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Weddings

About

St. John Catering & Mathayom Private Chefs is a full-service catering company based out of Cruz Bay, St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands that serves couples on St. Thomas and St. John. They have over 20 years of experience in the industry and have won multiple local awards throughout the years including winning Best of the VI for Catering, Private Chefs, and Party Rentals for 10 years in a row (2010-2019)! They offer both custom and online menus, as well as both casual and fine dining options. They also operate a private event venue in Cruz Bay called Lucky Chops. St. John Catering & Mathayom Private Chefs looks forward to making your special day everything you dreamed it to be.

Services Offered

This experienced catering company prides themselves on their generous hospitality, highly personalized service, and custom menus that include high-quality, local ingredients. Chef Mathayom (Mat) Vacharat, the owner behind this passionate business, specializes in Asian fusion cuisine, but is also skilled in Carribean flair, progressive American, and Italian comfort foods. Mat and his team offer tastings, so you can sample their delicious fare before your celebration. Their services include:

  • Full Catering Packages
  • Bar packages
  • Rental of Private Event Venue in Cruz Bay
  • Equipment Rentals: Chairs, Tables, Linens, China, Flatware, Glassware
  • Event Setup & Cleanup
  • 3rd Party Vendor Coordination for Musicians and Live Entertainment

Cuisine

Couples may select a buffet, cocktail reception, family style, french service, plated, or stations for their wedding reception. Mat also offers scrumptious hors d'oeuvres and mouthwatering desserts to complete your meal. He’s happy to accommodate any dietary requests you may have, including creating a vegetarian or raw food menu. Sample fare includes:

  • Cilantro chicken skewer with mango chutney
  • Coconut shrimp with papaya chutney
  • House lamb sausage with cassava chip and mint pesto
  • Grilled fresh catch with miso-garlic sauce

Private Event Venue

In 2018, this unique catering company rennovated a private event space in Cruz Bay called Lucky Chops, now avaialbe to rent for private parties. The venue is only a two-minute walk from the ferry dock and features both indoor and outdoor seating spaces, an air-conditioned 800-square-foot bar, and a private courtyard capable of hosting parties of up to 120 guests.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the average catering price per person for plated service?

$180

What is the average catering price per person for buffet service?

$150

What is the average catering price per person for stations?

$165

What is the average catering price per person for hors d'oeuvres?

$75

Which of the following are included in the cost of your full service wedding catering?

Set Up
Clean Up
Cake Cutting
Dessert
Cocktail Reception
Server(s)
Chairs
Tables
China
Linens
Flatware
Glassware

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$45

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartender(s)
Open Bar
House Beer
House Wine
Champagne Toast
House Liquor

What event services do you provide?

Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up

What catering services do you provide?

Breakfast / Brunch
Buffet
Cake Cutting
Cocktail Reception
Custom Menu
Hors d'oeuvres
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What types of cuisine do you cater?

American
Asian
BBQ
Caribbean
French
Indian
Italian
Latin American
Local
Mediterranean
Mexican
Middle Eastern
Southern
Spanish

What dietary needs can you accommodate?

Gluten Free
Lactose Free
Kosher
Nut Free
Organic
Vegan
Vegetarian

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Open Bar
Champagne Toast
Signature Drink

Which of the following items can you provide?

Chairs
Tables

Which of the following items can you provide?

Barware
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

Reviews of St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs

M
Melissa Sent on 01/08/2018
5 out of 5 rating
Mat and his team did an EXCELLENT job for our New Year's Eve (12/31/17) wedding on St. Thomas! The food tasted AMAZING, the staff was super helpful, and the set-up of the tables, chairs, linens, etc. was all perfect. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to have a wedding in the Virgin Islands!
A
Alex Sent on 05/31/2017
5 out of 5 rating
My husband and I recently got married in St. John (5/20/17) and St. John Catering knocked it out of the park for our welcome dinner and wedding reception. In my family, we believe that food brings people and families together. It was really important for us to have the food at our reception and welcome dinner blow everyone away and that's exactly what St. John Catering did. From the minute we met Mat we knew that we were in good hands. The experience, knowledge, and professionalism both Mat and his team exudes is hands down the best. We had our welcome dinner at Mat's venue. They had a great outdoor set up and our guests could not stop talking about how great the bbq was. For our wedding reception, we had a grilling station with flank steak and Mahi Mahi as well as a jambalaya station. Guests said the Mahi was some of the best fish they had ever had and were eating 2nd and 3rd helpings of jambalaya. Needless to say, if you are looking for a caterer/staff that will go above and beyond for your special day, St. John Catering is the best there is.
L
Lucy Sent on 11/01/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Mat and Nils provided the catering for our wedding reception as well as some in-villa meals, and I just cannot say enough how amazing and wonderful everything was! Our guests are still raving at how incredible the food was-- from being fresh, authentic, and absolutely delectable, to the outstanding presentation! Mat and Nils did a walk thru the day before and made us feel right at ease with all the plans. They had everything mapped out and on schedule so we had nothing to worry about! Nils also went above and beyond for us for our reception and we are so grateful! Of all our trips to St. John, we have never encountered such amazing food and service (and there are several great ones!). They also provided chairs (with beautiful chair covers!), tables, linens, china, and flatware and Nils made the extra effort to bring fresh flowers to decorate the villa. Planning our destination wedding from a distance was a challenge, but this team and staff made our vision a beautiful reality- and in many cases, without our prompting! It was a wonderful experience for us and we highly, highly recommend Mathayom!
C
Caroline Sent on 06/30/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Mat and is team did the most amazing job on our rehearsal dinner and wedding. We used them for all our food, beverage, staffing and rental needs. They were professional, responsive and full of amazing ideas to make our wedding week a dream come true.
H
Heidi Sent on 06/27/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Exceptional in every way ! St. John Catering sets the very highest standard with their service, quality of food & staffing. We were beyond satisfied with Mat & his staff for the rehearsal dinner and cannot recommend this company highly enough -- they are simply phenomenal.
G
Giavanna Sent on 05/16/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Planning a destination wedding is such a great adventure - but choosing a cater when you haven't tasted the food can make you a little nervous! The first time I spoke with Mat, I knew he was the guy for us. We had him cater three events for us - each one was slightly different but all three were absolutely wonderful! His team is so fantastic and fun, and I was really glad that I had such lovely people as part of our wedding week experience! I vividly remember eating dinner at the wedding and the entire table discussing how delicious and beautifully presented the food was - that meal was a highlight of the party! Mat and his team were a dream come true. If you are looking for an unforgettable meal, professionalism, presentation along with a stress free vibe and the joy of making a few new friends, then this is the team for you!
U
User2597134 Sent on 05/04/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Mat and his amazing team prepared the dinner for our daughter's wedding. He was very flexible with our wishes for the meal, for which we were very grateful. It was most important that we have have a great, and hopefully memorable for the reception, and the meal met and exceeded our expectations. His staff was amazing. Nils and Jay were amazing chefs, so easy to be around, and Michelle, lead for the wait staff, could easily have been a friend. All were very professional, friendly and wonderful. I would recommend St. John Catering to anyone.
U
User2265358 Sent on 08/11/2015
5 out of 5 rating
Mathayom & his team were amazing! We got married in St. John in July at the villa we rented for the week. We spoke & emailed in the weeks leading up to the event & every detail was taken care of for me. The menu was beyond delicious. Every guest raved about the tuna & the falafel waffles! We put our trust in this team to create a beautiful reception for us, and it was delivered! I can't thank them enough for their professionalism, their talent, and their follow-through to make our wedding night so memorable. I highly recommend them and can't wait to go back and book them again for an anniversary celebration someday...
U
User2228431 Sent on 07/15/2015
5 out of 5 rating
Mat and his crew did an amazing catering job for our wedding that we held at our Villa. Not only was his food unbelievable, but his service and professionalism were fabulous also! He had plenty of food options for us to choose from, and was very flexible in how we designed the menu. He and Brittany came out to our villa the day before to go over the layout, and went over all of the details that we needed to know. The day of the wedding went off without a hitch! The setup was great, and our guests raved about the delicious food. I highly recommend Mat and his team for any event that you might need catering for.
E
Emily Sent on 03/11/2015
5 out of 5 rating
When I started looking for caterers for our St Thomas wedding I had a hard time finding someone that responded to me in a timely manner and was also flexible and willing to meet my requests. After speaking to a few caterers and waiting weeks and even months to hear back…and essentially having the same conversation over and over again… I eventually started a deeper search which brought me St John Catering/Mathayom Private Chefs in St. John. I had my first conversation with Mat, the owner and he immediately impressed me! Their dishes were creative and unique and I felt like I was really getting a custom, top notch event. They were a bit pricier, but they proved to be well worth the extra cost (and some of the extra cost was the fact they had to travel to STT from STJ). They were also very considerate of my budget and worked with me to get where I needed to be financially. They responded in timely manner (2-3 day turnaround) and every time we had a conversation they had our past conversations documented, so each conversation was productive. My finance’s sister has a restaurant in San Francisco and she also caters weddings/events on the side and so I felt like I was armed with the right questions and knew exactly what to expect by her coaching. However, St. John Catering exceeded my expectations and even the very hard to please sister in law and all the foodies in attendance were thrilled with the food and service. From a timing standpoint STJ Catering nailed it.. to execute a 63 person plated dinner (let’s be realistic you can’t keep 63 dishes hot) does not seem easy, but the food was warm, plated beautifully and the service was excellent. I can not recommend St. John Catering enough, from start to finish they did an amazing job. Even their clean up was fantastic. Skip the research because I did it for you- hire STJ Catering. Oh, its also worth noting that we had individual chocolate molten lava cakes for dessert – they were a crowd pleaser and delicious!
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

31
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

4 Endorsements
Savanah Willow Co. Savanah Willow Co. Wedding Photographers

Mathayom is my absolute favorite event catering team on St John! They are consistent in curating the best flavors, and known for the best quality and delicious creativity in each of their dishes. I highly recommend them for your next event whether it be a casual beach side barbecue or elaborate formal fine dining experience! They are the best!!

Gallows Point Resort Gallows Point Resort Hotel Weddings

We are always impressed with St. John Catering's food & service. Staff is very professional, food is delicious, and we have heard nothing but compliments from wedding groups, businesses, and guests who have hired their services. We definitely recommend St. John Catering!!!

La La Land Productions/ the ISH-6 piece groove band La La Land Productions/ the ISH-6 piece groove band Wedding Bands

Mathayom... The premier event caterer on St John, Talented, professional, organized, experienced, tasty

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· Wedding Hair & Makeup

Map

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St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs frequently asked questions

At St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs, the cost of the full wedding catering service includes:
  • Set Up
  • Clean Up
  • Cake Cutting
  • Dessert
  • Cocktail Reception
  • Server(s)
  • Chairs
  • Tables
  • China
  • Linens
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
The bar service starting price at St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs includes:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Open Bar
  • House Beer
  • House Wine
  • Champagne Toast
  • House Liquor
St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs offers the following event services for weddings:
  • Delivery
  • Set Up
  • Clean Up
St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs offers the following catering services for weddings:
  • Breakfast / Brunch
  • Buffet
  • Cake Cutting
  • Cocktail Reception
  • Custom Menu
  • Hors d'oeuvres
  • Plated
  • Server(s)
  • Stations
  • Tastings
At St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs, you can find the following types of cuisine:
  • American
  • Asian
  • BBQ
  • Caribbean
  • French
  • Indian
  • Italian
  • Latin American
  • Local
  • Mediterranean
  • Mexican
  • Middle Eastern
  • Southern
  • Spanish
At St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs, the following dietary needs can be accomodated:
  • Gluten Free
  • Lactose Free
  • Kosher
  • Nut Free
  • Organic
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs provides the following bar and beverage services for wedding events:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Open Bar
  • Champagne Toast
  • Signature Drink
To cater to all tastes, St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs offers the following food and beverage items:
  • Barware
  • China
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Linens
St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs is recommended by 99% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 5 in quality of service, 5 in professionalism, 4.9 in average response time, 4.9 in flexibility and 4.9 in value.

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