A Brief History

Tom's love of cooking started in high school, when he threw parties and cooked for friends. He realized that he could, in fact, make a living throwing parties - as a caterer.

After leaving the Army in 1988, he started cooking. He then went to the Culinary Institute of America, and after that worked his way around the country in restaurants, hotels and catering companies, honing his skills and absorbing everything like a sponge. It wasn't until working for Scott Howell (at Nana's and Pop's) and seeing his enthusiasm and commitment to food, that Tom saw a foundation on which to build a catering company. It would still be a few years before this came to fruition, but in May of 2000, the Durham Catering Company was born. He knew the food would have to be of consistent high quality, so he brought in Jim Johnson, whose commitment to that ideal is admired throughout the culinary community. Next came the coordinator - someone to pull this cooking trio together, organize it and sell it in a nice little package. This is where Heather O'Hare came in. Tom had worked with her at Pop's, and knew her professionalism, style and moxie would compliment the company well. They now have four very talented and experienced professionals who share a vision of throwing great parties for many years to come.