Dish Caterers was created by Chef Beth Hughes, a more than twenty year veteran of the DC catering scene.  After years of working as a chef for caterers such as Occasions and Susan Gage, Beth founded Metropolitan Events Caterers in 1994. Four years later she joined with the two partners of Essence de Cuisine to form 3 Citron Caterers.  Over the next three years Beth helped bring 3 Citron to the forefront in the Washington catering market and in January of 2001 the company was named “Best Small Wedding Caterer” by Washingtonian Magazine.

In June of 2001 Beth decided to go solo once again. Dish Caterers arose from her yearning to provide the level of personalized and detailed service that she feels is critical for her clients.  Many followed Beth to Dish, including American Institute of Architects, Wolf Trap, Goethe Institute, Discovery Channel, Retired Officers Association just to name a few!  Since then, new clients include Saks Fifth Avenue, Hillwood Museum, Folger Library and the Museum of Women in the Arts.

2006 has brought yet another new chapter to Beth’s saga. The merger of Dish Caterers with A Fine Affair Culinary Events, a young, upstart catering company founded by Jerry Hollinger and flourishing with his partner, Kirsten Poole of Kirsten’s Café, has created quite a buzz! Brought on by the need to relocate the dish kitchen due to the National Baseball Team’s stadium redevelopment, the merger is a natural melding of simpatico aesthetics and bright talents.

Jerry honed his natural culinary skills under the tutelage of Chef Jean Gagliolo at the remarkable French restaurant Jean Michel in Bethesda, Maryland. After working for a short time as a private chef, Jerry decided to bring his talents to a wider catering community. Soon he was looking for larger digs, which brought him to Silver Spring.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Kirsten opened the doors of Kirsten’s Café in 1996. Merely hoping to create a neighborhood bakery and coffeehouse, a starved Silver Spring community soon convinced her to try her hand at catering. Having outgrown the tiny kitchen at the Café on Georgia Avenue, in 2001 the catering operation moved to a much larger space close by.

In 2002, a mutual friend introduced Jerry to Kirsten and within a year their businesses combined, with Jerry partnering in the Café and Kirsten’s “upscale” catering becoming A Fine Affair. Now, in 2006, the merger with Dish is part of the natural progression to provide an ever larger audience with the quality and individualized catering for which A Fine Affair has become known.

So the end of the story is a new beginning for us. As chefs we want to have the luxury to make every meal an expression of the art of food. As caterers we strive to create events that will make you want to find reasons to celebrate.  Now, in our new capacity, Beth, Jerry and Kirsten have a reason to celebrate as well. And we will continue to feed your senses!

301.588.2558 |contact@dishcaterers.com
©2003 Dish Caterers