Mediterranean catering

What Mediterranean means on our menu

"Mediterranean" covers a lot of coastline, so we are specific about what we cook. Our menus draw mainly on four kitchens:

• Greek: chicken or pork souvlaki, lamb kleftiko slow-roasted with lemon and oregano, horiatiki salad, spanakopita, gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers), fasolakia (green beans braised in tomato and olive oil) and tzatziki.
• Southern Italian: grilled vegetables with salsa verde, caponata, farro and white bean salads, porchetta-style roast pork, and orecchiette with rapini.
• Spanish: patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo, chicken and chorizo paella, romesco and marinated olives.
• Turkish Aegean: olive oil vegetable dishes served at room temperature, such as imam bayildi (stuffed eggplant) and braised leeks, plus grilled köfte with sumac onions.

Levantine dishes like hummus, tabbouleh and shish tawook overlap with this cooking but have their own page: see Middle Eastern catering. Many clients combine the two.

How Mediterranean food travels and holds

A lot of Mediterranean cooking was designed to be eaten warm or at room temperature, which is a real advantage for catering. Olive oil braises, roasted vegetables, bean salads and grain salads often taste better an hour after cooking than straight from the pan, and they are safe on a table for up to two hours without chafing dishes.

Other dishes need care:

• Grilled fish dries out if held. For drop-off we choose sturdier fish such as salmon or swordfish, or use cooked fish in salads. Whole grilled branzino or sea bream is for full-service events, finished on site.
• Filo pastries like spanakopita go soft in a steamy chafing dish. We reheat them in dry ovens on site and serve them uncovered.
• Leafy salads travel undressed. Dressing goes on at the venue, and horiatiki is served in the Greek way, without lettuce, so it does not wilt.
• Paella is best cooked in the pan on site. For drop-off, we recommend a baked rice dish or orzo instead, because paella rice keeps cooking in a closed container.

Service formats that suit it

Family-style is the most natural fit: platters of roast lamb, grilled chicken, salads and potatoes passed around each table. It suits weddings, rehearsal dinners and milestone birthdays where you want guests talking rather than queuing. Family-style starts from $78 per person.

Buffet and hot lunch work well for offices because the menu naturally includes a vegetarian main, two or three salads and a grain, so one menu serves most dietary needs. See the hot lunch buffet menu.

Boxed lunches such as a chicken souvlaki bowl with lemon potatoes and horiatiki, or a grain bowl with roasted vegetables and feta, are some of the easiest boxes to keep fresh. See boxed lunches.

Canapés for receptions include grilled halloumi with honey and thyme, small köfte skewers, whipped feta on toast with roasted peppers, and gambas skewers. Our canapé menu lists more.

Dietary overlaps

Mediterranean menus are one of the easiest ways to feed a mixed group, but several details are often overlooked.

• Vegetarian and vegan: olive oil braises, grain salads, grilled vegetables and bean dishes are vegan without substitution. Feta, yogurt and halloumi appear often, so we mark dairy clearly.
• Gluten-free: grilled proteins, potatoes, rice and most salads are free of gluten ingredients. Orzo, farro, couscous, filo, pita and bread are not. Our kitchen is shared, so we describe dishes as made without gluten ingredients; see gluten-free catering.
• Halal-sourced: Greek, Spanish and Italian menus often use pork, chorizo and wine. For halal menus we use halal-sourced lamb, chicken and beef, leave out pork products and cook without wine, and we confirm sourcing in writing. See halal catering.
• Nuts: romesco contains almonds or hazelnuts and some pastries use walnuts or pistachios. We label these clearly.

Seasonality in Ontario

Mediterranean cooking depends on ripe vegetables, and Ontario's best months for them are short. From late July to September we build menus around Ontario field tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers and green beans. In June, local strawberries and early greens appear on dessert and salad plates.

From November to April we lean on dishes that do not need summer produce: braises like Greek stifado and giouvetsi (lamb with orzo), roasted squash with feta and pomegranate, chickpea and spinach stews, citrus salads with winter oranges. We will not serve a tomato salad in February and call it Mediterranean.

Events where it works well

We most often cook Mediterranean menus for summer office lunches and team days, micro-weddings and rehearsal dinners served family-style, backyard and tented events where room-temperature dishes reduce the need for hot holding, and corporate receptions that need a lighter menu with clear vegetarian choices.