One of the more interesting aspects of owning a catering business is seeking out new foods and innovative products that we can offer our customers.    We are constantly bombarded with e-mails and advertising from suppliers for every aspect of the catering business.  Typically we have seen it all before.  We regularly attend food and trade shows seeking out that new special item that will “wow” our clients.  That moment came last month when we discovered VerTerra products – compostable dinnerware made from fallen leaves – wow!

We have had a complete line of compostable-ware that we have been providing to clients for the last two years.  It has proven functional, environmentally friendly, and fine for everyday corporate catering, however it seemed to be lacking an elegant touch.  For upscale events the green alternative has been to rent china which is costly to begin with, but also requires extra labor increasing the expense.   We had an upscale holiday party booked with an environmentally conscious client and we needed to find something new, fast.   VerTerra dinnerware was the answer.

VerTerra  is great looking, good for the environment, and less expensive than renting china.  As the story goes, Michael Dwork, founder and CEO of VerTerra, was in rural India when he saw a woman pressing wet leaves in a crude waffle iron to create a plate for eating. It was then that the idea for his company was born.   Our client loved the product and asked for the entire event to be a ‘zero waste event’.  Compost and recycle everything – no landfill waste.  No problem, we do that.  Josh Parker, head of operations at VerTerra, was quick to set us up with all of the necessary products for the event and we were ready to go.  The guests were impressed, the event was a success, and all that waste is well on its way to becoming useful compost for local farmers.

So we now have a great new product we are offering that is perfect for events that require a more elegant look without having the added expense and logistics of china rentals.  Let us know if you would like to see a sample.  You can check them out at www.VerTerra.com.

VerTerra compostable dinnerware & compostable corn cup – $2.50pp