This week, Third Degree is happy to spotlight Seed Sprout Spoon (formerly Local Harvest). Seed Sprout Spoon is one of our preferred vendors, and we are always amazed by how beautifully their stations and buffets are put together. They offer a range of catering options including plated meals at events to drop off packages. They also provide an award-winning brunch service every Sunday at their brick and mortar restaurant with the same name.
We are also happy to announce that we have added Seed Sprout Spoon to our Small Group Catering Options. Now, our small group clients can order Seed Sprout Spoon for their catered events, such as lunches and appetizers, through Third Degree.
Here’s a quick Q & A with one of their owners, Erin Wiles. Erin was forever a book nerd, majoring in English and French at Ohio University. She moved to St. Louis in 2006, having fallen in the love with the city visiting her sister at SLU. She fell rather haphazardly into the culinary industry, waiting tables until she started managing Local Harvest Cafe in 2012. She found a career when she took over the catering arm of the business in 2013. Brendan Kirby, co-owner, grew up at the famed Duff’s Restaurant, open for 30 years in the Central West End. He bartended & waited tables at multiple St. Louis restaurants before beginning his cooking career back at Duff’s. From there, he founded the menu program at Civil Life Brewery, and left there to become owner and chef at Seed Sprout Spoon.
When did SSS open for business? Tell me about how it started:
Seed Sprout Spoon was born of the legacy of Local Harvest Cafe & Catering, which itself was the brainchild of the founders of Local Harvest Grocery and Tower Grove Farmers Market. These institutions were among the first in St. Louis to promote, purchase, and sell local foods. Many successful local food businesses in the region got their start selling at TGFM and Local Harvest. In 2016, chef Brendan Kirby and event director Erin Wiles had the incredible opportunity to purchase the cafe and catering branch of Local Harvest. While Brendan was new to the organization, lately having helmed the kitchen at Civil Life Brewery, Erin had worked for Local Harvest since 2011. Brendan and Erin met working at Mangia Italiano in 2006 and remained friends until Erin convinced him to help purchase and rebrand the catering company. Building upon the connections LHC forged with farmers and clients, Seed Sprout Spoon brought on new staff, revamped social accounts and media, refined the signature food styling, and expanded the menus. Within a few short years, SSS has become a prominent farm-to-table caterer in the area, appearing in St. Louis Business Journal’s list of Top 25 Largest Catering Companies.
What is the core focus/mission of Seed Sprout Spoon? Describe your business philosophy?
We believe that a company can profit without draining the resources of its community. Our core value is to bolster the environment and economics of the St. Louis region while also creating gorgeous events and delicious food. The attached document details our commitment to locality, integrity, conservation, and reuse. We pay our staff a living wage, practice zero waste onsite and at events, purchase locally as much as feasible, and create our displays from upcycled objects.
Tell me about your menus- your food is super yummy, how do you get there….
Our menus are built to highlight the ingredients that the St. Louis region produces. Parts of menus are vaguely written so that we can incorporate what our farmers have to offer when we are purchasing for the event, often planned 6-18 months prior to execution. While our displays are high-end, our dishes are comforting and largely familiar, though we do add exotic elements and international cuisine to the mix. If you start with a high-quality, fresh ingredient, the best way to let it shine is in a simple preparation.
Tell me about the services SSS provides.
If you can think of a catering service, we can probably do it. We have two major divisions of our catering program: drop off catering and event catering. We drop off hot and continental lunches & breakfast, appetizer and hors d’oeuvre platters, desserts and drinks. We offer sustainable event planning and custom food styling. We have menus for stations, family-style, plated, and buffet dinners. We have a cafe-style brunch on Sundays only, and also cater a delicious event or drop off brunch. We can coordinate your reception & event rentals, and sometimes curate upcycled and living centerpieces for our clients. We work in private homes and in many event venues around town. We also host small parties at our storefront in Tower Grove South.
We are here to help! Third Degree has an extensive preferred vendor list from tried and true professionals. From custom design and decor to creative signature cocktails, our staff can help you create an unforgettable event with our Unique Extras. To schedule a site visit, book your event or gather more info, contact Rachel at events@stlglass.com / 314-367-4527, 204.
KUDOS
Everyone was thoughtful, helpful, and kind. I would ask a question, and Rachel would answer that question plus a few more that I hadn’t even thought about. During the event, the staff was SO KIND to everyone, including lost guests who needed directions. –Sara L.