Hello 2021! We are sure glad you are here! As we enter this fresh, new year with so many possibilities ahead of us, it is hard not to think back and reflect on what an incredible year 2020 was for us. You are probably thinking, “um, hello, are you talking about the same 2020 we just experienced? Pandemic, political uproar, continued racial injustice, unemployment, evictions, the list goes on…” Yes! That is the same year I am talking about but hear me out. Feast on This turned the big 2-0 this year, and while we would have preferred the ability to throw the ‘soiree of the year,’ we still honored that milestone birthday by continuing to create memorable experiences for our clients. This business was built on the foundation that unique, quality, unforgettable culinary experiences are the heart and soul of our work. While the pandemic did disrupt our day-to-day operations initially, put a severe financial strain on us, eliminated hugs and handshakes with our staff and clients and was an overall nightmare in the beginning, it also allowed us to pivot in a way that we never thought would produce such magic.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You have to accept whatever comes, and the only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give.” While some of our fellow catering industry friends opted to steer clear of this very unclear future, we took it as a challenge and rose to it (we work best under pressure, that is why we are in the event industry ????)! We vowed at the beginning of this pandemic mess that we would give it all we have, but to never sacrifice our core values. We grew as a little family, excellence was woven into each decision we made, our attitudes remained positive despite the dark clouds that consistently loomed, communication (sharing) and transparency ruled our planning meetings, and we all made a transformation and grew together as a team.
Did we have dark days? Oh yes. Did we suffer from bouts of depression? OMG yes. But did we get through it a more tight-knit, creative, innovative, and successful team? HELL YES! Feast on This got to celebrate its 20th birthday all year because of the following successes (don’t mind us while we humbly brag a little bit!):
400+ new client friends, our products reached 18 states, the birth of the RTF (Ready to Feast) line, created a new line of wine infused truffles (more on that soon!), hundreds of client friends fed during their virtual holiday celebrations, 2 pre-pandemic weddings, 6 micro weddings, donated hundreds of meals to frontline workers, new shop.feastonthis.com website, new limited edition shirts with Feast ASL (American Sign Language) and an opportunity to honor very deserving healthcare workers with a beautiful awards luncheon.
We cannot move on to 2021 without saying two particularly important words to you, our Feast Family: THANK YOU. Thank you for sticking with us through this incredibly weird and awkward time. Thank you for inspiring us to continue to deliver what we promise. Thank you for being a positive light that continued to shine bright for us throughout the darkest of days. Thank you for allowing us to continue to do what we love: being a small part of your most memorable life events (even if it is over Zoom these days ????).
So long 2020! You have been a challenge but so worth it.
