Bring the harvest to your big event with farm-to-table catering
Barn and Table's menu revolves around the seasonal flavors of food grown at Caswell Farm. Photo: Lauryn Sophia.
This article was originally published December 2022 and was last updated November 2023.
By Raine Raynor
Courtesy photos, unless noted
GOOD FOOD makes for a great event—and you can’t get much better than locally sourced, farm-fresh flavors. If you’re planning an event that requires catering, consider a farm-to-table caterer. Such caterers are committed to sourcing ingredients directly from the farm (often, their own) whenever possible. Not only will you support local agriculture with your choice, but you’ll experience the region’s flavors in what is guaranteed to be a memorable meal. Lucky for us, Maine is home to many excellent farm-to-table caterers. Here’s a few that will be sure to elevate your special occasion.
Key: V+ vegan options | V vegetarian options | GF gluten free options
Please note that these designate caterers who have confirmed options for folks with dietary restrictions. Unmarked caterers on this list may also offer options for restricted diets. Please contact caterers directly with any questions.
Apple cider braised pork shank with sage butter pumpkin gnocchi, bull’s blood and Tasmanian pepperberry.
Simply Catered
V+, V, GF
Simply Catered has a menu—but rarely uses it. Instead, owner and chef Bethany Gregory collaborates with clients to create a unique menu for each event, whether that’s recreating a special meal for an anniversary or crafting a morning-after wedding brunch. She places a special emphasis on accommodating dietary restrictions and allergies. “I am a certified nutritionist who is celiac, so I make it a point to know as much as possible,” Gregory says.
Beach Pea Baking Co.
V+, V
This all-natural bakery in Kittery offers farm-to-table catering too! Beach Pea Baking Co.’s fan favorite dishes include roasted vegetable salad, fougasse bread and the #2 sandwich with roasted turkey breast, cheddar, avocado and chipotle mayo. Deli meats are roasted and sliced in-house along with handmade sandwich dressings, and their artisan bread is baked fresh daily.
Photo: Brea McDonald.
Barn & Table Ctering
V+, V, GF
In addition to catering for Caswell Farm & Wedding Barn in Gray, Barn & Table Catering does offsite events. Their customizable menu revolves around the seasonal flavors of food grown right at Caswell Farm. “Woodfired Commonwealth Farms Chicken with Wild Marsala Mushrooms and Wood Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Garlic Scape Chimichurri have been really popular entrees this season,” says Executive Chef Brian Kowtko. For veggie lovers, try their brick-oven-roasted root vegetables with sundried tomato harissa or grilled sweet corn with heirloom tomato salad. Caswell Farm is fully booked for 2023. Barn & Table is still available to take on offsite events.
Treats of Maine
V+, V, GF
Located in Wiscasset, Treats is a bakery and market offering catering for small events. Choose from sandwiches, salads (always with in-season produce), baked goods and desserts. Baking ingredients are sourced from Maine producers whenever possible. “We use Maine Grains, Kate’s Buttermilk, and eggs from Straw Farm and Bowdoin,” says owner Stacy Linehan. Most items are vegetarian, with vegan and gluten-free items available for parties. Catering books early.
The Black Tie Company
V+, V, GF
A full-service catering company based in Portland, The Black Tie Company sources everything from seafood and meat to produce and garnishment from local vendors. “Our most popular dish is Pineland Farms Beef tenderloin with creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes and maple-roasted sea salt carrots, all sourced from Maine!” says Executive Chef Avery Richter. Looking for something plant-based? Try stuffed savory thyme delicata squash with cranberries, toasted walnuts and braised kale with a Dijon maple glaze.
The Bread + Butter Catering Company
V+, V, GF
The Bread + Butter Catering Company creates tasty (and beautiful) farm-fresh feasts for events large and small. Their signature specialty are “boards” of appetizers artfully arranged atop large butcher blocks made by craftspeople at the Maine State Prison. Try a cheese + nut + fruit board or bring the sea to your event with a raw bar board.
Bandaloop's Wilted Fall Spinach Salad is wilted with a quick sauté of leeks, fresh corn, roasted butternut squash, lemon-balsamic vinaigrette, sheep's milk feta, apple crisps and toasted pine nuts. Gluten free, can be made vegan.
Bandaloop
V+, V, GF
Locally sourced ingredients meet global flavors at Bandaloop, an organic eatery in Arundel. Catering is family-style to go, or rent the restaurant and host your party in their 1700s barn. Vegan soups are always available, and tofu can be substituted for protein in any dish. “We are always willing to work with guests to create a menu just for them,” says owner Bridget Lee.
Mount Apatite Farm provides fresh flowers in addition to farm-to-table catering.
Mount Apatite Farm
V+, V, GF
Carol Segal—also known as Cookin Carol—of organic Mount Apatite Farm brings not just food to the table but flowers, too. Her floral arrangements pair delightfully with equally colorful platters of fruits, vegetables and hors d’oeuvres, including puff pastry wrapped brie with crystallized grapes, roasted pumpkin hummus with julienne vegetables and pita bread, and seafood phyllo puffs. “The last wedding I catered, the bride and groom were vegetarians, so the focus on the menu was vegetables,” Segal says. “Most were harvested from my garden.”
Photo: Hayes & Baker Photography
Applecroft Catering
V+, V, GF
Applecroft Catering in Waldoboro was reborn after a pandemic pause in 2020. “Each week we have a chefs meeting to pour over the harvest reports for the week and put together a hyper seasonal meal,” says Executive Chef & Owner Shane McGarvey. All meals are family-style, with plenty of options for guests with allergies or dietary restrictions. Opt for offsite catering, or starting in 2023, hold your event at Applecroft Farm with glamping, a lakefront, and over 100 acres of deep forests.
Arancini is a favorite passed appetizer at Shovel & Spoon. These fried risotto balls are made with wild mushrooms foraged in Maine and served with tomato butter. Photo: Jill Hoyle.
Shovel & Spoon
V+, V, GF
Based in Limington, Shovel & Spoon cooks everything from scratch. “Cocktail hour is a really fun time during events, always with plenty of tasty little bites,” says co-owner Courtney Jean Perry, citing arancini, lobster bruschetta, and falafel with their signature Middle East Coast tahini dip as favorite appetizers. For the main course, try classic Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with chicken from Grace Pond Farm. “We serve it in cast-iron pans,” Perry says. “And the meat falls off the bone.”
Farm-to-table caterers in Maine
Know another farm-to-table caterer we should add? Send us your tip here.
Applecroft Catering • Waldoboro
applecroftcatering.com
V+, V, GF
Bandaloop • Arundel
bandalooprestaurant.com
V+, V, GF
Barn & Table • Gray
barnandtable.me
V+, V, GF
Barred Owl Catering at Hamilton Farm • Whitefield
hamiltonfarm.wordpress.com/barred-owl
Beach Pea Baking Company • Kittery
beachpeabaking.com
V, GF
The Black Tie • Portland
theblacktieco.com
V+, V, GF
The Bread + Butter Catering Company • South Portland
breadandbuttercompany.com
V+, V, GF
Dandelion Catering Company • Yarmouth
dandelioncatering.com
V+, V, GF
Dot’s Market • Lincolnville
dotsinmaine.com
V+, V, GF
Edible Elements Catering & Floral Design • Mount Vernon
edibleelementscatering.com
Enchanted Kitchen at Fire Fly Farm • Saint Albans
enchantedkitchen.org
Gone Loco! Cafe at No View Farm • Rumford
facebook.com/GoneLocoCafe
Isuken Cooperative • Lewiston
isukencoop.com
Laura Cabot Catering • Waldoboro
lauracabotcatering.com
V+, V, GF
Mount Apatite Farm • Auburn
facebook.com/CookinCarol
V+, V, GF
Mother’s Kitchen at Coffee Matter • Bar Harbor
coffeematter.biz
Salt + Pepper Plant-Based Cooking • Newcastle
sp-foods.com
V+, GF
Shovel & Spoon • Limington
shovelandspoon.com
V+, V, GF
Simply Catered • Bangor
simplycateredbybethany.com
V+, V, GF
Sassafrass Catering • Town Hill
facebook.com/sassafrasscatering
V+, V, GF
Treats of Maine • Wiscasset
treatsofmaine.com
V+, V, GF
Trillium Caterers • Belfast
trilliumcaterers.com
V+, V, GF
On the cover: Mushers and their dog teams on the course of the Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog race in Fort Kent, Maine.