The success of Culinary Crafts has lead to local and national recognition for Mary both as a businesswoman and a caterer. Her awards include:

• – “The Kirk Englehardt Ethics Award” from Utah Valley University
• – “One of the 10 Coolest Entreprenuers in Utah”, Utah Business Magazine
• – “A Woman of Excellence” award from the Barbara Barrington Jones Foundation
• – “Excellence in Leadership” award from the Woodbury School of Business
• – Honored as”One of Utah’s 100 Women” by Utah Valley University Women’s Success Center
• – Named one of Utah’s “30 Women to Watch” by Utah Business Magazine
• – Twice named “Outstanding Business Woman of the Year”

Mary’s events and catering tips are regularly featured in national media such as Martha Stewart’s Wedding website, “The Knot” wedding blog, Colin Cowie’s television show “Get Married”, and Catering Magazine. Locally Mary has become a familiar face on “Good Things Utah”, “Good Morning Utah” and on KBYU public television, where Mary’s popular cooking show “Culinary Creations” is still being aired.

Mary writes a monthly restaurant review for Utah Valley Magazine and her wedding and catering tips are often featured in Utah Bride and Groom, Utah Valley Bride and Latter Day Bride magazines. Mary is President Elect of the Salt Lake Visitors and Convention Bureau Board, President of the International Caterers Association Education Foundation, she is a board member of Utah Valley University Foundation, the UVU School of Business National Advisory Council and the Intermountain Healthcare Board of Trustees.

Mary’s gift for sharing has also put her in the spotlight as a keynote speaker and presenter. She frequently presents educational seminars for the International Caterers Association, and is asked by dozens of business and educational organizations every year to be a keynote speaker for classes, meetings and conferences. Mary is also a champion for Utah. She never misses an opportunity to promote local food purveyors and to highlight Utah as a destination for national and international conventions.

Mary also volunteers for several non-profit service organizations. She’s a passionate supporter of the United Way, and was featured on their national television and radio commercials, and served as the President of Women In Philanthropy for two years. Mary is also a volunteer for the Welcome Baby Program, and is a mentor for business students at the Utah Valley University.

Mary gives thanks every day for the blessings of her family and friends and for the opportunity to share with others her hard won life lessons and success.

Ryan really has done it all. So, of course he couldn’t help becoming a certified gourmet foodie along the way. Ryan never tires of the creative challenges involved in orchestrating large events, and he truly loves sharing his passion for food with Culinary Crafts’ clients and staff. It just never gets boring for him!

Currently Ryan is the Director of Catering and supervises the on site execution of Culinary Crafts’ events. From setting a dining room for an eight-course meal to perfectly searing the sea bass, Ryan oversees all the details required to maintain Culinary Crafts’ high standard of excellence. He ensures that the grand vision designed by the event planners and the client becomes a reality.

Ryan is also an avid inventor who loves improving on things in the catering world. For example, he wanted to amp up the wow factor of Culinary Craft’s flaming desserts and couldn’t find anything he liked in catalogs, so he designed his own, and then worked with a metal fabricator to have them made. They became such a hit that news of them spread quickly through the catering industry. Ryan was asked to debut his custom designed “Ring of  Fire” flaming tables at an international catering conference in Las Vegas, then he and his tables were featured on the cover of the Jan. 2012 Catersource magazine.

More recognition followed when he was asked to do a seminar about Chef Action Stations and his new “Ring of Fire”  at a national catering education conference in Denver that summer. Way to go Ryan! To see the Ring of Fire tables go to our our gallery page in the Chef Action Station category.

forty local pros who are low on years but tops on talent, aka, “Utah’s most wanted whippersnappers.” Yup, they nailed it. Whippersnapper. When Kaleb was three, his brother Ryan and he would pull their Radio Flyer wagon, full of Culinary Crafts’ now famous Sourdough Bread, around the neighborhoods of Provo. Best pre-school marketers anyone ever saw!

From then on, Kaleb has been an integral part of the business. Learning every aspect from the ground up is easier when you start out at 3 feet tall, and are adorable. These days, Kaleb can speak with authority on a multitude of culinary, sales and management topics.

Kaleb is our resident expert on roasting a whole pig, while maintaining a healthy sense of humor and holding dozens of people accountable for a myriad of tasks, and, following-up to the nth degree to make sure clients are fully taken care of. Also, if you need pointers on weight training, Kaleb can bench press 589.5 pounds. We’re serious. (Check out his video on Youtube).

In 2013 Kaleb became a partner in Culinary Crafts and is now Chief Corporate Sales Officer as well as being involved in all other aspects of the business, and he’s still adorable.

Warren is largely a self-taught and educated on-the-job chef. Hardwork, dedication, and some wonderful mentorship from chef’s that he worked for made Warren the chef he is today. The two chefs that most inspired Warren’s career were Chef Dustin Valette and Chef Zach Davidson. Chef Zach was with Warren early in his career and helped him to truly understand what it meant to have professionalism as a chef. Later in his career, Warren moved to Sonoma County, California, and worked with Chef Dustin who honed his skills and became one of the greatest influencers on Warren’s style and technique. He had a rather refined country style of cuisine that used local ingredients, modern and formal techniques.

Everything about being a chef—cooking, eating, drinking, exploring taste and texture, finding feeling and life in ingredients—is why Chef Warren loves what he does! And that’s also why he’s such a great fit in our Culinary Crafts family!