What is your business called and what does it do?

Our business is Eatertainment Events and Catering. Eatertainment is a leading event planning and catering company based in Toronto but providing event solutions across North America

What made you want to do this work?

Sebastien: My mother was French from Paris and she loved hosting! My parents sort of ‘fell’ into the hospitality business after successful careers in other industries and rarely was there a night that my mother wasn’t hosting family, friends, artists, musicians, or sometimes all the above. We grew up in the middle of a party and my mother’s passion for entertaining rubbed off on me. I worked in tech right out of University but it was only a matter of months before the hospitality business drew me back while running restaurants was never my passion, planning and throwing events was so I launched our catering division (we did about 15 events that first year) and 25 years later I’m still doing it (albeit for about 500-600 events a year now)!

What problem did you want to solve with the business?

Sheila: When Eatertainment was first launched the landscape of catering in Toronto was pretty boring. There were maybe 3 or 4 companies out there and they all served the same stuff. If you’re old enough you probably remember being served chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce or rice paper rolls at every event. We wanted to change that and bring innovation and a European flair to hosting parties. More exciting interesting menus, better service, more unique entertainment, etc, etc. Now the landscape has completely changed and Toronto has some of the most innovative events in the world. We like to think Eatetainment played a small part in raising the bar.

Who are your clientele/demographics?

Sebastien: We’ve never believed in focusing on just one segment of the market. Our clients are Fortune 500 Companies, small start-ups, brides and grooms, and almost anyone celebrating a milestone, a launch, or anything in between. We have a long list of clients we’ve worked with from Red Bull to BMW to TD Bank to Chanel to … the list goes on. Because we offer event concept and planning services and catering we’ve create a unique business that has found a niche with corporate and social clients alike. Most of our local business in Toronto is split between corporate and social but our national and international business is almost exclusively brands and large companies.

How does your business make money? How does it work?

Sebastien: If we spend less than we bring in we make money 🙂 – all kidding aside it’s a tough business since margins in all areas (food, beverage, staffing, rentals, etc, etc,) are all very tight and often we are selling someone products and services months ahead of time so we have to commit to pricing which we know our costs will increase on. We do this by being fiscally responsible and following a simple rule that my mother (who was our CFO when we started) always had – if you don’t have the money to pay for something then don’t buy it. We are tremendously proud to be one of only a few companies in our industry who ALWAYS pay our suppliers, partners and staff ON TIME EVERY TIME! To be fiscally responsible we need to charge appropriately for our products and services and we stand behind the value we deliver. We’ve all heard the saying ‘you get what you pay for’ and when it comes to catering nothing could be more true!

Where in the city can we find your profession?

Sheila: Anywhere where great events are hosted. We offer our services in people’s homes, but the vast majority of events take place in venues across the city (and country). In Toronto to name only a few venues where Eatertainment can host your event; The Design Exchange, Globe & Mail Centre, Roy Thomson Hall, The Hockey Hall of Fame, SteamWhistle, Ripley’s Aquarium…and many many more. Here are all our venues

What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.

Sheila: What makes Eatertainment different from other event and catering companies? We love being asked this question….The answer… you might expect us to talk about how our food is better than anyone’s (and we think it is) but there are some other great catering companies in Toronto too. Where we especially stand out if our focus on innovation and quality. We are constantly evolving; our menus, our presentation, our concepts and our services looking to continue to offer our clients industry-leading products and services that often our competitors love to imitate (it’s the highest form of flattery so we are honoured when that happens.

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

Sebastien: The best part – seeing another successful event come together. Seeing that bride smiling from ear-to-ear at the end of the night, getting that email from a corporate client raving about their event last night (and booking their next one). There is a sense of pride and satisfaction that comes with what we do that makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Sheila: The worst part – the long hours. This is not an industry for the faint of heart. The team at Eatertainment are some of the most passionate individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and they are also the hardest working. You don’t get into this business for the money, you do it because of what Seb said above!

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

Sheila: Why did the caterer get kicked out of the math class? Because he couldn’t stop adding thyme!

Sebastien: How many event planners does it take to fix a … DONE!

Sheila: How do you organize a space party? You PLANET.

Where can we follow you?

@sebandsheila @sebcentner @sheilacentner @eatertainment

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?

Coulter Wright – The Pad – Toronto’s first padel club – opened last year on Cherry Street to bring this new sport to Toronto and him and his team are amazing people and doing some great things to make the city more interesting.

Craig Wong and Ivy Lam – the husband and wife team behind Patois and lots of other great restaurants. They are amazing human beings and super talented.

Blooms Plus – an amazing small business with two floral shops in Toronto run by Mikie and her family. So talented and lovely to work with.

The post Homegrown Business: Sebastien and Sheila of Eatertainment appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Creamy Spring Pea Soup with sprouts

Yield: 6 cups
Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1/3 cup sliced leeks
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup 35% cream
• 2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup baby arugula
• 1 tbsp mint leaves
• 1 tbsp tarragon leaves
• 1/4 cup 35% cream, room temperature
• Micro sprouts to garnish
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a small stock pot, melt butter over medium heat and add onion & leek

2. Reduce heat to medium/low heat and sweat until the onion is translucent and leeks are soft, approximately 8 minutes stirring occasionally so it does not brown

3. Add mustard powder, paprika, 1 cup 35% cream & vegetable stock

4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes

5. Add peas, remove from heat and cool to room temperature

6. Transfer mixture into a blender then add spinach, arugula and herbs and blend until puréed – note: will need to do in batches as blender should never be more than 2/3 full and lettuces and herbs will need to be roughly portioned into each batch.

7. Combine all batches in a single large bowl, then season with salt and pepper to taste and store in fridge.

8. Serve chilled with a drizzle of cream and a pinch of micro herbs.

Note: chilled soup will last three days in fridge, best served within 48hrs

***

For many people, the idea of planning a dinner party can bring on stress and miss the point altogether: enjoying time with guests. From the owners of leading Canadian event management and catering companies comes Sebastien and Sheila Centner’s first book, Eatertainment – a beautifully photographed, all-in-one entertaining guidebook to make entertaining at home as simple as can be.

Sharing their decades of expertise, Seb and Sheila provide readers with practical tips and tricks for entertaining regardless of prep time, availability or budget, with instructions on everything from setting the table to picking flowers for a centrepiece, to even planning an easy loot bag for guests to take home. Featuring more than 140 recipes, 12 different types of events and 3 planning difficulty levels (Simple Entertaining, A Little More Effort and Pulling Out All The Stops), Eatertainment is a thoughtfully-assembled guidebook for anyone looking to host a stress-free gathering – no matter what kind of event you throw.

The post Recipe for Creamy Spring Pea Soup with sprouts from Eatertainment appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Sharing their decades of expertise, Seb and Sheila provide readers with practical tips and tricks for entertaining regardless of prep time, availability or budget, with instructions on everything from setting the table, to picking flowers for a center-piece, to even planning an easy loot bag for guests to take home. Featuring more than 140 recipes, 12 different types of events and 3 planning difficulty levels (Simple Entertaining, A Little More Effort and Pulling Out All The Stops), Eatertainment is a thoughtfully-assembled guidebook for anyone looking to host a stress-free gathering – no matter what kind of event you throw.

Sebastien and Sheila shared their tasty recipe for Cornish Hen!

Cornish Hen

Yield: serves 6–8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30–45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 21⁄2 tsp sweet paprika
• 5 tsp herbes de Provence
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 21⁄2 tsp black pepper
• 21⁄2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Cornish hens
• 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, paprika, herbes de Provence, salt, pepper, and oil to form a paste. Set aside.

3. Pat dry the Cornish hens with paper towels. Cut them along the breast and backbone to halve them—keep in mind, this is different than spatchcocking. There are some excellent videos on YouTube on how to do this.

4. Rub the hens with the seasoning paste.

5. Heat a large cast iron pan on the stove over high heat. Sear the Cornish hens, skin side down, until the skin is crisp and releases easily from the pan, 3–4 minutes.

6. Transfer the hens to a large baking sheet or dish and let cool enough to handle. Push the drumstick meat down the bone by about 1 inch. (When you’re serving these with the sweet potato mash, this will give the fancy effect of showing the bone sticking straight up on the plate).

7. Cook the Cornish hens until their internal temperature is at least 160°F, but not more than 180°F. The timing can range from 25 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the hens, so use a meat thermometer to be sure.

8. Remove the hens from the oven and sprinkle with the lemon zest and chopped parsley. Reserve the cooking juices.

The post Cornish Hen Recipe from Eatertainment appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Carrot and Apple Soup With Sautéed Mushrooms

Yield: serves 6–8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

SOUP

-11⁄2 lb heirloom carrots

-3 large green apples

-1 small yellow onion

-2 garlic cloves

-1⁄4 cup olive oil

-1⁄2 tsp ground ginger

-6 cups vegetable stock

-2 thyme sprigs

-Sea salt and black pepper

MUSHROOMS

-2 Tbsp olive oil + more for drizzling

-2 (each 12 oz) packages sliced mixed mushrooms (cremini, oyster, etc.)

-Sea salt

Directions:

FOR THE SOUP

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel and cut the carrots, apples, and onion into approximately 2-inch pieces. Coarsely chop the garlic.

Place the carrots, apple, onion, and garlic on the prepared baking sheet. Add the oil and ginger and toss to coat. Bake until the carrots and onions soften and begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes.

Bring the stock and thyme to a boil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Once the stock is boiling, remove the thyme and add the roasted vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the carrots are
soft, about 10 minutes.

FOR THE MUSHROOMS

Heat the oil in a medium skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat in the oil. Cook until the mushrooms are dark and crispy, about 5 minutes, then season to taste with salt.

TO FINISH

Remove the soup from the heat, let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with the sautéed mushrooms over top along with a drizzle of oil.

***

For many people, the idea of planning a dinner party can bring on stress and miss the point altogether: enjoying time with guests. From the owners of leading Canadian event management and catering companies comes Sebastien and Sheila Centner’s first book, Eatertainment – a beautifully photographed, all-in-one entertaining guidebook to make entertaining at home as simple as can be.

Sharing their decades of expertise, Seb and Sheila provide readers with practical tips and tricks for entertaining regardless of prep time, availability or budget, with instructions on everything from setting the table, to picking flowers for a center-piece, to even planning an easy loot bag for guests to take home. Featuring more than 140 recipes, 12 different types of events and 3 planning difficulty levels (Simple Entertaining, A Little More Effort and Pulling Out All The Stops), Eatertainment is a thoughtfully-assembled guidebook for anyone looking to host a stress-free gathering – no matter what kind of event you throw.

The post Carrot and Apple Soup With Sautéed Mushrooms from Eatertainment appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Saffron Pearl Couscous Salad

Yield – 1 litre *will keep 3 days refrigerated

Ingredients:

– 1 pinch saffron threads
– 1 cup pearl couscous
– ½ cup olive oil
– ¼ cup almond pieces, roasted
– ¼ cup dried cranberries
– ¼ cup dried apricots, coarse chopped
– ¼ cup pepitas, lightly toasted
– 1 cup canned chickpeas
– 4 tbsp flatleaf parsley, coarse chopped
– 2 tbsp mint, coarse chopped
– Juice and zest of 1 lemon
– Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pot, bring water to a boil with the saffron and allow to steep for 3 minutes

2. Add couscous and cook on medium high for approximately 8 minutes or until tender but still firm – it should not be crunchy

3. Drain cooked couscous in a colander and spread on a tray to cool

4. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to prevent sticking

5. Once cool, add couscous and remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl and evenly blend

6. Season to taste

The post Saffron Pearl Couscous Salad from Eatertainment’s Chef Chris Matthews appeared first on Toronto Guardian.