Style and grace
When planning a wedding, keeping your guests fed is key, so it’s important to source a culinary experience that understands your vision and a team equipped to deliver on that dream.
White Tie Catering was founded 40 years ago and was carefully crafted by two generations of the legendary Duncan Family before being passed on to her current custodians. Jonny Schwass, a true icon of the New Zealand culinary scene, has taken over the White Tie Kitchens.
Jonny is known as one of Ōtautahi’s most influential chefs and a dedicated food innovator, and he has teamed up with White Tie alumni of 26 years, Georgina Cullen, to expertly lead the White Tie group.
Since forming in 1986, the catering stalwart has grown organically into one of the South Island’s premier catering companies. At its heart, White Tie is driven by hospitality and service. The combination of New Zealand’s most trusted names in the events and hospitality sector means a sophisticated, tailor-made approach to everything they do.
Culinary creative and expert chef Jonny Schwass aims to bridge the gap between restaurant and caterer. He designs menus that bring stunning seasonal Canterbury produce and considered cooking techniques to venues throughout the South Island. These can be anything from meals for 200 guests in a marquee to a bespoke private dining elopement with your closest friends. They also cater to the unique, like a multicourse restaurant experience on a cliff top, a wood-fired feast in a barn, or cocktails and canapés on a city roof. Whatever your big day looks like, innovative menus and cocktails are expertly curated and delivered by some of the country’s top chefs and front-of-house professionals.
The White Tie group has evolved their business over the decades to meet the demands of the modern wedding. Origin, a new addition to the White Tie portfolio, is dedicated to cooking over a wood fire with fresh, local, seasonal, and handcrafted foods from hand-selected farms and friends. All to curate inspired and unforgettable weddings in beautiful locations. The Catering Department has also been added to the portfolio to provide an exciting and innovative wedding dining experience – all about the party, the food, the spectacle, and the style.
The team are true professionals at all stages of the wedding process. From the first contact, you will discover a group of passionate planners and wedding experts who will guide you through to your wedding day. Their collective experience in weddings, events, restaurants, cocktail bars, and various venues ensures your wedding and all occasions of significance are delivered with confidence, style, and eloquence – their celebrated hallmarks.
It’s no mistake that White Tie is a caterer of choice and 2021 winner of Caterer of the Year. With some of the best event managers in the business and a dedicated team of hospitality professionals, they are a true hospitality house with a well-deserved reputation for delivering every time. White Tie is a grand lady of the Christchurch food scene and, after four decades, has a style and grace that is uniquely her own.