About this vendor
Turning Your Dream Wedding into Reality!
Founded in 2008 by Javier Zerpa, Key Ingredients Catering is a wedding catering business based in Gaithersburg, MD, specializing in creative and gourmet dining experiences. The company is well-equipped to provide delicious food for both intimate and larger weddings, with past experiences of up to 500 guests. As an independently-owned business, the culinary team takes great pride in delivering high-quality cuisine that far exceeds the couple's expectations.
Every menu is customized to the couple's specific tastes and preferences. The team coordinates every detail, from the color of the linens to the preferred Chinaware patterns, lighting, venue, and other suppliers. Attention to detail is of the utmost importance to the crew as they desire to give couples the best day ever.
Key Ingredients Catering offers all-inclusive wedding catering packages, complete with appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Menus can be created to accommodate different dietary requirements, such as vegan, Halal, Kosher, organic, and gluten-free, among many others. Additionally, the team operates a flexible service, with serving styles that range from Chef stations to family-style and seated meals.
Details
Business Attributes
- Hispanic or Latinx-owned Business
Cuisine
- American
- BBQ
- Cajun
- Chinese
- Eastern European
- French
Dietary Options
- Dairy Free
- Gluten Free
- Halal
- Kosher
- Nut Free
- Organic
Food & Catering
- Buffet
- Catering Clean Up
- Catering Delivery & Setup
- Chef Stations
- Family Style
- Menu Tastings
Awards and Affiliations
Pricing
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.030 reviews
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Key Ingredients Catering has received glowing reviews for their exceptional service, delicious food, and attention to detail, making them a highly recommended choice for weddings. Reviewers praised the team, particularly Javier, for their creativity, professionalism, and ability to blend different cuisines seamlessly. The affordable prices, flexibility in handling postponements due to COVID-19, beautiful presentation, and delicious dishes, including Puerto Rican and Brazilian specialties, were highlighted as standout features by multiple reviewers who were extremely satisfied with their experiences.- Top reviews
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If you are looking for a caterer for your wedding or other special event – look no more and book Key! We met the team at Key at a wedding vendor expo and were so impressed by their presentation there. The food was incredible and they were instantly a top choice. What especially won us over was their team – Natalie, Javier, Mariela and others were so helpful and patient with us – helping us craft a cocktail hour and reception menu that our guests are still raving about. We wanted to make sure our guests were well fed and that there were options for everyone, especially as many people had one or more dietary restrictions. Key did not disappoint. They also provided our cake and a dessert bar that satisfied everyone’s sweet tooth. We were also so impressed by the linens, tableware, and chairs Key offered. We chose a mix of green and white linens with accents of gold in the plates, silverware, and chairs. It was classic and beautiful and really elevated the look of the reception room. On top of this, there were many other small yet impactful items the Key team arranged for us, like the menu and drink cards. Key Ingredients truly went above and beyond, and we could not have picked a better caterer for our wedding. Although we won’t be planning a wedding again anytime soon, we would definitely love to work with Key Ingredients for any future events and have recommended them to all of our friends!
Javier and the Key Ingredients team were absolutely incredible for our wedding. They worked with us every step of the way to build a delicious and varied menu and their food was the talk of our wedding. Highly recommended, their creativity and joy fulfilling their passion is evident in the superb work they do!
Best catering company in the DMV area! Working with Javier and his team has always been great. Their food is amazing and their attention to detail is unique. They are my go-to company when coordinating events and weddings and also for my personal events.
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The menu was reasonably priced. All of the food was delicious and the presentation was perfect. Getting ready to book this caterer for my next event in March! I Highly recommend this vendor.
When the wedding planning began in early 2020, my now wife and I wanted to make sure we were able to find a caterer that was not just your "ordinary" caterer. I am Puerto Rican and my wife is Brazilian so we were looking for someone who could blend those two cultures and cuisines seemlessly. I called Javier and told him our vision and he immediately said it would be no problem at all and began naming different Puerto Rican and Brazilian dishes he could make for us. After we did our tasting, there was no need to look any further. Javier and Key Ingredients Catering was the caterer for us.
Of course with COVID came along some difficult wedding decisions. Like many other couples, we decided to postpone our wedding to allow for family members traveling from out of town to feel more comfortable. We had a discussion with Javier about our decision and he was not only understanding, but also encouraging. He assured us that we could postpone our wedding and he would honor our contract for whatever date we selected in the future. Javier took the anxiety of postponing the wedding away and made us feel comfortable with our decision.
October 9, 2021... A wedding day exactly 1 year overdue. Javier and his team took our culinary vision and completely knocked it out of the park. His team arrived early and worked with the florist to ensure the table arrangements were just the way my wife had imagined. But now let's talk about the food... We are a month after our wedding and our guests are STILL raving to us about how amazing everything was. My father is known for his pernil (pork shoulder) and even he admitted that Javier's pernil was out of this world. Every thing Javier and his team made was unbelievable. The food was not only great, the presentation was even better. Our guests rave about house beautiful the buffet was and how amazing the dessert bar turned out.
When we were planning our wedding, my wife and I stressed about making sure we had the right caterer. Javier and Key Ingredients Catering were not only spectacular, they were what made our wedding as great as it was!
I loved working with Javier Zerpa the owner. In the midst of all the craziness of the Covid crunch from postponed 2020 weddings and with Covid still an issue, he was my solid rock. He is flexible and willing to work in almost any conditions. We ended up using a Community Center because no restaurants would let me book. He has beautiful linens and equipment to make a great presentation. Javier likes to discuss everything with you on the phone, and then double checks to make sure everything is just the way you want it. Then he executed the dinner hot, on time, and it was absolutely delicious. It was beyond my expectation and everyone was very impressed and said so. He is also very good with Vegetarian or Vegan requests. Javier also kept it under my budgeted amount. His waiters were quiet, professional and quick to respond to any need. What more could you ask for?! We would love to use him again.
Xavier met with me promptly and provided guidance to meet all my needs and then some. His proposal was excellent and exceeded my expectations for my dsughter’s bridal shower. He was also kind enough to accommodate last minute changes graciously. Would not hesitate to use his services again!
They organized almost everything. it was very good. the food was excellent. More than one year later, many friends still talk about the food at the wedding.
I used key ingredients for a charity event and was so impressed that I now use them for all my personal events - big and small. The food is well prepared, and the staff is excellent. Plus, you can rent linens and equipment directly from them. Very reasonable, very elegant. I wish they had been around for my wedding!
Great caterer. Very professional, attention to details, they really care about customer satisfaction. The paellas are great! They are very friendly, punctual. Highly recommended.
Excelentes profesionales. Puntuales, impecables, y muy amigables.
Talk about a caterer that is passionate about what they do, and you cannot have this conversation without speaking about Key Ingredients. The time and effort and details put into the work they do is absolutely phenomenal. They have taken our visions, of our catering events, and have truly added to them, bringing them to life! Thank you Javier and your Team for all that you do!!! You are AWESOME!!!!
Key Ingredients Catering by far is the best catering for your event, eloquent, professional, pays attention to your details, the way you want it. Javier and the team are outstanding, never disappointing. They show up on time and ready to do MAGIC for your event. Let them dazzle you, like they dazzle all of the events that I attended. I promise you, you will be thrilled. Ice Sculptures, Ginger Houses, Candy Lane, just to name a few, go head check them out. You will be amazed.
Key Ingredients is an awesome caterer to work with. I've used them at several events over the past 3 years and I always have a good experience. I highly recommend them for special occasions to work events/holiday parties.
I've worked with Key Ingredients for several events. The food is always delicious with a classy display. Javier has creative menu ideas and has always accommodated my requests. Staff is friendly and professional.
Key Ingredients has catered many events that I have attended. The presentation and quality of food are always outstanding. I highly recommend Key Ingredients!
Marji B. Graf, President & CEO, Rockville Chamber of Commerce
Key Ingredients catered our wedding and they did a fantastic job. From the beginning, it was a pleasure working with Javier. He worked with us through many iterations to draft a proposal that met all of our needs. He also accommodated our guests allergies including preparing a separate dish for someone who was allergic to black pepper. And he helped us lay out our venue when he came to do the walkthrough.
On the day of the wedding, the food was phenomenal. The buffet was beautifully arranged and everyone appreciated the efficiency of the layout. The steak was perfectly prepared, the chicken had a bunch of interesting flavors, and the side dishes were delicious. Key also designed a dessert buffet with tons of delicious options. The wedding cake was one of the best we’ve ever tasted. The service was top-notch; they made sure that we (the bride and groom) were taken care of the entire night and spontaneously prepared a flavored water at the end of the night which our guests appreciated.
Overall, we would recommend Key Ingredients to anyone looking for a wedding caterer. The prices were reasonable too!
Key Ingredients was a pleasure to work with for our wedding! From the moment we met with Javier for the tasting to the end of our wedding, he ensured every detail was cared for so that we could enjoy our day. He has an extensive variety of delicious food to choose from so you are guaranteed to find something that you and your guest will enjoy! His team is also fantastic. They were professional, efficient and punctual - all very important qualities when searching for a caterer!
Key Ingredients catered both the rehearsal dinner and reception for our son's farm wedding which meant they had to be self-sufficient--which they were. The food was exceptional, but if we had a favorite, it was the paella. In addition to the food, Javier and his team were great. We would never even look elsewhere for a caterer.
From start to finish Key Catering exceeded my expectations. The customer service was excellent. They provided suggestions and tips to make the most of my budget and everyone still talks about how amazing the food tasted. I have recommended them to several friends.
We had a really terrific experience with Key Ingredients catering. We were concerned about price & had discussed catering options with a bunch of different caterers. We were planning a wedding for 150 people. When it came down to discussing price, many caterers gave us sort of a hard time/tried to avoid providing specific info. Key Ingredients worked with our needs & talked honestly with us about what was possible within our budget. Other caterers were really limited in what they could offer us for our menu. Key Ingredients provided us with a variety of menu options based on our budget that we could choose from. They answered all of my questions patiently & directed us to an amazing & affordable day-of wedding coordinator that we were also extremely happy with.
Javier was our main point of contact with the company & he was basically contactable any time we needed. We were pretty novice to any type of wedding planning & felt pretty anxious about the entire process. He was always extremely responsive & would answer any concerns we had thoroughly. I really appreciated this because it relieved a lot of anxiety for me throughout the planning process. He did a venue walk-through with us prior to the wedding & took over an hour mapping out our venue plan.
We had a lot of small random items that we were using to decorate our wedding venue. We were also supplying our own alcohol for the event. He allowed us to use his storage centers to keep our alcohol & other wedding supplies prior to the day. He took responsibility for the items even though he didn't have to & transported most everything to the venue for us on the day of. This helped make our lives so much easier because we didn't have to worry about every little item for the day of.
On the day of the wedding, Key Ingredients was timely & professional. We ended up last minute having to use our rain plan for the reception area. They set up the entire room beautifully last minute. I don't think people could even tell that it was our backup option. While we were waiting to make our grand entrance to the reception, Javier checked on us & brought us hors d'oeuvres, water & our favorite mixed drinks while we were waiting. We did a buffet dinner, which everybody loved. We ate all of the food without any leftovers. I got a lot of positive feedback from the guests on the food.
As I mentioned before, we supplied our own alcohol for the event. The only criticism I can say about the event was that I did have a few different guests that said that the bartenders at the wedding cut them off from drinking when they had only had 1 drink the entire night. I also got a few complaints that the bartenders were slow, not making drinks properly, & sort of rude overall. I got these complaints from different guests so I think there was probably some truth from it since it was sort of consistent feedback from different guests. This was also annoying for us because it may have looked like we were being cheap with our guests & telling the bar to be stingy with serving, when in reality afterwards we just had a lot of unused leftover alcohol that we didn't want & that we now had to deal with.
We really depended on Key Ingredients to make our day wonderful & they came through for us in the best way possible. It was the best day of our lives so far. We would highly recommend them & would use them in the future for any other big event like this.
We have used the services of Key Ingredients Catering, receiving from our guests always positive feedback.
The quality of the food and creative presentation go beyond expectations.
This business model keep in mind the needs of the customers and shows knowledge of who is sitting at the table.
The flavor of their food and their customer service goes side by side, always excellent. They are very reliable and consistently exceed our expectations. Great team!
Excellent customer service, food presentation is always outstanding and the quality of food is the best one will ever taste! Javier and his team are amazing.
Excellent customer service and professional! My first two calls to Key Ingredients Catering and everytime, I received excellent professional customer service…and everytime thereafter. But, the point is, my organization was conducting a Combined Federal Campaign [CFC] chili-cook off contest; and, we were hoping Chef Javier Zerpa would assist us in becoming one of the judges for this event. Without hesitation Chef Zerpa assisted us with our event. Without hesitation Chef Zerpa assisted us with our event. Because of Chef Zerpa’s gentleman like characteristics the contestants were very pleased with both his demeanor and his keen understanding of the cuisine that had been on display. The contest was a success. And, let it be noted: both the organization and personnel truly appreciate the fact Chef Zerpa had a very busy schedule and he still accepted our invitation to join our event. A true man of honour. Thank you, Chef Zerpa.
I used Key Ingredients services for a professional event and they did a great job, foot was amazing, excellent customer service.
Javier and his team were stellar at my 60th birthday party last weekend. They were efficient and friendly and went well above and beyond the services I'd asked for. And the food was delicious - all my guests raved about it! I'd highly recommend Key Ingredients Caterers for any gathering, big or small.
Delicious, well catered food! I have worked with a lot of vendors and caterers and I will go back to Key Ingredients Catering. Great customer service and quality food.
Key Ingredients was the best caterer! From the start, they were so attentive and listened to my input, creating just the right menu for our wedding reception, while sticking to our budget. Javier and Carla were very professional, attentive and kind from start to finish. The day of the wedding, they proved to be above and beyond our expectations. We had an unexpectedly cold and ferociously windy day for our garden reception. The whole team adapted to the day as it unrolled, and made sure everyone was fed and happy. We had sooo many rave reviews from our guests after! Everyone couldn't believe how delicious the food was and how friendly the staff was. We couldn't have asked for a better caterer, we felt so well cared for, and in the best of hands with them.
Fantastic service and execution
Contact
8551 Ziggy Lane, Gaithersburg, MD | Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia
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Javier Zerpa
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KEY INGREDIENTS CATERING
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