Corporate Catering Services in Brisbane, Queensland

Chris Stowe - Director, CT’s Catering

With an enviable breadth of experience in the hospitality industry, Chris is our “action” man.

Chris has “earned his stripes” in the hospitality industry – pursuing his passion for service since he left high school.  Beginning as a part-time commix-waiter for Lou Merlot at his restaurant/nightclub ‘Luciano’s’ and subsequently working at the New York Hotel in Brisbane – the place to be in it’s Hey Day, where he became the duty manager within 3 years. In 1988, World Expo time, Chris commenced as Catering Manager of Garnishes/Court Terrace Catering working closely with business owner, well known food guru and industry icon Spiro Levanes.

Whilst holding this position and not content to sit on his laurels, Chris also worked as Corporate Catering Manager at ANZ Stadium with Brisbane identity and Broncos founder,  Gary Balkin. In January 2004 Chris purchased Court Terrace Restaurant & Catering, now CT’s Catering with business partner Glenn Jones.

Chris’s extensive background in catering and event management has provided him with a wide range of skills to suit any style and size of function.  During the 10 years as Corporate Catering Manager at ANZ Stadium, he worked some of the most high-profile and elite functions in the state. 

“I catered for 1,000 people a day during the 1982 Commonwealth Games, corporate box guests at many of the concerts – Madonna, Billy Joel, Elton John and U2, supervised catering for 1,500 corporate guests at the Rugby World Cup, and attended to many dignitaries – Prime Ministers, Lord Mayors and Governors.”

Chris works closely with Executive Chef Sarah Impey to ensure that CT’s meets the challenge of staying ‘fresh’ and devotes a considerable amount of time and energy to developing new ideas for new seasons. 

“There is always a thirst and hunger for what is new – the challenge is to be innovative as well as maintaining the highest quality and consistency of our signature dishes. 
At CT’s we are always willing to personalise our menus for our clients to ensure that their guests have a memorable experience.”

Chris credits attention to detail and flexibility as the key attributes to the business’s success and the award of “Best Corporate Caterer” in 2007 by Restaurant and Caterers Association (Qld) is proof that CT’s reputation for excellence is well-deserved.

A recent highlight of Chris’s career was providing catering and assisting Mr Kevin Rudd, MP to host his first official function as Prime Minister of Australia when hosting New Zealand counterpart, Helen Clark.

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Sarah Impey - Executive Chef CT’s Catering

Sarah is our “quiet achiever” – her culinary creativity speaks for itself. 

“I always knew I was going to be a chef.  Right back to my childhood where I developed a taste and inspiration for culinary delights from mum who baked treats and gourmet biscuits for me when I came home from school - the ultimate reward was to lick that spoon or clean the bowl of chocolate icing!  I guess that’s why I love making CT’s signature cup cakes!

Commencing my apprenticeship in May 1999, I was fortunate to be selected by my greatest inspiration Spiro Levanes (previous Melbourne Hotel, Greek Taverna, and Expo ’88 fame).  I can’t understate the importance of role-models, like Spiro and Arthur Yannakopoulus, in shaping my career.  Many might have considered Spiro to be “old school” but his passion and dedication to every detail of his profession was inspiring and now, as head of my own kitchen, I can fully appreciate the basic, “old-fashioned” skills I learnt from him.

Despite my role as leader of the CT’s kitchen, I am delighted to be constantly learning new skills from everyone who comes into my kitchen and am continually seeking knowledge in all areas of the business – whether it is the latest trends in food or equipment – that allows us to present our clients with new and innovative menus.” 

Sarah even takes her work on holidays with her – she has attended cooking classes in Thailand and spent much of her recent trip around the world researching international trends. 

Sarah has “come through the ranks” at CT’s.  She worked her full apprenticeship at CT’s and has continued to serve the business and it’s clients for 9 years – a rare achievement in today’s constantly changing workforce.  By anyone’s standards, Sarah has proven not only her own personal reliability but also her commitment to reliably and creatively serving her clients.

Sarah’s food is renowned for its quality, flavour and most importantly presentation.  The in-house created hors d’oeuvres, in particular, have a reputation of their own, as do her delicate cupcakes which are beautifully decorated and made to order.  Sarah believes that the key to success is in the flexibility of the menus, the creativity of the food itself and the attention to every detail of its presentation.

“We want people to notice every detail of the food we provide – not just the way it tastes, but the way it is presented.  We want the event to be a talking point for our client’s guests and part of that is that we want them to be talking about our food!” 

 “I am dedicated to maintaining my own, and the company’s, reputation for excellence and attention to detail and I am always willing to personalise our menus for clients to ensure that their guests have a memorable experience.

“A recent highlight of my career was cooking for the newly-elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at his first official function, which was attended by New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.”

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Glenn Jones - Director, CT’s Catering

Glenn is our “ideas man” – the administrative force behind the business.

Glenn has worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years and has an extensive background in the supply of commercial kitchen/catering equipment.  He has a wealth of international experience, having worked in a number of elite overseas establishments such as The Selfridge Hotel in London, where he was offered a prestigious appointment to their Banqueting Team.  Glenn’s background encompasses a broad spectrum of range of fields across the industry – from being part of the Corporate Catering management team at ANZ Stadium to business owner/manager.

“Commercial kitchen and catering equipment has always been my focus.  I am passionate about having the right equipment for the job!  While the quality of your ingredients and the quality of your chef is important, there is an equally critical third factor – your equipment – which is often overlooked.  The standard and functionality of your equipment directly affects the way your food is presented, the way it tastes and its safety.”

A highlight of Glenn’s career was attending NAFEM (North American Food Equipment Manufacturer Expo) regarded as the premier global exposition for commercial catering equipment. 

“Attending NAFEM was an amazing opportunity in terms of professional development – the focus was very much on food safety standards ….”

Glenn has been actively involved in an advocacy role in conjunction with industry and government bodies in the development and recent implementation of the new Food Safety Program.  Glenn applies this ‘whole industry focus’ to his role in the administration of CT’s, ensuring that the business maintains efficient business processes, maintains its regulatory requirements in terms of food handling and safety, staff training and development.

Glenn maintains an active, “hands-on” role in the business and is continually seeking knowledge in all areas of the industry – whether it is the latest trends in food, equipment or industry development – to ensure that CT’s continues to present its clients with exemplary service.

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