Can you go from working in a bistro to running your own catering business? Yes! That’s the story of Petra Grombiříková, who did her first catering job
for a small private party in 2019 and this year catered for 150 people at a 50th birthday party. She and her team can turn out anything from a served lunch for an intimate wedding of eight people to all-day catering for a huge celebration at a castle.
Personal touch
Petra’s catering prides itself on providing a personal service. “I always insist on a face-to-face meeting first, even if that means driving hundreds of miles. I also like to check out the wedding venue to get a taste of the atmosphere and overall style. Only after I get to know the couple and the location, their tastes and requirements, the design of the wedding and the other suppliers do I put together the bespoke wedding menu,” Petra explains. She won’t present you with lists, templates and pre-determined menus. She doesn’t use any processed ingredients, she has her own supplier of fragrant herbs, the eggs and beef are always farm-sourced, freshness is paramount, and she prepares everything she can on the spot – reheated meat is never a match for freshly fried steaks and cutlets, after all. In case you didn’t know, breaded chicken cutlets are a staple at practically every Czech wedding.
Freshness, flexibility, full service
Have you and Petra planned a menu for a hot summer afternoon, but the forecast is warning of a sharp drop in temperatures? No problem: Petra and her team can respond to changing conditions, so two days before the big day you can still arrange for the chilled gazpacho to be replaced by hot tomato soup. Petra also knows how important it is to blend seamlessly into the event, solving problems instead of causing them, coordinating with the other suppliers, and smiling instead of looking stressed. Her team don’t just put food on the tables: they’re always on their toes, making sure older guests are swiftly offered refreshments after a ceremony in the baking sun, making coffee for the band, lighting the candles on the tables in time, tidying up the flower arrangements... In short, they know that they’re a key part of one of the most important days in two people’s lives, a day when every little thing counts.
