Spotlight: The Catering Outfit
Walter Slawski, founder and chef of The Catering Outfit
When most students graduate college, the notorious job hunt ensues. When Walter Slawski graduated from The University of Virginia with a degree in economics, he had already launched a full-fledge business — and out of a frat house, at that.
“The Catering Outfit was born in a frat house commercial kitchen in my final year,” says Slawski. “I have never looked back!”
And the talented chef hasn’t had to. Over 20 years later, The Catering Outfit in Charlottesville has found its stride. The locally-owned, boutique culinary design firm with over 30 full-time employees specializes in unique experiences for celebrations from weddings to other milestones.
Founded in January 1999, The Catering Outfit was a passion project, resulting from Slawski’s lighter load of coursework during his senior year at UVA, paired with his pioneering spirit, much like his father.
“My father was a serial entrepreneur, and after seeing an opportunity in the Charlottesville culinary scene I followed suit,” he says.
Walter Slawski Sr., a second-generation Polish American raised in Brooklyn, New York, was also the first person to teach Slawski how to cook. And more importantly, he would ingrain in his son a respect for ingredients, all of their potential, and where they come from.
“Between ethnicity and scarcity of resources, his family often ended up with off cuts and offal on the dinner table, a tradition I was introduced to at a young age,” says Slawski. “This fueled my love affair with food and the endless education that such a broad ingredient base provides.”
Growing up, Slawski also drew inspiration from the different places he lived. He called Princeton, New Jersey; San Diego, California; South Africa; Zimbabwe, where his mother grew up; and eventually, Virginia, home. It was in Charlottesville, where he would first cook professionally, working at restaurants and for caterers while balancing textbooks and chef knives.
While Slawski and his team tend to draw on Southern influences, and are typically never happier than when grilling or using live fire, he says that their culinary repertoire knows no bounds.
“As a boutique caterer we are constantly creating new dishes and menus for our clients,” says Slawski “It’s not uncommon for us to strip down and jump head first into a peculiar culinary ethnicity or down a rabbit hole of fusing two traditions together. It's really about beautiful fresh ingredients sourced sustainably and regionally, if possible, and prepared simply!”
Slawski says another consideration for the crew when working with clients is how their edible vision can translate smoothly and successfully in the field — sometimes, quite literally. The kitchen can range from a backyard where The Catering Outfit prepares seafood and meats on a wood-fired grill channeling Argentinian-style cooking, or a picturesque property with the mountains as the backdrop where they will plate a multi-course dinner. Slawski says part of the fun of catering is the freedom it offers himself and his team.
“Catering is a challenge, to be sure, and that’s what we love about it,” says Slawski. “The shear magic, creativity and passion it takes and that is required to operate at the highest levels of our industry.”
Another key part of the operation is the ingredients themselves.
While Slawski says he can't remember when he originally connected with Cavalier Produce, he notes, “I do know that once we made the switch, we found that no one else in the local market holds a candle to Cavalier’s service and quality. Honestly, that all comes down to Cavalier’s specific people and culture. We absolutely could not do what we do everyday without our partnership with Cavalier, from amazing fish and local produce to specialty items and an uncanny ability to chase down even the most obscure request Cavalier makes our culinary world go round.”
