The Culinary

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.

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

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

• Premium event catering
• Corporate catering services
• Wedding catering solutions
• Conference and forum catering
• Sporting event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Gauteng

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/theculinarycompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-culinary-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 The Culinary