Chef Laura

Food as a form of nurturing has been a theme for Laura Arcangeli throughout her career. The talented chef had already worked in the culinary industry for more than 18 years when she launched her namesake catering business back in 2010. Her impressive resume includes working as a personal chef, cooking for bands and celebrities, catering for the film industry, and serving as the executive chef at famed fishing resort Good Hope Cannery.

Today, Chef Laura is a multi-faceted event planning and catering company that dishes up weddings, memorials, birthdays, anniversaries, corporate and personal events. Laura is particularly known for her work in facilitating elegant memorials. "There’s something very nurturing about memorials," she says. "It’s one of our last celebrations, a celebration of life, and an honour for me to be part of.”

Recently, a northern B. C. woman had to plan her father’s Vancouver memorial remotely. Buckling under grief, demands of kids and career, plus her mother having a stroke – she was overwhelmed. Chef Laura stepped in and took care of all the event planning details: choosing a venue, picking out flowers, obtaining a liquor licence, sourcing wines, crafting a commemorative photo DVD and CD of favourite music, and assembling a memorabilia table. Then there was the catering, which featured charcuterie platters, luscious cheeses, canapés. “The client had ideas and I helped her realize her vision,” Laura adds humbly. “I love that I can take a lot of tiny details off a client’s plate. It eases their sense of overwhelm.”

It’s this all-encompassing event planning that Chef Laura thrives on. Event planning was a natural evolution for the vivacious chef, since catering already comprises so much event planning and organization.