Toronto’s best full-service custom caterer

As Toronto’s premiere caterer, Kiss the Cook Catering provides customized food and cocktail menus and exceptional service to execute your event flawlessly. Our team of professional caterers and event planners are industry experts dedicated to making memorable events.

We cater corporate functions and social events including catering for weddings, receptions, baptisms, baby showers, birthdays, anniversaries and more. Kiss the Cook is also able to manage booking staff, ordering rentals, entertainment, and even creating custom décor pieces to elevate the look and feel of your event.

Meet our Founder & CEO

Fia Pagnello

Entrepreneurs tend to find inspiration in the most unlikely places. Mine came from around a dining room table.

I’m lucky to have a large, loud, loving family where massive get-togethers were the norm growing up. My mother and grandmother tended to host most of them and loved planning parties where even the tiniest details—from the candles on the table to the china used to serve their delicious meals—were delicately mapped out. I remember having birthday parties with candy buffets, themed homemade cakes, exquisitely presented dinners, entertainment of all sorts and elaborate gift bags. When my mom wasn’t planning the next big event, she was spoiling us with home-cooked meals each night, beautifully presented on our table—which seemed magical with its ever-changing centerpiece decor.

In our family, food was a passion and a reason for togetherness. Those experiences would shape my life and career to come.

So, it’s no surprise that I found my way into the catering industry as a coordinator and account manager. During those early days, I couldn’t resist rolling up my sleeves to help in the kitchen, delivering meals or serving food at events. I learned a lot, namely that to be great at what you do, you have to work in every area of the business. Also: making unforgettable food and throwing awesome events takes time, attention to detail and real care.

Executive Chef

Chef Chris Canham

As Kiss the Cook Catering’s Executive Chef, Chris Canham brings decades of experience to his role managing our kitchen and bringing his unique culinary flare to our menu. But perhaps most importantly, it’s his approach and attitude that are poised to elevate our client experience. Put simply, Chef Chris leads by example. His indelible spirit and embrace of new ideas have led him to transform workplaces in past positions, while putting a smile on the face of the thousands of guests that he’s fed since his career began in the mid-1980s.

Executive & Planning Team

Fia Pagnello – Founder, CEO
Chris Canham – Executive Chef
Swapnil Paradkar – Sous Chef
Carmine Beltrame – Operations Manager
Jennifer Orange – Director of Catering & Events
Shelly Zapp – Catering & Event Coordinator
Neil Gilbert – Catering & Events Coordinator
Kim Doane – Administrative Bookkeeper
Lucy Rahman – Bookkeeper
Chris Atchison – Media

Green Policy

At Kiss the Cook Catering, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of good environmental practice. To this end, we make great efforts to keep our carbon footprint to a minimum. We take measures to source products locally and seasonally, reuse materials, and recycle and compost waste at our facility, venues and events. We also encourage our clients to select reusable platter options and biodegradable disposables. Our goal is to continually improve and work with our providers and partners to increase our sustainability practices for all catering endeavours.

Charity

Deep within our company culture, we have a desire to make a positive impact in the communities where we work and live. One way we do this is by giving back to our communities in the form of financial support, food donations and employee volunteerism.

Kiss the Cook Catering supports a growing number of charitable causes in Toronto and beyond. Recent successes include Easter Seals, Homes First Society, Kisses for Keaton, SickKids Foundation, United Way, March of Dimes and more.

I highly recommend Kiss the Cook Catering from a working lunch to an executive board meeting, you can expect the best in quality and service – I guarantee you will want to Kiss the Cook!

Renee LayneDetour Gold Corporation

Kiss the Cook has catered a number of our events, most of which have involved food for about 120 people. On every single occasion, both the food and service have been exceptional.

Joan DacostaUniversity of Toronto

Kiss the Cook provided daily lunches for our physicians in the Critical Care Medicine department. Their services were second to none. Menu selections were diverse, tasty and the delivery timely.

Farida Hasin-ShakoorUniversity Health Network

Kiss the Cook have always exceeded with delicious food, original ideas and exceptional service. They are professional, courteous, efficient, accommodating and always on schedule.

Tony GaraffaForeman, City of Toronto

Our orders are always correct and complete, with no detail left out. The food is fresh, delicious and always delivered on time, which we value tremendously. They take into consideration the dietary needs of our staff, and treat our team like we are old friends rather than just another customer.

Tom DitoroHDR Architecture Associates Inc.