About Us
Crazy-good catering doesn’t just come from a kitchen it comes straight from the heart and Devour is here to nourish your soul.
Our Story
Everything on that first menu was hand-crafted with love and made from scratch in a small apartment kitchen until the wee hours of the morning on the day of the celebration. It was a wonderful party and the seeds of Devour had been planted.
Word spread as guests shared their experience with friends who then told two friends and, so on. It was the first Devour event, but the love, the hand-crafted quality and the effort that went into that one brunch is still evident in every celebration that has happened since.
25+ years later, we are still here doing what we love (and what you love). In 2021, we were humbled to be recognized as Foodies of the Year by Western Living Magazine.
Meet The Team
With different backgrounds, different skills, and different personalities we all bring a fresh perspective to our work. And despite our differences, we share one thing – the desire to make a positive and genuine impact on guests.
J’Val Shuster
Owner, Proprietor
J’Val’s first event was a gift opening brunch for close friends in 1997. Thrilled with the experience, the friends told two friends, who also told two friends, and soon enough, Devour was born. With a deep passion for creating memorable experiences, J’Val thinks beyond food. She’s here to help celebrate moments that matter with people that matter.
Jasmin Ohlhoff
Event Producer
Our lead Events Producer and a committed part of the Devour team since 2005, Jasmin has an amazing ability to envision a unique personality for each event, and bring it to life. She effortlessly designs creative menus that connect to both the décor and service details so that everything works together, seamlessly. There’s always a sense of fun and whimsy at every event Jasmin is a part of.
Manuel Castro
Head Chef
Manuel leads the Devour kitchen team as our Head Chef and has been with us since July 2018. He thrives in the fast-paced and high-pressure environment of a kitchen and his creativity and dedication to flavour is behind so much of the magic that guests enjoy while devouring the delicious food he creates from scratch.
Christie DeMarce
Sales Manager
As the newest member of the team, Christie joined Devour in February 2024. Her enthusiasm for hospitality and heartfelt service is infectious from the moment you start speaking with her. Her wealth of food and beverage knowledge spanning over 30 years along with her genuine love of building community through good food and unique shared experiences will ensure your event is spectacular.
Kathleen Van Ihinger
Operations Manager
We are so happy to have Kathleen’s many talents as part of the Devour team. Whether its crafting a wonderful Madeleine recipe, designing a new office layout, or improving our warehouse organization, Kathleen can do it all. Kathleen brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to Devour. It is this important work ‘behind the scenes’ that ensures all our events run smoothly and that our full team is supported.
Don’t Forget the Crew!
In addition to our full-time team, Devour is made up of an amazing team of servers, onsite chefs, and bartenders who are genuinely interested in who you are and what you’re celebrating. Our job at Devour is our ‘fun’ job. So fun in fact that many of us have been a part of Devour celebrations for several years.
Community Spirit
We never take the opportunity to make a positive impact for granted; whether we are connecting with clients, employees, vendors, not-for-profit organizations or the broader Calgary community – our heartfelt hospitality extends to all quarters.
Being Local
Devour is proud to be a member of the Green Economy Calgary non-profit Hub supporting local businesses in adapting to low-carbon transition in our local business community.
Energy Efficiency
We are always mindful of our energy consumption. When building our new facility, we chose energy efficient compressors for our walk-in fridge, LED lighting throughout, and a sensor activated HVAC unit that only draws as much power as needed during use. Devour’s electricity has been ‘Bullfrog Powered‘ since 2020.
Waste Reduction
We are always looking for ways to reduce the use of plastics in the products we receive and the products we send out. We use compostable packaging wherever possible and compost all food waste. Our fryer oil is collected and converted to biofuel.
Saying Thank You
In October 2021, we conceived and fulfilled the donation of 6,000+ meals and individual heartfelt messages of gratitude to frontline health-care workers through our ICU – I See You campaign.
Lunch Programs
If we can help, we will! Devour is proud to be part of a dedicated ‘Lunch Bunch’ working in collaboration with many community partners that provided more than 20,000 lunches for kids throughout the city during the Summer of 2020.
Community Partnerships
Devour collaborates with many non-profit organizations and is supporting the The Calgary Food Bank in transforming thousands of pounds of raw produce into prepared products that can be added to hampers for their clients.
Join Our Team
Devour knows that good food is only part of the formula that creates an amazing event. The people serving that food, pouring the drinks, and garnishing the hors d’oeuvres are essential ingredients to a wonderful celebration. We are always looking for great people to join our team. Apply today!
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