Ashland Gourmet Catering

Chef Alexandra been cooking pretty much all her life. Born in Arkansas, she recalls her first culinary venture was whipping up a batch of cornbread “at the sweet age of 4 years.” She still loves to cook and, judging from her ever-growing fan base, everyone who tastes her creations is grateful she does.

“I’ve been in this industry most of my life,” she says. “I created that first batch of cornbread and never stopped. I’ve worked in the retail food and hospitality industries since the age of 16, a career now spanning decades.”

That career took her a long way from her Southern roots. She spent 30 years in Southern California as a top chef and event caterer for A-list celebrities and corporations that included City of Hope, Anheuser Busch, USC, UCLA and Disney Imagineering. She then moved to Southern Oregon, where she has worked as Executive Chef at Morrison River Lodge; Culinary Consultant at Blondie’s Bistro in Grants Pass; Executive Chef at The River’s Edge Restaurant in Grants Pass; and Director of Hospitality at Belle Fiore Winery. She recently settled in Ashland, where last January she opened Ashland Gourmet Catering.

“We are a full-service catering company with a farm-to-table approach,” says Alexandra. “Our emphasis is on organic and locally sourced food from local bread and cheese artisans to boutique wineries and farmers.”

The company is truly a family business. Alexandra’s daughter, Laurel Lilli Frazier, is the business operations manager and her son, Gary R. Frazier, Jr., is kitchen manager and staging manager for events. Danielle McKelvey, a graduate of the Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute, also works as a chef. Chef Alexandra prides herself on her “small but mighty” team that attends to every detail of the dining experience.

“Our mission is to ensure that each culinary experience is memorable and worthy of repeat, no matter the budget or guest count, whether it’s an intimate gathering in your home, a late night executive dinner, or the wedding you’ve been waiting a lifetime for,” she said.

Ashland Gourmet Catering offers an extensive menu or can custom create a menu and accommodate all special dietary needs. “We can take care of every detail, from menu selections, rentals, staging, bartenders and servers, to floral installation, entertainment and more,” says Alexandra.

And there’s more to come. Watch for gourmet cooking classes and gourmet meal preparation to be offered in the near future.

“Creating gourmet cuisine and sharing it with people is my way of expressing my sentiment for them,” Alexandra said. “I absolutely love what we do and the way that we do it, and I think it shows. Food is truly the way I show my passion and zest for life.”

For more info, call 951-587-7333, or go to ashlandgourmetcatering.com, or see them on Instagram and Facebook (Ashland Gourmet Catering and Alexandra Hannah Culinary Company).