The Culinary
The Culinary is a South African premium catering company in Gauteng that provides per-event catering for up-market corporate functions, private celebrations, sporting events, and product launches, serving enterprise clients like Vodacom, Toyota, and Rand Merchant Bank.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersGauteng, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Culinary does
The Culinary is a South African premium catering company headquartered in Gauteng that provides catering services for up-market corporate and private sector events. Founded in 2010, the company operates six core service lines: wedding and event catering, private party catering, conference and forum catering, sporting event catering, corporate event catering, and product launch catering. The business is led by Director Vincent Verrydt, a chef with 22+ years of industry experience including international work in Belgium and London, alongside General Manager Liesa Hickling who has been with the company since 2002.
The company employs between 11 and 50 staff, including 19 named specialized team members covering operations, events management, and specialized kitchen roles (hot kitchen, cold kitchen, pastry, sushi). Its revenue model is professional services-based, with per-event custom quotes and no publicly disclosed pricing or self-service ordering. Distribution is exclusively through direct website enquiry, with an enterprise field sales motion targeting corporate clients, private individuals, and sports organizations. The client portfolio includes major South African and international brands such as Rand Merchant Bank, Vodacom, Multichoice, Toyota, HP, Hennessy, Ferrari, and Airbus, as well as high-profile sporting events including LIV Golf Tournament, Rugby World Cup Sevens, and NAMPO.
The Culinary weathered a multi-year COVID-19 downturn and has emerged with continued operations into 2026, holding official caterer status at Langhams Executive Conferencing venue. There is no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no proprietary technology platform; the company's value proposition rests on culinary talent, operational experience in specialized environments, and an established brand reputation in the South African events market.
The Culinary firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Culinary
- Legal name
- The Culinary
- Website
- https://theculinary.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Culinary is a South African premium catering company in Gauteng that provides per-event catering for up-market corporate functions, private celebrations, sporting events, and product launches, serving enterprise clients like Vodacom, Toyota, and Rand Merchant Bank.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Culinary industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Catering Services
- NAICS
- Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232), Food Service Contractors (72231)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hotel & Resort Banqueting (In-House Catering) (THAHAKAC), Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA)
Keywords
Where The Culinary is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gauteng
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Culinary business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Catering Services: The Culinary generates revenue through providing catering solutions for up-market functions including weddings, private parties, corporate events, conferences, sporting events, and product launches. Revenue is generated on a per-event basis with custom quotes for each function.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
The Culinary product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Culinary provides premium, up-market catering services for both corporate and private events in South Africa, covering weddings, private parties, conferences and forums, sporting events, corporate events, and product launches. The company delivers four key elements per event — delectable food, world-class service, inspired presentation, and stress-free execution — with custom-quoted pricing handled via direct enquiry.
Product overview
The Culinary is a catering company offering top-quality catering solutions for up-market functions in both the corporate and private sectors. The company's service portfolio consists of six core catering offerings: Wedding & Events Catering, Private Parties Catering, Conferences & Forums Catering, Sporting Events Catering, Corporate Events Catering, and Product Launches Catering. The company is led by Director Vincent Verrydt, a highly regarded South African chef with over 22 years of experience in the catering business, and General Manager Liesa Hickling. The Culinary Team delivers four key elements for every event: delectable food, world-class service, inspired presentation, and stress-free execution. The company has a proven track record catering for high-profile clients including Rand Merchant Bank, Circa, Multichoice, Vodacom, and Langhams, as well as major sporting events like LIV Golf Tournament, Rugby World Cup Sevens, and NAMPO.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Weddings & Events Catering
Companies that use The Culinary
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Culinary technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Culinary partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Culinary competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Aramark: Global foodservice and uniform services provider with sports, entertainment, and convention venue experience. Comparable in event-catering capability at large venues and tournaments but with a vastly broader portfolio and international footprint.
- Tsebo Solutions Group: Pan-African integrated facilities management and catering provider operating across multiple African countries. Overlaps with The Culinary in event and corporate catering but operates at much larger scale and broader service scope.
- Delaware North: Global hospitality and food service company with significant sports and entertainment venue catering operations. Comparable in ability to deliver premium catering at major sporting events like The Culinary's LIV Golf and Rugby Sevens work.
- Compass Group: Global contract foodservice and support services major with operations across South Africa through its subsidiary brands. Comparable in catering category; operates at vastly larger scale with broader institutional and corporate focus than The Culinary's premium events niche.
- Sodexo: Global food services and facilities management company with significant South African presence. Comparable in food services category but serves a much wider range of institutional clients rather than specialising in premium private/corporate events.
- Feedem Group: One of South Africa's largest contract catering and facilities management companies, serving corporate, institutional, and event clients across the country. Comparable in catering category but broader in scale and customer base than The Culinary's focused event model.
Direct peers
- Legends Hospitality: Hospitality and catering company spun out of the New York Yankees that specialises in premium food service at sporting venues, concerts, and major events. Comparable in high-end sports and live-event catering segment, though operating primarily in North America.
- By Word of Mouth Catering: A well-known South African premium caterer serving weddings, corporate events, and private functions. Directly comparable in geography (South Africa), target customer (upmarket corporate and private), and service model (event-based full-service catering).
Regional players
- SA Premium Caterers: Smaller South African premium caterer focused on private and corporate events; similar customer profile and service offering to The Culinary, though operating at a smaller scale and without the high-profile sporting event credentials.
Others
- Langhams Executive Conferencing: The Johannesburg-area conferencing venue of which The Culinary is the official caterer. Included as an ecosystem partner — direct customer and distribution channel for The Culinary's services, and a useful reference point for the venue-preferred-supplier model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Culinary social profiles
Digital presenceThe Culinary financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Culinary leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The Culinary funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Culinary M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Culinary
What does The Culinary do?
The Culinary provides premium, up-market catering services for both corporate and private events in South Africa, covering weddings, private parties, conferences and forums, sporting events, corporate events, and product launches. The company delivers four key elements per event — delectable food, world-class service, inspired presentation, and stress-free execution — with custom-quoted pricing handled via direct enquiry.
Is The Culinary a public or private company?
The Culinary is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Culinary founded?
The Culinary was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Culinary based?
The Culinary is headquartered in Gauteng, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does The Culinary make money?
One revenue line is on record: catering Services.
Who are The Culinary's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Aramark, Tsebo Solutions Group, Delaware North, Compass Group, Sodexo and Feedem Group. Direct peers are Legends Hospitality and By Word of Mouth Catering. SA Premium Caterers is listed as a regional player. Langhams Executive Conferencing is listed as an others.
Does The Culinary have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Culinary.
What industry is The Culinary in?
The Culinary's product category is Event Catering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAIAB, Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties), with a secondary code of THAHAKAC, Hotel & Resort Banqueting (In-House Catering). Its NAICS code is 722320 and its SIC code is 7900.