NACE Baltimore Chapter: Member Spotlight 2015
Member Spotlight: Jim Holderbaum, Chef & Owner at Range and Reef
1) Tell us a little bit about Range and Reef and what makes your catering business unique?
Range and Reef provides personal chef catering for any type of venue and specializes in rotisserie-grilled prime rib and top sirloin, grilled oysters, shrimp and seafood boils, and traditional New England lobster/clambakes. Range and Reef is unique as a catering company in two ways. First, we cook all food on site and outside. Second, we only use natural wood fires in all of our grilling, including oak, cherry, peach and apple wood. We prepare food for events of any size from less than 20 guests to over 300.
2) How did you get started in the catering business?
I’ve always had a passion for cooking and grilling outside and making the preparation of food part of the event. After over 20 years in a professional career where I traveled to over 60 countries around the world, I decided it was time to turn this passion into a business. I spent a lot of time researching the types of catering available and visiting with chefs and cooks from Florida to Maine that specialize in unique cooking styles. I also incorporate cooking techniques I observed from my travels and living overseas.
3) What is your favorite thing about working in this industry?
My favorite thing is interacting with guests when I’m cooking and the response I get from people who taste the foods I prepare. I have clients say to me: “I’ve never had prime rib that tasted this good!” And my reply is “That’s probably because you’ve never had prime rib grilled over a natural wood fire!” I also enjoy the fact that I am introducing a new and exciting concept in catering that makes the preparation of food more personal and part of the event.
4) Being that you create delicious food for a living, are you the one that cooks at home and if so, what is your favorite dish to make?
I love cooking and cook all the time at home. I have a large custom-built wood grill outside where I’m always playing around with grilling techniques. In the kitchen I love to try new things and been known to make everything from homemade pastrami, to chocolate croissants. One of my favorite dishes is a lobster grilled cheese sandwich because it’s simple but over the top delicious!
5) Tell us something about you that others might not know (family, hobbies, etc.)
Well, besides having traveled to a lot of countries including North Korea, I love to go surf fishing on the Delaware shore and spend a lot of time out in my vegetable garden.
Source: NACE Baltimore Chapter, Author: Ashley Sullivan