ADDISON COUNTY — Behind the scenes of any wedding is a group of people working to ensure the happy couple’s day is as memorable as possible. Oftentimes that team includes the caterers that bring the couple’s food-related visions to life and support them throughout their big day. 

Addison County is home to a variety of catering teams that specialize in anything from wood-fired pizza to Asian-inspired cuisine. Local teams are often flexible in their offerings and dedicated to helping couples develop the perfect menu. 

“I love to see happy people and enjoy the fact that they enjoyed the food,” said William Wisell of Farmers Market Pizza. “A lot of people put in a lot of time to these things for their wedding day; you’ve got people that think about it their whole life…and that day’s a big day, so just making that day theirs is what I strive for.” 

William and Cristy Wisell make up the two-person team behind Farmers Market Pizza, a mobile wood-fired catering company based in Vergennes. Like other caterers around the county, Farmers Market Pizza handles a variety of other gatherings in addition to catering weddings — from baby showers to corporate celebrations. 

The pair previously owned and operated Cucina Antica restaurant in Shelburne, where they operated a wood-fired pizza oven at the local farmers market. That work led to the launch of their frozen pizza line, Half Baked Pizza. They later sold the business and returned to their roots of catering with the pizza oven through Farmers Market Pizza.

“When we went to Half Baked and started doing the production and manufacturing, we just lost that personal touch with people, so this gives us that opportunity to be connected with people and showcase Vermont,” Cristy said of the catering business.

In each of the operations they’ve run, one of their main focuses has been offering clean, GMO-free options. The pair grows many of the ingredients they use at their Vergennes property. 

“We try to grow most of our vegetables for our grazing tables…flowers for our décor, herbs for our pizzas,” Cristy said. 

Farmers Market Pizza offers packages for pizza and other catering options, all customizable. For appetizers, Farmers Market Pizza’s offerings include grazing tables — a spread filled with charcuterie, veggies and fruits, cheeses, and other snacks — as well as wood-fired chicken wings, beef skewers and salad bars.

Farmers Market Pizza offers pizza options, grazing tables and desserts. Photo courtesy of Farmers Market Pizza

During the summer, the pair focuses on their wood-fired pizza and enhancements like appetizers, salads and dessert tables. Cristy noted serving ciabatta-style pizza allows the pair to whip up meals quickly.

“We can definitely feed 100 people in about 35 minutes, and that’s the process of us pre-building and then just cooking and continually refilling the board before pizzas run out,” she said. 

Winter catering options include buffet-style pulled pork, roasted turkey and other protein options served with various sides. 

William noted the pair welcomes couples to make the menu their own. 

“One time we had a guy who was a big time game hunter. He brought wild boar, he brought venison, he brought elk, a whole bunch of stuff for the pizzas and we put that on all the pizzas,” he said. 

Once food service begins, Cristy and William find a rhythm and work to ensure the event goes smoothly.

“We can circumvent any obstacles that a wedding day will put in front of you, and believe me, there are obstacles,” William said. “This allows us to not be one of the worries, and when you don’t have to worry about your food on your wedding day, that’s a load off your mind.” 

Making sure couples and guests can celebrate worry-free is also the goal for the team at Crooked Ladle Catering in Middlebury.

“Our job is to help people feel relaxed and for no one to have to worry about a single thing,” said Jenny Urban, who runs Crooked Ladle with her husband, Lou. 

The pair opened the business in 2022, bringing to the table prior experience at local eateries like the Black Sheep Bistro in Vergennes and Bristol’s Bobcat Café. Crooked Ladle began as a catering service, later expanding with a restaurant and event space at 51 Main St. in Middlebury. 

Over the years their team has grown into a 20-person staff that Urban noted is instrumental to Crooked Ladle’s work. 

That team continues to offer catering services, working around 100 weddings in addition to other celebrations since starting in 2022. Couples can peruse a few different packages and menu inspirations on Crooked Ladle’s website, which can be customized and built off of. 

“It just depends on the couple and what they want,” Urban said. 

Crooked Ladle’s offerings range from Asian to French-inspired fare, and the team has worked with couples on anything from slider sandwiches to 184-person plated dinners. In addition to food, Crooked Ladle also offer bar service. 

Past wedding menus have included gnocchi with fresh market vegetables, seared duck breast, flatbread bites, and pasta with kalamata olive and fire-roasted tomato chicken. 

“Often we’ll start with the question of, ‘What’s you and your fiancé’s favorite food to eat,’ or ‘What’s food that you like to celebrate with,’ and then we’ll design a menu based on that,” Urban said. 

Local caterers help their clients determine the perfect menu for their events. Photo courtesy of Farmers Market Pizza

Each celebration has its own flavor, from smaller gatherings to elaborate wedding dinners. Urban highlighted some memorable moments from this past wedding season, such as whipping up espresso martini shots while guests danced to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and catering a few fully-vegan weddings.

“That was a cool challenge for us,” Urban said. 

Regardless of what’s on the menu, one of Urban’s favorite parts of the job is connecting with couples. She noted those connections often last long after the vows are said. 

“(Crooked Ladle recently hosted) a birthday party for somebody who had gotten married with us in our very first year catering as Crooked Ladle in 2022,” Urban said. “It was so fun to see the people that were at the wedding and meet the baby and hear about their life, and knowing that you’re part of their life at that very beginning part of the wedding day is kind of fun.” 

Working with local couples is also a highlight for Andy Buxton of Mave Catering, formerly Buxton’s Store catering. The former Buxton’s Store owner has offered catering services for around 15 years, both on his own and as part of other establishments. 

Buxton noted that he likes to specialize in smaller venues, with parties of up to 100 guests being the sweet spot. As for the menu, Buxton works with couples to build the lineup of food offerings from scratch. 

“I like to say to my clients, ‘The slate is clean, I will build you any kind of menu you want,’” he said. 

Buxton works within couple’s budgets and can provide examples of menu options if that’s what they’re looking for. 

He noted that with each bill he sends, he’ll make a note listing all of the local producers he sourced ingredients from. 

“I write down when I send the bill that ‘I used cream from Monument Farms and cheese from Cabot and local beef from so and so,’” Buxton explained. “We really focused on, as long as it was within the client’s budget, really supporting local as much as possible.” 

His favorite part of the job is watching a couple’s plan become reality and helping inspire their wedding day menu. 

“The best thing is definitely being able to work with the customers one on one and seeing what they wanted (come together),” he said. 

Those interested in learning more about Mave Catering can contact Buxton at 802-989-8720.