Brandywine Catering

1410 Baltimore Pike #1, Chadds Ford, PA 19317, USA

Address:	1410 Baltimore Pike #1, Chadds Ford, PA 19317, USA
Phone:	+1 610-459-3705
Site:	brandywinecatering.com
Rating:	3.7
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM Closed Closed

Location

Photos 22

Reviews 4

Nick Clabbers

If you dont want to read the whole story, our bottom-line advice is to stay far, far away from Brandywine Catering because of their unethical business practices and poor quality of food. My finacée and I are planning our wedding for next spring at one of the Delaware State Parks. DSP provides a list of approved caterers for use at their facilities. We currently live out of state, so it was somewhat difficult to assess the various folks on the list, but we browsed some websites, and contacted 4 or 5 caterers that we thought looked promising and within our price range. Ted Pace, the owner at Brandywine Catering, was one of those initial contacts. After several rounds of e-mailing back and forth with Ted, we received a reasonably-priced proposal and we arranged to meet on a Saturday afternoon in March. We discussed our menu and dietary restrictions, and agreed that several tweaks could be made to Teds initial proposal that would be more in line with our thoughts. We were, however, surprised to be seated at a table with a large coffee stain on the tablecloth. A few months later, we returned to Teds facility for a tasting. Ted prepared a tasting that was neither representative of the menu we had agreed upon, nor palatable or (in some cases) safely edible. The appetizers were, by all accounts, the "best" part of the testing, but were totally different from those on our proposal. I partially excused this, as the appetizers we had chosen were slightly more traditional and a known quantity, so Ted offered us some options. However, Ted lost the benefit of the doubt when the entrees and sides were presented (none of which were on our original menu either). We were served food that was no part of our original menu, and even worse, was undercooked, burned, flavorless, or all three - including partially raw chicken. Googles character limit prevents me from fully explaining the details of the food, but my Yelp! review has everything. Needless to say, we were appalled at the quality of the food. My mother said it was the worst she has had since she can remember. OK, so the food was bad. Unfathomably bad. We learned our lesson, and we wont be using Ted and Brandywine Catering for our wedding. End of story, right? Not quite. After we finished with our food, Ted returned to the table and asked if we had enjoyed it. We murmured uneasily, not wanting to hurt anyones feelings and wanting to escape as soon as possible. After the awkwardness of that unfortunate moment passed, Ted laid down the hammer: "So, usually what we do for the tasting is charge $25 per person. If you decide to go with us, you can apply that to your overall payment." WHAT? We were never informed of this charge before the tasting, EVER. This is not the common practice of caterers - we visited others who served us tastings for free. Even in the absence of a regular business practice, to be blindsided with such a charge AFTER we had already "eaten" our meal is frankly unethical. We paid, but in retrospect should have walked out as soon as he brought up the issue of payment. If we had been informed beforehand, we may not have been happy with the quality of food, but at least would have known the consequences of our choices. Overall, Im happy that nobody in my family got salmonella, but unhappy about paying $75 for something that I thought was free. We notified DSP about our experience, and while I dont know if Ted and Brandywine Catering will be removed from the approved list just based on our thoughts alone, you should think long and hard about giving him your business.

Natalie Rohr

We found Brandywine Catering through my aunt who recommended them, and I couldnt have been happier with our decision to hire them to cater our 200 person wedding. Ted Pace was so accommodating, flexible and creative throughout the whole process on our needs for the event and our tight budget. I am an event planner myself in NYC, so it was great to work with someone who was so professional and friendly. Working with Brandywine on all the preparations leading up to the event was seamless, and their execution was perfect! Our guests absolutely raved about the food, and Ted and his staff were there every step of the way making sure things ran smoothly. The hardest thing for me on the day of the event was letting go and letting other people take control, and knowing Ted and his team were in charge made me feel at ease! Highly highly recommend them for any size event!

Calvin Johnson

I have used Brandywine Catering for parties and events at my home for years. They are reliably professional and helpful. Their food always tastes great, and my guests go home happy. I recommend them to anyone

Lynn Klein

The food was delicious and the staff was courteous, friendly and very professional!