We were lucky to catch up with Merril Ridgway recently and have shared our conversation below.

Merril , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

My partner, Chef Owner, Edgar Matallana collectively have over 40 years of experience in Food Service. I was the Former Catering Director at USA Today and worked at Salamander Hospitality and Edgar was with Occasions Caterers in DC, and prior to that Sous Chef at the Hay Addams. We were burnt out after the long hours and at the end of the day compromising our personal style and execution. I quit first and did some consulting work and still found I wasn’t happy. We decided one night to just take the leap and open our own Catering Company. Black Garlic was launched in March 2020.
Chef is incredibly talented and can create any type of cuisine; presented beautifully, and delegate responsibility. I have venue & planner connections, as well as labor support and the rest is history. Now we still come home exhausted, but the vision is uniquely ours and no compromises in food or service. We are fortunate to do what we love and are grateful to our loyal clients & vendors.

Merril , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Black Garlic is a full-service Catering Company – so in addition to Food & Service, we can supply you with your Tabletop China, Flatware, Glassware, & Linens, as well as seating & decor options. We don’t have any “set” menus – each proposal is crafted after a discussion where we determine your style, event tone, & budget. We will never be the caterer that has package A, B, or C. We treated the proposal as an educational process to ensure your event has all the components you may need. After that we offer a Tasting – so you can enjoy your selections just as it would be on your Event Day. Our Instagram, @blackgarliconthegram, is packed full of Tasting & Event Photos. Food is the focus – you will never be distracted with garnishes or flashy settings – our food is plated elegantly, yet approachable. Our Sales Team is also onsite to execution your vision.

I have a background in Catering Operations and our Executive Chef was Chef de Partie, as well as Sous Chef for over 20 years.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

We launched our Company two weeks before COVID began a worldwide pandemic. We were forced to cancel our Launch Party – the event that was going to officially introduce Black Garlic to vendors & potential clients. We lost (6) out of the (12) weddings we had booked. We worked w each client to move forward so they were comfortable and safe. Navigating thru this unprecedented time was difficult and we never gave up. We executed MicroWeddings and offered small events outside in private residences. We knew that starting a business would test us, but we were unprepared for this level of pivoting. There was pressure to ensure we could offer our services and keep our staff safe.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson I learned early on (and to be honest, it’s still challenging today) is to not say yes to everything. You get an initial inquiry and you get excited – however you have to listen carefully to what they are asking for. More important than closing the deal, you want to hold true to your style and to your branding. There are some event components that we will not compromise on: Food ingredients and service. We won’t understaff your event because it doesn’t matter how amazing the food is, if the servers are rushed and not delivering quality experience. To build on that, in addition to the overall cost of food, Chef makes every sauce, accompaniment, item by hand from scratch. I’m not the caterer for everyone – I require a conversation so I can understand your expectations and vision before I create your proposal. It’s ok to decline or excuse yourself, because at the end of the day we won’t make each other happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blackgarlicevents.com
• Instagram: @blackgarliconthegram