Canapé Company / Thursday, 11 November 2021

It's our birthday & we're 10!

10 years! What! How did it all fly so fast. We are absolutey thrilled to present a bit of who what when where and how below... a little time capsule!

A huge thank you to our incredible clients who keep us ticking over always. We couldn't do any of it without your patience, empty bellies & creative minds!

How and when did Canape Company begin?

As Lisa's kids started to get to an age of independence she started to wonder how she could keep an eye on them as they were teenagers. Her keenness for cooking hadn't weaned and she wanted something more. She combined her plan for Emma & Tom's future employment with her love for a good party.

Canape Company officially began on 11.11.11 as Lisa began to start cooking for private clients in Wellington. Originally operating out of the Skyline kitchen, the business began to find it's feet. What Wellington was really missing was a fabulous and glamorous fairy to whiz around with a few hors d'oeuvres, some stunning champagne & service. Thus, Canape evolved. Each new client has become a fabulous fan as we slowly work our way through birthday parties, weddings, corporate events; the works.

Lisa has loved food since she was young, growing up in Auckland and savouring the canapes at G&T time. She ran the Dowse Art Museum's Gallery cafe and pursued her passion for developing recipes and engaging with the hungry masses. She's a mother of not just her wonderful kids, but a whole throng of incredible young people who have been brought up with the business. Their career paths stretch far and wide, but she has given them a great hunger for good hard work, delicious food, and positivity.

What has been a highlight?

* Working across so many different kitchens with so many amazing people. At one point we worked out of Lisa's family kitchen - flinging out 100s of canapes an hour. No idea how we all did it! Lisa & Jeremy bought the building in 2016, which is an ultimate highlight - changing the way we work & operate. We now have a full commercial kitchen and event space with the best winter sun in Wellington.

* Supporting so many women through different stages of their life. Whether they are 16, 20, 30, 40, or 50. The Canape team is so strong at what they do. It has been a pleasure to watch people grow, leave, return, and win at life!

* We have also loved working with other small Wellington businesses to encourage creativity & kiwi ingenuity. The relationships we have formed have allowed us to thrive on the Wellington scene, and help others to do so too!

What’s been the biggest challenge?

That Covid thing! It really has made the team muscle in and focus on what we were good at to evolve the business - Cocktail parties & canapes. Initially "evolving the business" to cope was tricky. Our incredible clients kept our team of wonderful women working by ordering takeaway foods - but the essence of the "little bite fancy" wasn't the same. We started a business mentoring course & had a new GM, Anna, join the team, and since then we've been flying. We are ever more focussed on fulfilment for our people & our clients.

What’s the plan for the future?

We have been focussing a lot of our energy into our venue hire over the past few weeks. It's been amazing to dress the space, and finally get an understanding for it's niche. It's a great way for the business to show it's creative side.

We're really looking forward to even more booked out months. Of course, plans for the future also involve food! We love what we deliver every day and we know that you love it too. We are working on evolving the business in a way that allows it to retain it's core of a good party. So don't fret - Canape Company isn't going anywhere.