About Catering By Colin
With Catering by Colin, the last thing you will ever have to worry about is whether there will be enough food! Our goal is to make sure your guests are happy with our service and more than satisfied with our flavourful dishes and generous portions. We take our serving sizes very seriously, because there is nothing worse than a room full of hungry people — especially if dinner has already come and gone!
If you are looking for catering services in Barrie, Ontario and surrounding area (such as Essa Township, Innisfil, Baxter, Alliston, Cookstown, Angus, Gilford, Stroud, Lefroy, Orangeville, Orillia, Oro, Midhurst, Bradford, Collingwood, Midland, and more), Catering by Colin is your trusted choice. We have been serving Simcoe County for over 40 years! Our many years of experience in planning weddings and special occasions make us experts at making your event memorable and enjoyable.
Listen to the story
Get to know Colin’s story through these short video clips created through Rogers TV show: Chamber Connected.
We are equipped to take on your event.
We are equipped with a 3,100 square foot kitchen where we do all our food prep prior to your event. Our team includes experienced chefs, line cooks, servers, waitresses/waiters, clean-up crew and a Special Events Coordinator to assist you with your custom planning. We will assist you in all planning details including decorations, serving sizes, and food choices along with any rentals needed to achieve a perfect dinner!
When you plan your wedding or event to include one of our delicious main course meals, our services include china, white linen table cloths, colour linen napkins, flatware, table glassware, and buffet service and staff. This allows you to relax and know that the food and everything that goes along with it will be thought of by us and taken care of. Special meals due to allergies and/or vegetarian diets will be accommodated with prior notice.
We offer country style, table service, or our most popular: buffet service with serving staff. Also, we offer hot or cold served hors d’oeuvres to fill the gap between arrival and dinner time.
Relax and know that when you have Catering by Colin taking care of your event it will be done by professionals, on time, and served with a smile.
Colin’s Story
Colin set out from his English home in his late twenties, ready for an adventure. When he arrived on the other side of the Atlantic, he had only $44 in his pocket. He traveled and explored with what little he had, and when his funds ran out in Gilford, Ontario, he found a job at a local golf course. When the golf course opened a banquet hall, Colin’s culinary background running the kitchen in the family hotel back in England made him the perfect man for the job. He gained even more experience as he prepared food for weddings and special events at the banquet hall.
Colin met his wife, Wanda, at an event. They married and saved up to purchase a house that would also serve as their place of business for the next eleven years. Wanda and Colin began catering out of their home in Gilford, earning a reputation for professionalism and cleanliness—routinely getting a grade of Perfect on Health Department checks. Colin became famous for his tender roast beef (a closely guarded secret!) and his barbecue dinners. Some of these original Gilford customers continue to hire Colin to this day.
Leaving Home…
Recessions gave pressure to succeed, and as a result Colin’s business continued to grow until the Gilford house was simply too small. Catering by Colin moved to Barrie…unfortunately, on the same day as the infamous Barrie Tornado! With a truck full of frozen meat and no refrigeration in the city, Colin had to make a decision. He ended up cooking and donating the entire truckload of food for police and first responders, who certainly appreciated the meals on one of the most stressful days in Barrie’s history. Thus began a long and respected career for Colin in his new home town.
During the late eighties and early nineties, Barrie’s population exploded. Farms turned into subdivisions as more people chose to call Barrie home. Colin and Wanda grew with the city, making contacts and building long–term relationships with corporate clients. Word-of-mouth recounts of great meals kept bringing new clients through the door. Who doesn’t love to rave to their friends after eating something delicious? Catering for weddings became more common. Soon it became known that if you wanted beef or barbeque at your wedding, Colin was the only person you wanted to book.
The client list was not the only thing that grew over the decades. The catering business now employs 35 part time staff, 2 certified Chefs, with 20 people working a single event. Colin believes that the staff is team, and he would never have had so much success without them. Combine that team with professionalism, great food, and a fearless leader, and the story 38 years in the making is sure to continue for many years to come!
We provide more than just a delicious meal
Our services include china, white linen table cloths, colour linen napkins, flatware, table glassware, and buffet service and staff. This allows you to relax and know that the food and everything that goes along with it will be taken care of.
