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Finding a Vegan Caterer
by Andrea
(Princeton, NJ)
I have been a vegetarian my entire life and a vegan for many years (and I'm only 27!) So when I started to plan my wedding, I was unwilling to compromise on my menu. I insisted that my day be "cruelty-free" and "karma neutral." I did not want any creatures harmed for the sake of my celebration. And as much as I wanted vegan food, I didn't want to be eating veggie kebabs and Boca burgers - I wanted classy cuisine in a glamorous setting.
So I fought my way through the search. I fought the stigma, I fought my sister, I fought the stereotypes and unsolicited advice, and I fought a bunch of caterers. I heard every line in the book from caterers: from "we charge double so we can teach our chefs to cook vegan food" to "oh we can't, our kitchen isn't sanctified vegan” (thinking kosher.)
I called every place in the book and eventually stumbled upon Frungillo Caterers. (www.frungillo.com) They are a family-owned business that has been doing high-end events for decades. Though I expected yet another rejection, through a twist of fate the right person answered the phone. John, the company's controller, had been trying for quite some time to put together an all-vegan menu to offer clients. (While he himself is not vegan, he recognizes it as a huge trend that needs to be catered to – no pun intended.)
Their service has been incredible ever since. They hired a professional vegan chef for the occasion, and at our first meeting had a table full of AMAZING vegan hors d’oeuvres for us. My fiancé and I designed the menu together with the chef, combining the power of vegetables (exotic mushroom ensemble) with gourmet meat substitutions (sesame crusted grilled ‘chicken’) that even my sister will love. Even the co-owner, Robert Frungillo, was there to help us devise the menu. Everyone in this company is amazing and caring, all in the name of establishing a vegan menu to offer for weddings and events.
To repay the good karma I have been dealt in having this team create my dream menu, I want to get the word out. The must be hundreds of brides in the same exact situation who are tearing their hair out with finding a vegan caterer. If any of them are in the NJ/NY/PA area, they need to know about the options at Frungillo. For vegan brides who are elsewhere, I want them to not give up and to try to work with caterers to change with the times. And lastly, I want wedding venues everywhere to follow this amazing example and offer compassionate menu options for their clients.
:D
