout.com).
“We’ve spent many years perfecting our menus,” notes Parentela. “We know how food is often one of the most memorable parts of a gathering, and that’s why we push to create meals that will exceed our guests’ expectations and entice them to come back for more.”
Since 1985, Château Le Jardin Event Venue function hall in Vaughan has provided the venue and exceptional catering services for all types of events, including weddings, anniversaries, holiday parties, conferences, seminars, and meetings. For more information, visit lejardin.com.
