Essence of the Thymes Catering

Absolutely great service! Loved the excel spreadsheet to play with prices. I also really appreciated the quick responses to all my question. They are extremely personable, every meeting was a pleasure. What really bought us over was them inviting us to try both other catering companies and theirs. Also other non catering vendors said they loved working with them. The food tasted delicious, and they really made my wedding day spectacular!

We got sooo many compliments about the food at our wedding, all thanks to Essence! They were incredibly professional with top-tier food. We got the buffet with steak and salmon cakes, everyone loved it!

The entire team at Essence of the Thymes was amazing! The food was absolutely incredible and the service was professional. From our first tasting, through all of our consults, and finally our big day, it was a pleasure working with them. They have an incredible menu full of amazing options that can suit a variety of budgets. From what we experienced, we are sure all of them are to die for. We opted for buffet service for dinner with two served appetizers during cocktail hour. For appetizers we had the bacon wrapped dates and the raspberry and brie stuffed phyllo cups. They were both fantastic!! Dinner consisted of their tri-tip steak with mushroom demi-glace, prosciutto and gorgonzola stuffed chicken, garlic herb mashed potatoes, seasonal veggies, and the summer salad. Everything was delicious and may went back for seconds! While you have the option to order dinnerware rentals directly through them, we chose to rent on pick up on our own and the staff made sure that all of the items were ready to be returned. We can't recommend Essence of the Thymes highly enough!

Working with Chase and the Essence of the Thymes team was absolutely amazing!! They made our wedding day absolutely perfect with their delicious offerings and incredible service. The food was delicious, as were the beverages. Our guests were so impressed as well. Our favorite thing was actually the passed appetizers, so we absolutely recommend splurging for that option of you’re considering it! However, I think the best part about working with Essence of the Thymes was working with Chase. He was our point of contact from day one, coordinating first over email and video call for our first consultation, and then overseeing the event directly in person on the day of. He was incredibly thorough when helping us plan the service and menu, and he managed everything so beautifully at the event. We were especially impressed that he saved some passed appetizers for us, since he said that the bride and groom tend not to get any appetizers during cocktail hour because they are so busy taking photos (and he was right)! We were so thankful, because the bacon-wrapped dates we had selected were the item we were most looking forward to. We absolutely recommend Essence of the Thymes for any event!!

Essence was amazing. We worked a lot with Hope, and she was so great to work with. They were very patient as we changed our minds about a few things a few times and they really helped us coordinate what things we needed to rent from CORT Party Place. I honestly felt like Hope was a little bit of our banquet coordinator, not only a caterer. We couldn’t be happier with them! The food was delicious. Everything went just right and we couldn’t have done it without them. The only thing I wish had been a little different is that I printed little table menus and signage and I wish I had thought to talk to them about coordinating my signage with theirs. Between Essence and our day-of coordinator Chloe Hix (who has lots of experience working with Essence), we felt so well taken care of. Everyone who we talked to was impressed by how smoothly our wedding flowed, which is in large part due to their suggestions about how to manage the flow of the event so people didn't go inside and outside too much as they moved between first dance / toast / cake cutting / dinner. Essence also took care of cocktail hour, including appetizers and a cheese tray for when guests first arrived, and had several bartenders there for pouring wine and beer too. Hire them, you won't be disappointed!

We recently had the pleasure of working with Essence of the Thymes for our rehearsal dinner and wedding reception, and I was absolutely blown away by their service and food. From the moment we first contacted them, Hope, Chase and team were incredibly responsive and helpful. They took the time to understand our vision for the event and create a menu that was perfect for us. On the day of the wedding, their staff was absolutely amazing. They were friendly, efficient, and attentive. The food was plated beautifully and tasted fantastic! Our guests raved about the food, and I couldn't have been happier with the way everything turned out. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a caterer for their special event. They are truly a cut above the rest. Here are some specific things that I appreciated about Essence, Their communication was excellent. Hope is truly a joy to communicate with! I could probably talk to her for hours. I really appreciated the care and time she took to help me organize the food for both our rehearsal and wedding reception. They were very flexible and accommodating. They were willing to work with me to create a special menu for my rehearsal that related to how my fiance proposed Their food was delicious. It was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. I highly recommend the peanut butter and jelly pork belly and chocolate chip cookies!!! Also - Their bartending service was impeccable. All of my guests loved their cocktails - especially me! 🙂 I would not hesitate to use Essence again for any future events. They are truly a top-notch caterer.

Essence of the thymes was so awesome to work with! They were super helpful I creating our menu and the food was absolutely delicious! we had an afternoon tea time theme for our menu, so getting seasonal flavors along with light fair for a wedding at such a good price was great.

We used Essence of the Thymes to cater our daughter and son in laws wedding. The food and service were beyond our expectations. We continue to have people comment on how yummy everything was particularly the gorgonzola mashed potatoes and grilled salmon. They provided professional and seamless service. I would highly recommend them!

This catering team of hosts, chefs, and managers is amazing. Oh – and their food is top-notch, too. We had wedding guests who were allergic to a number of items on the classic menu, so the chefs worked with us to deliver a safe and healthy menu everyone could enjoy. Being in the Pacific Northwest, we also did not wish to go for the age-old salmon dinner for our entrée, so the chefs explored other meaty-fish options for us that were within our budget (how does citrus-grilled swordfish with sweet corn salsa sound, huh?). It was a unique and fun, professional experience working with Essence of the Thymes, from the start of our vendor hunt (at the beginning of 2020) through our (postponed) event in summer 2022. What a perfect experience! Thanks, EotT!

From the beginning they were amazing to work with! We used them for our rentals too and Hope was amazing at helping me decide what we needed. Not only was our experience working with them great but the food was amazing!! I highly recommend hiring them for our next event!

Essence of the Thymes was an absolute dream to work with! They were so kind and helpful, and everything was DELICIOUS!!! Our guests had so many lovely things to say about the food and service. And we had leftovers! So yummy.

From our initial visit to the storefront and romantic sampling of cuisine options, to the day of festivities, and leftovers the day after (lol) - Essence exceeded our catering dreams & expectations! Everyone on the team was very attentive to our needs, and asked all of the important questions to keep us on track. Gina, the owner was even there on our wedding day, personally assuring that each detail was perfect. 10/10 recommend Essence of the Thymes to cater your wedding!!! <3

We hired Essence of the Thymes to cater a dinner for our immediate family to celebrate our 50th Anniversary, in our home. There were eleven of us. Our kids all said it was more like a wedding dinner than "just a family gathering"! Everything about the food was perfect! ... flavors, presentation, garnishes... It could not have been better! (AND we all were all so relaxed not having cookware to cleanup afterward! Because of Covid, Essence of the Thymes brought the food (all prepared and hot) to our home at the perfect time. They showed us how to artistically plate it, and provided us with a few different garnishes (like small peppers shaped like flowers!) The menu we chose for each person was: A summer salad (complete with berries and nuts) A beef fillet and a wild salmon cake (with a lemon twist on top). A seasonal vegetables. Each was cooked to perfection!

When Covid screwed up our plans we were scrambling, but Essence of the Thymes made our last-minute work by accommodating us. The food was so good and everything turned out awesome! The staff were super helpful and set everything up for us, highly recommend!

Essence catered my wedding at Port Gamble and I cannot express how truly wonderful they were to work with. Hope was always willing to answer my million questions and deal with my thousands of menu changes. And the food was amazing - we got so many compliments!! They were flexible and efficient. I never felt stressed about the catering, which is a true blessing on your wedding day. We were really stressed in the middle of our planning because we had to adjust our budget, I emailed Essence to see what they could do with my budget, and they gave honest feedback and did everything they could to make it work. I would highly recommend Essence as a caterer for your big event.

We were so pleased and grateful we hired Essence of Thyme for our Wedding. Since the day we have been in communication with them – from brain storming what type of cuisine, making revisions and adding the perfect touch to our menu and setting up on the day of the Wedding – they have been there to answer every question and concern and advise in any way they possibly can to assist with a smooth and very delicious meal on our big day. They even folded the napkins how I specifically wanted (of course another idea from Pinterest). The bartenders were on it – we had several choices of beers and wines & the line was never long. They are all so kind and you can feel how much they care that your day is everything you hope for it to be. We mostly were in contact with Hope, who is fantastic at what she does. This does not discredit any of the other staff. They all were a joy to have there on our big day. You will not regret hiring Essence of Thyme for your wedding or any other special event in your life. We still hear to this day from our guests how much they loved our food at our wedding.

The service and the food was exceptional! They were so easy to work with, which made my day a breeze. The food was so tasty! most of my guests came back for seconds and they all talked about how good the food was for days! I would highly recommend them again!

Essence made choosing our wedding meal a breeze. Very customizable menu, easy to work with, and always answered questions quickly! The staff serving was fabulous, and very friendly. Thank you for making my day just that much smoother!

10/10. We were so lucky to work with Essence of Thyme for our July wedding and were so grateful for all of their efforts to make our day incredible. We were able to get all of our linen and glassware rentals through them, as well as hire a bartender. So convenient to have it all together. AND THE FOOD! Absolutely wonderful in every way. We were able to accommodate a wide range of special dietary needs without a problem. We ended up choosing a vegetarian dish (vegetable moussaka - INCREDIBLE) and salmon, every single one of our guests enjoyed both options. Hope was such a delight to work with through the whole process and she will make sure that you have clarity into pricing and options. Could not recommend more.

Three words: gorgonzola mashed potatoes! I'm so happy that Essense of the Thymes was our caterer. They were easy to communicate with, helpful, and most importantly the food was delicious! My guests are still talking about those potatoes!

Hope at Essence of the Thymes Catering was great, and the food was amazing! I got a lot of compliments on our food. I have no complaints; they were wonderful and I highly recommend this company!

They were great to work with from start to finish...in addition to the food being well prepared, the catering staff went above and beyond by helping to tear down our decorations at the end of the evening! Everyone was polite, attentive and professional. Would totally recommend them!

Essence of the Thymes is one of the best caterers in Kitsap County. The ladies in the office were incredibly kind and fun to work with during the year before my wedding. On the wedding day, they were there on time, everything was set up perfectly, and the food was lovely and delicious. My groom and I forgot our plates when we went to the buffet to begin the meal, and Gina appeared out of nowhere with two plates for us because she had noticed! Their personal, detail-oriented service is what sets them apart from other caterers. I would recommend them for any wedding or event.

Essence catered my wedding this August. We had the best experience! Hope & Jessica were very responsive & sweet throughout the whole journey. We had a great tasting session with our parents & the food at the wedding was amazing! Many of our guests came up to tell me how much they loved the food! The bartender was great & talkative with all of our guests, but also kept the line moving fast. The day was a whirlwind for my husband & I, so we were very excited to see that Essence had set up appetizers & drinks for us at our table, so sweet! All of a sudden, I looked around & everything was cleaned & put away, it was magical! I would 100% recommend Essence of the Thymes for your wedding!

We were super happy with how all the food came out! Out guest are still talking about how much they enjoyed the food. At the end of the night we didn't have much to bring home and we had ordered ten extra plates! They were very easy to work with and very knowledgeable about the in's and our of our outdoor venue. I would Highly Recommend them if you are looking for a non stressful caterer and working with a wonderful group of people.

Simply amazing food. One month later and our wedding guests are still raving about the mashed potatoes (not to mention we have a freezer full of them at home as well). Such easy and polite people to work with, we love the small town feel they provided. Thank you Essence for making our first meal as a married couple one to remember!

Essence of the Thymes, hands down, was the best catering choice we could have made for our wedding. The food was delicious, contact was easy - and all for a reasonable price. Our guests raved about the food the whole night. To this day, I still think about those garlic mashed potatoes.

This is an excellent catering option! We went through Essence of the Thymes for our wedding and the food was incredible! People are still talking about how good the food was. The service was incredible and personable and they were the most flexible with our budget. They worked with us to make sure it was everything we wanted day of. They were extremely helpful and always willing to answer any questions we might have.

The ladies of this company were so helpful and very insightful. We had pasta and it was some of the best pasta I have had.

We had the amazing pleasure of working with Hope and her staff for the planning and event of our wedding, and all we can say is how did we get so lucky! All the ladies went so far above and beyond of what I thought any catering company ever would, it was the of perfection in the most real sense! From all the help and pointers we received, to the day of last minute set up, when my bride was getting ready and I was lost with how things should really look Hope simply said "We got it" and did they ever. I left to change thinking how will it ever turn out how the bride envisioned it and after the ceremony when we got back both of our jaws dropped in amazement at how things came together all in thanks to them! On top of that the food was some of the best food we have ever had, and all we heard all night was how amazing everything looked and tasted. Hope and the staff were constantly checking up with us to make sure everything was going well and to see if there was anything more they could do. We could not have been happier with the people at Essence of the Thymes, and can not emphasize enough what great amazing people they are. At the end of our night we couldn't help ourselves, but to give hope a great big hug for all of ways they made this day perfection for us, their passion for the work they do is so evident and we will forever remember how happy we are that we went with Essence of the Thymes! Thank you! Noah & Ashley

The ladies at Essence did such a great job with communicating during the planning process. They responded back quickly to all my emails and phone calls. I loved that we were able to have a free tasting to help us decided on food choices. During the wedding the staff did a wonderful job with food set up and display, very professional and appreciated that they came to the head table for drink refills. I almost forgot, the food was to die for!!!!! Highly recommend this caterer.

Essence of the Thymes catered our wedding and we were incredibly happy with the food and service. The meal was even better than what we had at the tasting - our guests were raving about the food for the next few days! Great customer service, they went above and beyond to help get everything set up and cleaned up efficiently and thoroughly. They even offered to help with some things that they were not officially contracted to do. It was a pleasure to work with them. Thank you!

We spent a long time looking for a caterer who could provide what we were looking for and not go too far out of our reasonable budget. Essence was a preferred vendor of our venue (Farm Kitchen) and among all the caterers we spoke with, they were the most friendly, most helpful, and most willing to accommodate us in answering our questions and concerns. This told us they are willing not only to provide excellent catering services, but are also excellent in customer service. We could tell they cared about making our day exactly as we wanted it. After our initial inquiry, Hope continued to impress by returning our calls and email queries promptly. During the tasting, she even provided a number of items we hadn't mentioned, but she thought we might like--which we turned out to love! We still dream about the bacon-wrapped dates and feta tomatoes. Our venue required a planning meeting with the caterer, and that crucial time allowed us to nail down our game plan. Hope was right there to go through everything with us and clear up all the remaining uncertainties. For the first time, I was more excited about the day than nervous. On the day of our wedding, they blew us away. They arrived right as our venue opened, and began setting up. The table arrangements were incredible and the food was beautifully delicious and tastefully arrayed. The catering staff were attentive and kept things moving at just the right pace. All of our guests had nothing but good things to say. All in all, Essence of the Thymes helped to make our day effortless and wonderful. I highly recommend Hope and her amazing team!

We used Essence of the Thymes catering for both our rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. We are a serious foodie couple and we wanted our wedding meals to be perfect. Essence of the Thymes delivered on that goal. We attended tasting events for a few other fancy caterers in Seattle, and Essence of the Thymes had by far the best food (and lowest prices). We worked with Hope to craft an Italian themed meal for the rehearsal dinner including Caesar salad, chicken parmesan, three-cheese ravioli, and the BEST homemade cheesecake you have ever tasted. For the wedding reception, Essence of the Thymes served a selection of tray-passed appetizers, three dinner entree options with matching sides and salad, and a late-night snack. The appetizers were delicious; we recommend the bacon wrapped dates and feta stuffed tomatoes. The petite filet and fresh salmon entrees are unrivaled. I've never seen a steak cooked to perfection like that, and the lemon caper topping on the salmon was just right. The margarita flatbread pizza at the end of the night was a big hit for our (possibly intoxicated) guests. So many of our family and friends complimented us on the food: generous portions, beautiful plating, and not too heavy on the sauce or dressing. The Essence of the Thymes staff accommodated any dietary restrictions (gluten free, dairy free, nut allergy) of our guests with ease. Also, they made sure we had a plate of appetizers and a couple of signature cocktails waiting for us when we signed our marriage certificate. The bartending staff also did a great job - we never saw a line for drinks. Finally, a HUGE thank you to Hope for answering countless emails, phone calls, questions, and contract revisions. From the very beginning when we visited Port Orchard for the tasting session, we knew we were in good hands.

Gina is a great chef, and very friendly. Whatever we wanted, she was sure to assure us it would be done and it was! Food was delicious and the waitstaff did an excellent job. Highly recommend.

The food was fantastic as was the staff. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed working with this catering company. Their food tastes great (we received so many compliments from guests), they are flexible to provide the types of food you would like your guests to receive, and they are a very kind group of people. It ended up pouring down rain on our wedding day, and the catering company helped problem solve in a pinch to make accommodations for our guests.

Amazing staff ! Very welcoming, amazing food and very easy to work with !

I had a few caterers to choose from that we're approved by my venue and I chose them because of the quality and price. We had a buffet style which turned out great. Staff were so helpful on th wedding day and helped me and my groom make sure we got food and drinks

I am not a foodie and so catering was not as concerned about the food as my soon to be husband. We went to multiple tastings and I gave him the choice as long as I "liked the food". Essence of the Thymes was great!! They planned everything down to the last detail. My husband and I had lots of handmade and homemade items to include and they worked with all our ideas. They set up our special day and executed it with ease. They made great food and everyone agreed! They even set up our dessert bar and helped our family clean up afterward! They went above and beyond.

Picking a Catering company was hard because my husband is a chef and we are both known for being foodies. Essence of the Thymes is a preferred cater for the venue Port Gamble, so off of that recommendation we decided to have them cater the wedding. It was a standard dinner service. Two passed , horderves a seated salad course, and a buffet dinner. Along with the food we had servers, chef at the cutting board freshly slicing the pork and a bar tender. The food that we had at the wedding was just as good as the tasting round we did two months prior. The chicken was a bit dry do to sitting in the warm chaffing dishes and the seasonal vegetable where slightly under seasoned but a little salt fixed it right up. Since we provided our own alcohol for the guest we were happy that the bar tender was conservative about open wines. It left us with left over bottles that were easy to return or use for other occasions.

I can not speak highly enough about Essesnce of the Thymes!!! Gina and Ray and their staff are AMAZING!!!! I had a few very outragous requests that were discussed very up front- they came through. We LOVED LOVED LOVED every moment of working with them. Im an extreme planner and so is my mom... Gina handled all of her silly requests with grace and tact. (My mom wanted to cook part of the dinner at the last minute for 200 people) HA! Each of the staff came to me on the wedding day throughout the ceremony to say wonderful things about the venue and the decor and well... everything. There was not a thing that I worried about and would hire them again for any event I needed to. AMAZING! Oh, and the food... WOW! We had our main entree seviced by another caterer and EotT did our sides, beverages, bar, coffee and ice cream service. I have NEVER had mashed potatoes so YUMMY! Thank goodness they even thought to make us (Myself and Groom) plates... We quickly took a bite of everything and were back taking pictures and dancing and doing the next best thing. Thank you to all and again... HIRE THEM!!!! Its really all I can say! :)

Hope and the whole team from Essence are amazing! They were professional and so helpful through every step of the way. Every guest raved about the food, especially the bacon wrapped date appetizers! They helped make our day perfect! Highly, highly, highly recommended!

Essence of the Thymes catered our September wedding at Kitsap Memorial State Park. We had approximately 80 guests and had a buffet. The food was amazing. We had salmon and flank steak, which was cooked on-site. As a side, we enjoyed gorgonzola mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, and a salad. All of my guests commented on how great the food was. The crew that was at the wedding was very professional and made sure that their part of the event went very smoothly. The planning of the event was also very easy. Gina and Hope always returned my calls very promptly, and I felt like they really wanted to make our day special. I would highly recommend these guys if you have a wedding or event in Kitsap county.

I used this catering company for my wedding, and they simple exceeded my expectations. The food was great and exactly what we wanted. We had bbq style dinner at a farm. They showed up on time and the servers were excellent. Only downfall, the bartender they sent had NO personality! Otherwise great service!

I have always thought wedding food wasn't the best until I found essence. I ordered the meatballs and penne Alfredo for my wedding and it was amazing! The caterers did above and beyond what was expected and made my wedding day a hit. Thank you for all you do! You guys are the best!

Essence of the Thymes rocked my wedding catering. I am still getting rave reviews about the food and my wedding was a month ago. Hope was amazing to work with. She had everything planned out far in advance. The only thing I would not recommend is the bartender through them. Maybe I just got an off night for the guy but he was under pouring and refusing people drinks including my husband because he didn't have his ID. I understand it's good to ID but come on my husband is 28 and doesn't look 21 at all and he is the groom! But the food was amazing and I was very happy they cut and served the cake. You will not be disappointed with Essence of the Thymes!

Hope and Gina helped us through the whole process. We opted for 3 tray-passed apps and a buffet dinner with 3 entree choices (prime rib, salmon, veggie dish). Their prime rib price was cheap compared to 2 other caterers we met with. They also through in the fruit tray. Their tasting was complimentary. They were so flexible, particularly in making up a special app (samosas) we requested, and we chose to purchase ice cream from a local shop and they served the ice cream cones. Our guests raved about the food, the service was spot-on and even their bartender was good. He cut off one of our guests appropriately. My husband was a bit disappointed that he couldn't get a beer just pass the last call, but it's best to follow the rules. Our chef was awesome as well. They offered to package up the leftovers but we (and our guests) didn't have a place for it. One of the servers noticed I appeared dehydrated and offered to get me a beverage. They frequently checked in on the groom and me and were good with the kids present. I was pleased the caterers happily took home our leftover ice cream! Lastly, they offered a special vegan/gluten-free dish for my maid-of-honor that I hadn't thought to request.

I am so beyond amazed with the food and service we received from Essence of The Thymes! From our initial consultation, to the actual wedding day, the staff were extremely kind and attuned to our vision. We decided to have a mini-food buffet menu, including Mini Quiche, Mini Beef Sliders, and more, which were arranged so elegantly. We received many compliments from our guests, especially on the Tomato Soup Shooters with Mini Grilled Cheese! The staff made sure our guests were tended to, and the food kept coming. They were also hand to do our cake-cutting, and boxed up all the delicious leftovers my husband and I were able to snack on the next week! Truly incredible taste and sevice!

Great service, great food. They were a little bit difficult to get in contact with at the very beginning, but once we hired them, it was smooth sailing. Everyone loved it and we got all the leftovers.

i cant say enough good things about Essence of the Thymes!!! i want to have another event JUST so they can cater it for us! their food was DELICIOUS! we got SO many compliments on our wedding food and the staff (we worked with Gina and Hope) were super friendly and helpful and always responsive! They packed up a little bit of the leftovers for us (which my parents took in their cooler) and we immediately went to my parents house the next day so that we could eat it up! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!