Today, clients enjoy Tulips & Maple's fine art of "cater-taining" - a commitment to the enjoyment of life with unforgettable gatherings that entice you with custom beauty, irresistible flavours and creative detail. Whether for a few, an assembly of many or an intimate gathering, review memorable moments with our clients here.

The Genies
2009 Genie Awards held at the Canadian Aviation Museum the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a national, non-profit, professional association dedicated to the promotion, recognition and celebration of exceptional achievements in the Canadian film and television industries. On April 4 the announcement of the 2009 Genie Award winners by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television was hosted for the first time by Canada's Capital Region and was held in Ottawa's Canadian Aviation Museum. The 29th Annual Genie Awards were broadcast on Global and IFC catered in whole by the Tulips & Maple team.

An Enchanted Evening
Tulips and Maple's talented kitchen team created a menu which echoed the enchanted theme of Elmwood School's annual fundraising gala dinner. The Tulips & Maple décor of butterflies, fairy wings, shimmery apple and gold satin linens, and vases of illuminated gold branches added visual drama. But with a power outage that endured the whole evening, the Tulips & Maple team showed their dedication, rallied with some quick role reassignments and delivered the entire meal on time with added professionalism and panache. With the creative use of flashlights, the consommé had sparkle with swirling gold and silver confetti, the beef was served on a bed of wild forest mushrooms, and lemon panna cotta dessert shimmered on a pool of deep midnight blueberries with violet stars. An organizing committee member described the success of the evening with all its charm for organizers and guests alike: “The entire meal was fabulous from beginning to end. You guys didn't skip a beat. Very impressive management under pressure. Congratulations. I look forward to working with you again!”

International firm celebrates dynamic women
Three hundred women were “wowed” by Tulips & Maple's food and presentation at January's top tier financial services firm's event at the National Gallery of Canada. Soup and sandwich hors d'oeuvres, shrimp in oversized martini glasses, a chocolate fondue “corridor”, and “cosmo smoothies”, all together with service staff bearing lipstick kisses on their cheeks, made the occasion feel like one big girls' night out! Let Tulips & Maple show you how we can turn your special event into a lifelong memory!

Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame
An extraordinary plated dinner for 364 guests celebrated the Aviation Hall of Fame Inductees. Our clients remarks, “The dinner that you catered for Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame Induction Gala at the Canada Aviation Museum was a total success. It was so good that I have been asked to Chair the Dinner Committee again this coming year. The quality, taste and appeal of the food served by your company received rave reviews from all of the Hall's directors, the members that I have spoken with and our guests. Your staff provided excellent, prompt and courteous service. Unfortunately next year the dinner will be held in Toronto, but we will return to the Aviation Museum in Ottawa in time, as it is an excellent venue for organization. In this event, our first call will be to Tulips & Maple. Please express our gratitude to your management and, in particular, to all of your staff for making this year's Induction Gala such a memorable event.”

Big 5 Financial Firm Celebrates Canadian Painting Competition
The 10th anniversary of the Canadian Painting Competition was celebrated along with the announcement of the patronage of Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, in the National Gallery of Canada – Great Hall. Tulips & Maple ensured everything went smoothly even though the National Gallery was open to the public during this private affair for 400 guests. The Governor General was present, increasing the security and protocol. The client contact, located in Toronto, had her heart set on a lounge area for the guests, with a colour scheme of bright pink and white. With trusty skills and reliable partner resources, Tulips & Maple brought in custom furniture rentals to win over an extremely pleased client and a graceful floor plan. Décor and flowers were loved by all!

Vintners on the Hill
The beautiful ballroom of Parliament Hill was filled with aficionados of fine food and wine with leading vintners of Canada who host this premier reception. For the third year in a row, Tulips and Maple helped put a spotlight on the fine wines available across our country. Over 300 guests in attendance were wowed by the customized Canadian menu designed to complement the reveal from wineries across Canada. This year's catering theme highlighted the agricultural roots of the industry with food and décor choices with pure foods like vine leaves, juniper red wine gastric, and grape carpaccio and a new floor plan that included rustic elements like burlap, grapes vines, wine barrels and baskets together with elegant touches of violet silk linen, sugared grapes and glassware that sparkled with light. The VIPs are anxiously awaiting next year's event with an encore performance of the exceptional service, high quality of food and the far-away ambiance enjoyed by all.

Uniquely BC
A British Columbia-based client celebrated an aviation milestone with 100 VIP guests by hosting an elegant sit-down dinner held at the Canadian Museum of Aviation of Ottawa featuring British Columbia's own finest regional ingredients and flavours. The tables were placed among the historic planes within the museum and guests were treated to the delicious four-course menu that reflected only the best of home.

A Prom to Remember
An Ottawa family had a fun-filled year with three Tulips & Maple celebrations including a welcoming house-warming party, a toast-to-the-season holiday party and a once in a lifetime celebration for high school prom graduation. With incremental weather, there was careful consideration of a full end-to-end outdoor tent at the family home. Tulips & Maple came to the rescue with a practical plan. Together, the client and the Tulips & Maple team opted to prepare for the overcast day with shaded tent covers at each food station to allow for the mingle and flow they hoped for – and the best quality environment for delectable dishes, that may have been too fragile to stand up to the extreme heat or bothersome rain. A beautiful day after all, mother, daughter and friends celebrated with fun and fancy. It was the first of the three Tulips & Maple events that year.

Chinese New Year Open House
It had been a tradition for several community families to get together to celebrate Chinese New Year at a preferred restaurant. This year, our hostess not only wanted to celebrate the New Year with friends but also wanted to share a special thank you to all who had helped her over the past couple of years fight a long and successful battle against cancer. An afternoon open house at a private home in Manotick for 70 people was the answer. With a theme suited to the Chinese New Year celebration, for adults and children, there had to be an element of fun and specialties for a three-hour gathering. Tulips & Maple chose Asian inspired food, including an action station that featured great food and entertainment; our culinary artist prepared vegetarian spring rolls and invited our guests to do the same. With added details and a family spirit suited to the community occasion, a guest remarked: “The party was a hit....tons of people, tons of wonderful food, lots of catching up with people I have not seen for a while. It was very nice. Your people did a really nice job!!! A+ for everyone.”

Multicultural Nuptials
In the National Art Gallery's Grand Hall, we helped celebrate a very special day for a couple bringing together two families and a marriage of two cultures, Canadian and Indian. The wedding was an all day affair that began with a traditional Canadian ceremony in the early morning, followed by a lovely brunch reception for 150 guests at the parents' beautiful home. Following the brunch, a traditional Indian ceremony took place in the back yard, where delicious snacks and traditional Indian sweets were provided. Later that evening, 400 guests gathered in the sparkling National Gallery's Grand Hall for a Canadian-Indian fusion dinner. A live band treated the guests with energetic music as the bride and groom celebrated the close of a full day of food, beverage, décor and excitement; guests were welcomed and all revelled in the heritage of both families and the joy of the memorable occasion.

Top Tier Accounting Client Appreciation Night
Tulips & Maple worked creatively and collaboratively to meet budget constraints and stage a memorable, fun event that echoed the client's theme of “The 50s”. High on the 20th floor of a downtown office tower, desks and office equipment were transformed for the “sock-hop”. Food reminiscent of the 50s was served including shrimp cocktail, devilled eggs, stuffed mushroom caps and bowls of “CHEX mix”. Chef action stations added special flare featuring 50s style dishes with a trademark Tulips & Maple “twist”: The “James Dean Diner” station had mini burgers with caramelized onions and bacon, crisp oven fries and decadent mini strawberry milk shakes all on one plate; The “Betty Crocker Is Off Her Rocker” station had homemade macaroni and cheese topped with a luscious morsel of lobster. And of course, the Tulips & Maple team embraced the theme with the décor – record albums featuring 50s musicians, hoola hoops, the “twister game” and “hub cap” platters. Female servers had high pony tails and cat eyeglasses and our male servers had slicked back hair, jeans and leather jackets. Over 300 guests delighted in the occasion.

A Wedding Surprise
Our fine couple had been engaged for about a year and wanted to wait until the bride was finished her culinary courses at Le Cordon Bleu before the plans for the wedding began. The groom wanted to surprise his future wife by planning her perfect wedding! Three weeks before the wedding, our groom approached Tulips & Maple for all the help he needed to be organized and to carry the event off with delight! The wedding and cocktail reception took place at the beautiful National Art Gallery – Restaurant des Beaux-Arts. Overlooking the Parliament Buildings, the ceremonial nuptials were performed under the sparkling glass dome. With a radiant sun set, the lights were off and faces were illuminated with the 200 candles placed around the room. Like the spirit of our unconventional bride and groom, the evening’s menu was untraditional and fun. A full meal was served, cocktail reception style. It was a huge hit! In three short weeks, Tulips & Maple helped create a dream wedding that will last a lifetime.

International Beauty Brand Store Opening
With a new store opening in the heart of Ottawa's Rideau Shopping Centre, our corporate client wanted a different affair. With 300 guests expected to flow through the doors of the brand's new retail venue, with great kudos, more than 450 sampled, savoured and tested the fancy fare. With little room to manoeuvre in the well merchandised space, the catering team created lots of buzz with an all-male wait staff who sported lipstick marked cheeks summer shades and tropical-coloured boutonnieres to echo the brand's most recent colour schemes of its ad campaigns. Guests enjoyed shaking culinary powder from make-up sprinkle containers onto warm crab cakes, brushing bright mango sauce with a facial brush onto chicken skewers, spraying flavoured vodka with brand atomizers onto cheese mousse cups, and helping themselves to wonderful cheese pairings presented in beauty train cases. Flutes of sparkling wine held skewers of white chocolate drizzled berries and a chocolate truffle perched on the glass rim for added delight. Attendees enjoyed flavours and merchandise fun, and a successful launch for the brand.