Vendor Spotlight: Jamie with Fodrey Catering Concepts LLC

Meet Jamie Fodrey, Owner and Chef at Fodrey Catering Concepts. With no two menus the same, this family-owned catering company takes the time to get to know you, forming a comfortable, open relationship. From there they can create the menu of your dreams, with food you might have NEVER seen at a wedding before!

Tell us a little about your company:
Fodrey Catering Concepts offers a catering experience like no other. Combine our culinary education, many years in the industry, close attention to detail, quality menus, and a beautiful presentation and you have just a taste of what we offer. Event planning can be stressful! Our focus and expertise in customizing a unique catering experience, revolving around your taste and budget, will allow you to wholeheartedly enjoy your occasion.

Our well-rounded culinary talent does not limit us to a specific type of menu because the passion of our work comes from taking our client’s catering vision and bringing it to life! We stay closely in tune with the ever-changing trends of the culinary world allowing us to evolve with the times. Each event is another culinary adventure and our execution from beginning to end sets us apart from the rest!

How did you get started in this business?
Fodrey Catering Concepts is a family owned business in Chesterfield, VA serving Richmond and the surrounding areas. Me and Warren Fodrey have spent over 15 years in the foodservice industry in various sectors and on many levels before finally joining forces to provide the ultimate event catering experience. Our backgrounds consist of restaurant management, Corporate Dining, Healthcare Dining, Country Club Dining, Private Events, and more. Through our culinary venture, it has been a complete pleasure to feed several known faces such as James Earl Jones, Sting, Governor Gilmore, Brandon T Jackson, and Brian Mitchell. We understand the catering industry and the importance of a seamless catering experience.

What’s your favorite wedding story?
Coming up with our “favorite” wedding story is tricky as each wedding is magical in its own way. A special family comes to mind when thinking of a great wedding story. These two were high school sweethearts then went their separate ways to college. Fate took matters into its own hands bringing these lovebirds back together after years and years. Their vows had meanings as deep as the ocean, and on their wedding day, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Why do you like working with weddings?
Food tends to be the center of most gatherings regardless of circumstances for which it brings them together. As a caterer, we get to play a very special role in making the occasion something to remember. Our favorite part of weddings is sharing a piece of who the special couple is with their friends and family through the delicious food being served. Food can be a very deep, emotional experience which goes hand in hand with the love exchanged on your wedding day!

What is the most difficult situation you have faced with a couple and how did you resolve it?
When you think caterer, of course, you think food. However, our service goes beyond the menu. Wedding planning can be hectic with to-do lists a mile long, family to coordinate with, and lots of decisions! With the lovely chaos comes many emotions! A critical step in creating the best catering experience possible for each client is building a relationship. Therefore, we are available to provide advice and support in any way that we can in efforts to take as much stress as we can off of our couple’s plate. Helping our clients navigate the planning process can be difficult when the family wishes to play a major role with differing opinions than the couple. In order to navigate these scenarios, we utilize our expertise of the industry to offer advice that focuses on what the couple wants while also providing some sort of compromise that would appeal to the family involved in planning as well.

From a vendor’s perspective, what is the one best piece of advice you can offer to engaged couples?
From a vendor’s perspective, the best piece of advice that I can offer an engaged couple is to not lose sight of each other on the wild ride of wedding planning. Always keep the celebration of your union as a top priority. You’re bringing family and friends together to showcase two people becoming one and that should shine in every aspect of the wedding. Each wedding vendor you choose has a unique opportunity to bring to the table who you are as a couple, and thinking too much about what your family/friends would like takes away from that.

How far in advance should couples book your services?
It is very important to book your wedding with Fodrey Catering six months to a year in advance. Not only does the calendar fill quickly, but bringing your catering vision to life can sometimes take time to properly plan and execute.

What inspires you the most / where do you find inspiration?
Culinary is just as much of an art as painting, acting, music, fashion etc. which is why we avoid relying on a set menu to sell our clients. Our inspiration stems from who our clients are. Their background and unique story help us paint a culinary picture when writing their menu. No two stories are the same, therefore menus that are the perfect fit are rarely the same from event to event.

What do you like to do when you are away from work?
Our favorite aspect of owning our business is the flexibility it provides to create the ultimate balance between work and home life. When we aren’t working our focus is creating memories with our boys. Much of the spring and fall is spent on the baseball and football field. We cherish summer months at our awesome community pool watching our boys get better and better in the water. Upon entering entrepreneurship, our secret vow to our children was to no longer miss them grow up and to create the best possible way to include them in our passion.

What would we be surprised to learn about you?
I have a somewhat hidden talent of creating beautiful fruit/vegetable carvings and displays. When faced with a carving project, her love for Elvis and the Redskins creates the perfect tone for the meditation that takes place while widdling away at her fruits and vegetables.

Learn more about Jamie and the rest of the team at Fodrey Catering Concepts on their website!

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