From intimate dinners to elaborate celebrations, a great caterer makes the meal as memorable as the moment.
What begins with the promise of an intimate gathering, perhaps a quiet dinner among friends, can blossom into a full-blown celebration complete with carefully curated menus, local flavors, and unforgettable moments. Two powerhouse culinary artisans, Kimber Dean of Happy Food Meals and Happy Foods Catering and Rachel Hershberger of Honey Puddle Food & Farm, demonstrate how that journey unfolds with intention, passion, and purpose.
The Spark of Inspiration
Dean’s origin story begins with a vision of food inclusivity and joy. In 2014, frustrated by the lack of allergy-friendly yet delicious fare in Columbia, she merged her training as a holistic chef, cookbook author, and farm steward into Happy Food. Her mission: feeding happiness from within. Dean creates meals that are clean, nourishing, allergy-friendly, and undeniably joyful. They’re an invitation to savor health without sacrifice.
Meanwhile, Hershberger’s Honey Puddle Food & Farm was born from a mother’s devotion. Her children inspired a quest for healthful, thoughtful food not just for nourishment, but for life-long well-being.
“I wanted to ensure that they were fed healthy ingredients and teach them best practices of knowing what they were eating and why,” she says. Over time, these habits became life-changing routines for the entire family.
These two women share more than culinary creativity; they share a commitment to making the act of eating both meaningful and accessible.
Crafting the Personal Touch
At Happy Food, gluten- and dairy-free fare feels indulgent, not engineered. Staple hits include Brownie Energy Bites, which provide high-protein, plant-based, freezer-friendly fuel. Dean’s gluten-free chicken tenders with an almond-flour crust arrive baked and golden, while her Heart Health Salad and Diabetic Bowl are gut-friendly, nutrient-dense, superfood-forward meals that heal in savory fashion.
Dean’s creativity starts with her choice of healthy ingredients. Imagine classic lasagna reimagined in gluten- and dairy-free form with zucchini or brown-rice noodles, cashew cheese, and house-made marinara.
At Honey Puddle, the vision is elegantly simple: to help make healthy daily choices effortless, not exhausting, for busy families. Hershberger notes that healthy food “is time-consuming and requires consistency.” The beauty of Honey Puddle lies in its commitment to ease, offering tried-and-tasty family entrées, to-go lunches, and seasonal sweets that satisfy.
Signature favorites include protein-rich lunch boxes that combine fresh, seasonal fruit with healthy fats to create a balanced meal. On the dessert front, there’s the gluten-free peach pie, consisting of homemade peach purée and a pecan-walnut crust with just the right touch of buttery sweetness. Lemon cheesecake comes crowned with homemade lemon curd over a crushed cookie crust. Each treat embodies that sense of abundance that characterizes Hershberger’s business: “If there are puddles of honey, there is an abundance of sweet goodness.”
Planning the Party: From Concept to Cuisine
Whether you’re organizing a small home gathering or a grand affair, Honey Puddle and Happy Food both offer a seamless path from initial vision to final execution.
At Happy Food, Dean consults with clients to understand guest lists, dietary needs, and event styles. Then she delivers a custom menu, handles local sourcing, and orchestrates every detail so the host can enjoy the evening without worrying about behind-the-scenes stress. From intimate two-person dinners to events for 500 or more people, Happy Food accommodates a wide range of event sizes and budgets, charging around $100 per person for private dinners and $25-$40 per plate for larger gatherings.
When brainstorming delicious catering items, Dean was struck over the years by the educational component of serving clients. Many are unaware of the complexity behind allergy-friendly, locally sourced menus. It’s not just about cooking — it requires attention to logistics (ingredient sourcing, supplier coordination, timing, staffing, plate service) and making it all feel effortless for the client.
At Honey Puddle, prospective clients visit the website and then enjoy a planning conversation that Hershberger says is “just as much fun as sitting down to eat.” Together, client and caterer co-create menus that are unique, delicious, and firmly grounded in what works beautifully.
Crowd-Favorite Caterers
From these stellar women’s kitchens to the broader landscape of local cooks, Columbia’s catering scene is filled with personal touches and community-minded professionals. Here are a few local catering favorites:
Peachtree Catering is deeply embedded in the Columbia community. For 26 years, it has operated as a small family business that listens, tailoring each event’s menu from scratch. That means no cookie-cutter options. The folks at Peachtree source produce and meats from local farmers and delight in sharing the stories behind the squash, the pork, and the people. Their focus is on genuine relationships and real food.
Eclipse Catering and Events offers “catering that just makes sense,” a blend of familiar flavors, fresh seasonal ingredients, and affordable pricing. Beyond food, Eclipse delivers professional service, personal touches, and an approachable, on-point experience. “They just knocked it out of the park,” says one enthusiastic client.
Sara Fougere Catering brings 20+ years of experience, specializing in upscale corporate and in-home events. Each menu is uniquely crafted to suit the individual event — a testament to design, customization, and thoughtful presentation.
The Old Neighborhood Cafe, a scratch-kitchen newcomer rooted in family tradition, sources ingredients locally and honors heritage recipes. It caters everything from business lunches and bridal showers to charcuterie boards and grazing tables — tailored, thoughtful, and handcrafted.
The Arc of the Event: From Mere “Dinner” to a Celebration
Tracing the arc of how hosting evolves, through the lens of these caterers:
Inception: A host envisions a gathering, maybe a Valentine’s dinner, a family reunion, or a summer garden party.
Connection: They contact a caterer. The pros at Honey Puddle and Happy Food consider that conversation half the joy. The goal is to find dietary harmony and align expectations on flavors and a vision of the event.
Collaboration: With Peachtree, Eclipse, Sara Fougere, or Old Neighborhood, each host engages in co-creating the event. Some seek a custom farm-fresh feast, while others crave familiarity with a creative twist.
Production: Behind the scenes, caterers assemble menus, source ingredients, prepare dishes, and manage logistics. It’s a symphony of recipe execution, timing, staffing, and presentation.
Revelation: The event arrives. What was once “just a dinner” becomes an unforgettable experience.
Satisfaction: Guests leave nourished, both physically and emotionally, as part of a community that cares about what we eat and how we gather.
Where Meals Meet Memories
A small dinner party is just as important as a grand celebration, thanks to the intent behind each ingredient, the care in planning, and the generosity of those who cook from the heart.
Whether you’re planning a family dinner, gearing up for an engagement party, or imagining a wedding reception, you’ll find excellent catering options throughout Columbia.
