What Thyme & Again Creative Catering does

Thyme & Again Creative Catering is a privately held Ottawa-based food service business founded in 1991 by owner Sheila Whyte, operating two gourmet food shop locations (1255 Wellington Street West and 1845 Carling Avenue) alongside a full-service catering operation and an intimate event venue called the Nest. The company generates revenue from six primary streams: full-service catering for events and corporate functions, retail sales of fresh, frozen, and dessert items, custom-decorated cookies and cupcakes (minimum order 12), gift baskets and gift cards (gift cards from $25 to $500), Nest event space rental for gatherings of up to 50 guests, and a customer-funded soup donation program supporting vulnerable community members.

The underlying operating model is built on a physical-retail-plus-on-site-event-services architecture with no proprietary technology platform; commerce runs through a standard WordPress e-commerce site, Instagram, and email newsletter, while catering and venue bookings are handled by dedicated staff via phone and email. The product portfolio is unified rather than modular, with a single culinary brand spanning prepared meals, BBQ packages, plated desserts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic house-made beverages, and curated local wines from Domaine Perrault. Distribution is entirely domestic within Ottawa and surrounding areas, with no geographic expansion disclosed.

Customer segments are horizontally diversified across individual Ottawa consumers seeking elevated comfort food for home consumption, event hosts requiring full-service catering and/or venue space, custom dessert buyers for celebrations, and gift purchasers for corporate and personal occasions. The business emphasizes sustainability through zero-waste initiatives (including a tallow soap collaboration with Zoe's Corner), long-standing food donation partnerships with Ottawa Mission, Cornerstone Housing for Women, and Parkdale Food Centre, and local sourcing. With 11-50 employees including an Executive Chef and Pastry Chef, the company remains an independent, owner-operated regional caterer without external investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity.

Name

Thyme & Again Creative Catering

Legal name

Thyme & Again

Website

https://thymeandagain.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Thyme & Again Creative Catering is a privately held Ottawa-based food service business founded in 1991, operating two gourmet retail food shops, a full-service catering operation, and an event venue (Nest), serving individual consumers, event hosts, and corporate gift buyers across Canada's capital region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Caterers (72232), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patisseries & Dessert Boutiques (CRAHAGAB), Cupcake Shops (THAFAGAG), Cookie & Brownie Shops (THAFAGAF)

Keywords

• Full-service catering
• Event catering services
• Prepared gourmet meals
• Custom decorated desserts
• Event venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Catering Services: Full service catering for events, corporate functions, and special occasions throughout Ottawa and surrounding areas.
2. Retail Food Shop Sales: Fresh, frozen, and dessert products sold directly to consumers at two retail locations. Products include prepared meals, baked goods, beverages, and specialty items.
3. Custom Desserts: Hand-decorated cookies and cupcakes for events. Cookies start at $5.95 per cookie, cupcakes start at $3.95 mini / $5.95 regular. Minimum orders apply.
4. Gift Baskets & Cards: Pre-packaged gift boxes and gift cards sold at various price points ($65-$350 for baskets, $25-$500 for gift cards).
5. Event Space Rental (Nest): Intimate gathering space at Wellington West location rented for private events including cocktail receptions, plated dinners, and casual gatherings.
6. Soup Donation Program: Customers can donate funds ($5-$100) toward prepared soup for vulnerable community members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Thyme & Again Creative Catering is a full-service catering and gourmet food company operating two retail food shops in Ottawa (Wellington West and Carling Avenue). It provides on-site event catering (Events by Thyme), take-home catering packages, an event venue called Nest, custom-decorated cookies and cupcakes, gift baskets and gift cards, and a retail food shop offering fresh, frozen, and dessert items. The company also runs a community Donate Soup program in partnership with local charities.

Product overview

Thyme & Again is a full-service catering company with two gourmet food shops in Ottawa, offering a unified portfolio of catering services, retail food products, and event space rental. The core offering includes Take Home Catering (prepared meals, BBQ packages) and Events by Thyme (on-site event catering). Supporting offerings include Nest (event venue rental), Custom Desserts (cookies and cupcakes), Gift Baskets and Gift Cards (retail products), and a Food Shop (fresh, frozen, and dessert retail items). The company also operates a community-focused Donate Soup program. The business operates as a single unified catering and food service operation rather than a platform with separate modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nest: An intimate and contemporary gathering space operated by Thyme & Again, featuring a loft-style venue combining architectural elements of Ottawa's past with contemporary aesthetic. Located at 1255 Wellington Street West, the venue accommodates 40 guests for sit-down events and 40-50 for cocktail or sweets & sips receptions.

Segments4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Domaine PerraultminorOthersLocal winery partnership in Navan, Ontario. Stocks curated wines including Cabernet Franc, La Vie en Rose Pet-Nat, Marilys Rosé, and St. Pépin at both retail locations.
• Zoe's CornerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmall-batch handmade soap collaboration using Thyme & Again beef tallow. Zero-waste initiative turning kitchen surplus into skin care products. Portion donated to Highjinx Ottawa.
• Cornerstone Housing for WomencoreOthersCommunity partner receiving food donations to support women in need. Part of ongoing commitment to food security initiatives.
• Parkdale Food CentrecoreOthersCommunity partner supporting local food security through food donations and program support.
• Ottawa MissioncoreOthersFood donations to support the Ottawa Mission's soup program and Food Services Training Program. Long-standing community partner.
• Great Canadian Theatre CompanyminorOthersArts community partner in Ottawa supporting local cultural initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Cozymeal: Online marketplace connecting customers with local catering, cooking classes, and food experiences. Comparable as a catering service aggregator in the same product category, though operating purely digitally.
• Eat Be Fit: Canadian ready-meal and prepared food retailer with multiple locations, selling fresh and frozen chef-prepared meals. Comparable retail food shop model with prepared meals for home consumption.
• Crave Cookies: Multi-location custom cookie franchise offering decorated cookies for events and gifts. Comparable custom cookie product line targeting celebrations and corporate gifting.

Direct peers

• Daniel et Daniel Catering: Toronto-based premium full-service caterer with retail food shop and event venues. Closest comparable in model: full-service catering plus a gourmet retail food shop plus dedicated event spaces, serving upscale corporate and private events.
• Marben Restaurant: Toronto event venue and catering operator with adjacent retail food offerings. Comparable event-space-plus-catering business model targeting corporate and private events.
• Sweet Flour Bake Shop: Canadian custom cookie and dessert shop offering decorated cookies, cupcakes, and dessert catering for events. Comparable custom dessert product line and event-targeted baked goods.

Broad incumbents

• Pusateri's Fine Foods: Toronto gourmet food retailer offering prepared meals, baked goods, and catering services. Comparable gourmet retail + catering combination serving a higher-end clientele.

Regional players

• The Culinary Arts Academy: Catering and food service provider in Western Canada offering corporate and event catering with custom dessert programs. Comparable event catering plus custom dessert offerings.
• Tucked Away Catering: Toronto-based full-service off-premise caterer serving the GTA. Comparable as a Canadian full-service caterer with retail-style food offerings targeting corporate and private events, though operating in a different metro.

Others

• McNally Robinson Catering: Canadian retailer-adjacent food service operator with a gift basket and prepared food program. Adjacent comparable for gift basket and gourmet food retail offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thymeandagain
• Xx.com/thymeandagain

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thyme & Again Creative Catering