By Felix Hoover

For YourNewsColumbus.com

 

The presence of folks from church and a special neighbor pretty much guaranteed a successful opening for Robin Lipscomb-Stanford's new catering business.

 

She held the grand opening for GEM Catering on Sunday, May 31, at 3016 E. Broad St., at Bexley Centres.

 

A "career change and a leap of faith" have found Stanford catering the past eights years.

 

"I got to do something that I always enjoyed, cooking," she said

 

The business has grown by word of mouth, prompting Stanford to move beyond kitchens at home and church and to establish her own commercial kitchen. It's in the same strip mall as Tommy's Pizza.

 

Sunday's first gathering included several members from St. Philip Episcopal Church, where she is a member, as well as the state's First Lady Frances Strickland, who wanted to show support for her neighbor.

 

Stanford's fellow congregants knew they were in for a treat because she has catered many functions at the church on Woodland Avenue.

After blessings were asked by Deacon Jennie Crockett, guests sampled assorted hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and saved enough room for dessert.

 

A fruit punch -- restaurateur Randy Sokol's taste test said it was mango and peach -- provided a nonalcoholic option, but most of the patrons sampled the sangria, merlot or other libations supplied by Kelly Harvey of Signature Wines. She makes six various of her wines, all from California grapes.

 

Harvey scheduled her own grand opening for Monday, June 1, with Stanford as caterer, with the Dames Bond social networking group.

 

Stanford and Harvey have decided to partner on many of their catering engagements on- and off-site.They also will work together for adult cooking demonstrations and parties.

 

GEM will also offer cooking classes for teens, but without the wine.

 

"I think we're going to sign up for the Couples Night Out," said John Stephan of Worthington, with enthusiastic agreement from his wife, Janetta King.

 

Couples Night Out offers cooking instruction by a professional chef, meals with quality ingredients and recipes that people can take home.

 

GEM also offers a preplanned menu of dinners to go, which must be ordered a week in advance.

 

For details, call 614-207-3685.