When someone says “catering” it may conjure images of assembly lines, generic bites, and lackluster staff, but not anymore—Pinch Food Design is changing the game. A forward-thinking team, spearheaded by industry veteran chef Bob Spiegel and set designer TJ Girard, is turning the concept of catered events on its head by seamlessly executing bespoke functions that raise the bar for the industry.
“Everything about us is different,” Girard explains. “From the language we use to describe what we do to the way we create and present our food. We’re part of the party and we’re part of what makes the party fun!”
Signature Pinch Food Design “Food Furniture” and “Happenings” invigorate events and solve obvious catering problems to give clients something fresh and avant-garde in both cuisine and presentation. A series of “Interactions,” such as edible spin art, keep the party shaking while “Pop-ups” lavish an event with a flurry of excitement as snacks like savory pretzels suddenly appear dangling on a wire and then just as quickly disappear.
With more than 30 years in the culinary industry, Spiegel has been on the front-lines of thousands of high profile events around the country and saw a need and opportunity to take catering to the next level.
“Dining experiences at restaurants have grown in very exciting ways over the past decade, and catering has not mirrored that growth,” Spiegel says. “We believe our clients are ready for, and deserve, a taste of something new and unpredictable, an experience that leverages the best food with an entirely new presentation.”
That next level came by way of blending Spiegel’s forward-thinking culinary approach with Girard’s eye for design. They’re re-thinking every aspect of the catering experience—from napkin holders to service interactions. The result is Pinch’s one-of-a-kind innovations—take the “Spin” for example, a spoon and pin combination that is a sleek solution for messy finger foods, with one bite on each end, you flip it around to complete the taste and experience. The “Holesome” is an artistic wooden frame stacked with cylinders allowing groups to easily indulge from either side of the display, while suspending treats like warm bread pudding sticks.
“Theatrical set design is about creating visual and functional solutions while staying true to the overall narrative,” Girard says. “The idea of telling a visual interactive story, as it fits into a larger context, is something I am excited to apply to catered events. You could say that being new to the catering industry served me well—I didn’t have a background in catering, I wasn’t stuck within the confines of how things were always done.”
Spiegel, Girard, and their team of carpenters, servers, chefs, and event specialists offer partygoers an entirely new catering and entertaining experience. From “Food Furniture” to innovative “Interactions,” and “Pop-ups,” Pinch Food Design’s unpredictable, memorable events go beyond the framework of a traditional catered party.
Pinch Food Design’s tasting room, workshop, and state-of-the-art kitchen are located in the heart of Chelsea, New York, N.Y.
