After 8 Catering
With 25 years of experience, we offer you hand-crafted cooking, attention to detail and exceptional service. Our passion is ignited by the flavours, colours, and choices found in this fertile region. We love food and we love serving you the most beautiful food that we can create, together with playful decor and elegant presentation. We make your celebrations and events personal, delicious, and a fun experience. We strive to partner with local suppliers, farmers and producers to obtain the best, freshest ingredients possible, including utilizing our own herb and vegetable gardens in season.
“When necessary, caterers are electricians, baby-sitters, carpenters, actors, plumbers, dieticians, veterinarians, coaches, hairstylists, traffic cops, designers, marriage counselors, psychiatrists, janitors, florists and miracle workers!”
– Michael Roman
Michelle
Michelle’s penchant for cooking began at a young age. Being raised on a dairy farm, and the youngest of five kids, good, pure food was an integral part of her upbringing. Many evenings were spent in the garden with her Dad, weeding, swatting mosquitos, and learning how to grow organic, gorgeous vegetables. In the kitchen, Michelle’s Mom was always baking, canning, and creating nutritious, fresh meals for not only her family, but for many community event and organizations.
Michelle has had a varied culinary career, with stints in several restaurants, inns, and clubs. She spend two seasons as the chef aboard the Georgian Clipper, which took guests on a five day cruise through the Thousand Islands and Picton, and has catered to such varied guests as HRH Princess Anne, Jane Seymour, Gordon Lightfoot, The Trailer Park Boys, and Snoop Dogg, to name a few.
This has been the background of a creative, industrious caterer who turns basic, pure ingredients into creative, colourful, memorable food moments. Together with her team, they are passionately committed to exceeding expectations with their food, service and teamwork.
Our Food
Who wouldn’t want to wow their guests with fantastic flavours, colours and service, without the work? The extraordinary pleasures of sharing good food and drink with special people, is a bonding, nurturing experience. It brings people together.
Whether you worship bacon, dream about chocolate, or thirst for a chilled gazpacho, we can help you create a customized event to fit your tastes and budget. Whether you are working on a team-building day for your staff, or celebrating a milestone birthday, we can help.
KIND WORDS
We first used Michelle's services about 6 years ago. It was for a Christmas Party where a full buffet dinner was served, appetizers, wine, dinner and dessert for at least 35 people. We and our guests were immensely pleased and have continued to use Michelle's services for mainly large functions since then. Michelle also provided a buffet dinner for our 50th Wedding Anniversary held in our backyard on a wonderfully sunny day. It was a large garden party with over 50 family in attendance. The food and service contributed to a very special day for us. The compliments from our guests at all functions have been deservedly generous. Many of the guests that have attended our functions have now employed Michelle and her staff for their own functions large and small. Michelle and all her staff that attend these functions are very professional and friendly. Our guests have been most complimentary re their services and comment on the quality of the food and service. It is without hesitation that I would highly recommend After 8 Catering for any function that you are planning. I know you will be pleased.
M & J - Christmas Party
The party was a great success; Carol was thrilled and the food delicious. Bonnie and Marion could not have been more helpful. Thank you so much, Michelle.
C. Cunningham - Private Party
Enough cannot be said about Michelle Stewart and her team at After Eight Catering. My husband and I had wanted our wedding at an unconventional location, on a narrow peninsula where the family cottage resided. With logistical challenges abound (the property had never had 40 people on it at one time, let alone more than 100), we first ran the idea past Michelle for her professional opinion before even telling our families about our plans! After travelling to meet us, Michelle's insight guided us through our menu choices, which ultimately influenced our outdoor layout as well, allowing for a perfectly catered display that fit us both aesthetically and financially. She truly is one of the greats who you trust to make the decisions on your behalf, knowing she has your tastes and interests at heart. Looking back, that alone is worth more than we can say. Michelle's entire team was heart-warmingly and genuinely kind, caring and professional throughout our big day. Quite frankly, without After Eight Catering and Michelle's insight, our special day would not have happened at all for it was her that saw the possible in the "impossible". As a professional photographer who intimately works within the field of weddings and special events, I could not provide a stronger recommendation for a phenomenal chef & caterer. Thank you, Michelle & After Eight Catering!
Kaja - Unconventional Wedding
These past 4 years we have been truly fortunate to have Michelle and Marion come to our home and exquisitely cater each of our two annual Christmas / holiday parties. We first met Michelle when we attended a friend's brunch and were very impressed with the quality of the food, the presentation, and the subtle yet attentive serving. When we asked her about catering for us she wanted to come to our home to see the environment, talk about the party attendees, and the food for each event. This request further reinforced our initial impression of Michelle as a detail-oriented, accommodating, diligent professional. The two parties are quite different and Michelle took copious notes to ensure that the food and the presentation suited each group. She also asked for our favourites and has been sure to provide them each year without our asking. Michelle is also very flexible when it comes to requests for menu changes. She thinks on her feet when last-minute accommodations are necessary; she prepared an egg dish for someone that was a vegetarian when we had totally forgotten about this requirement. The food Michelle creates in not only mouth-wateringly flavourful but also beautifully presented. It is truly a fine dining experience right down to the decorations Marianne brings to set the stage for the exquisite food. Candles, sparkling twigs, and fur accents have adorned a table full of finger finger foods from international cheeses with nuts and apricots, to cranberry salsa, warm rosemary biscuits, and sumptuous cookies and cakes for desert. These tease your palate for delicious soups with edible spoons, hot lamb rolls, and roast beef with mashed potatoes served in a martini glass, to name just a few. All served quietly and attentively by Marianne. I can't say enough about Michelle and her team -- except that I can't wait for next year's parties!
J & D - Annual Holiday Parties
I can't say enough about Michelle and her staff. My husband and I were married in October. We had a relatively small budget, and approximately 140 guests. Michelle knew how much we could afford, and worked around our budget so that we didn't overspend. I can't explain how vital that is for my husband and I. We appreciate it more than we could ever explain! Our guests raved about the food that Michelle and her staff prepared, to the point that we still hear about it! Michelle took my description of what we wanted our wedding to feel like (big family dinner, harvest time, warm) and created a menu that both matched our budget and perfectly complemented our wedding. Not only was Michelle's food amazing, but her staff were so perfect as well. They were so incredibly helpful and professional with our guests. Thank you all so so much. You made our wedding night perfect .
Zoe - 2016 Wedding Reception
