In 1999, John Ellington’s passion for cooking earned him first place in the Best of Beef Virginia Beef Cook-Off. That same year, Ellington Catering was born—fueled by his love for food, Southern hospitality, and creative culinary expression.
After a successful 20-year career as a store manager with Harris Teeter Inc., John transitioned to Fuqua School in Farmville, Virginia, where he served as Manager of Food Service and Operations. In 2000, Ellington Catering merged with the school to form Fuqua Catering, building a legacy of quality and community.
Now, over 25 years later, Ellington Catering LLC has grown into a full-service catering company, known for handcrafted flavors, polished presentation, and warm, personal service.
John's culinary expertise shines through in his mastery of the indirect smoker grill and a deep-rooted love for Southern recipes passed down from his grandmother. Signature dishes like marinated flank steak, Southern-style green beans, ranch mashed potatoes, and homemade dips—especially his famous spinach and buffalo chicken dips—are guest favorites that keep people coming back for more.
Please check our website -ellingtoncatering.com
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This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.
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Ellington/Fuqua Catering is highly praised for delicious, varied food that guests raved about, with enjoyable tastings and reasonable pricing. The team is professional, responsive, flexible, and accommodating of dietary needs. They execute events smoothly, handling setup, service, cleanup, and packaging leftovers.
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This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.
Ellington/Fuqua Catering is highly praised for delicious, varied food that guests raved about, with enjoyable tastings and reasonable pricing. The team is professional, responsive, flexible, and accommodating of dietary needs. They execute events smoothly, handling setup, service, cleanup, and packaging leftovers.
+9User photos
Jacob Sent on 06/23/2026
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Delicious Food, Stout Drinks, and Friendly Staff
John and team at Ellington Catering were easy to work with and very accommodating of our requests. From the delicious food options to the competent, capable and friendly bartenders, Ellington Catering helped to make our wedding day a success. Our guests raved about the meatloaf, which my wife and I highly recommend. We have no complaints and highly recommend Ellington Catering to others.
Madison Sent on 06/09/2026
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Excellent All Around!
Not only were the cocktail hour foods, entrees, and drinks fantastic, but John and his team were super easy to work with! John is very responsive to emails and provided us with new invoices, menus, etc., within 24 hours! On our wedding day, the team did an excellent job at pre-bussing tables and maintaining a clean space. They also packaged all of our leftovers neatly, which made transporting it home easy! Could not recommend John and his team enough!
Alexis Sent on 05/09/2026
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
5 star service!!
I cannot recommend Ellington catering enough! Everything they offer is delicious. I would personally recommend the pork tenderloin, the sauce paired with it is DIVINE!
We had an allotment through our package with Waverly Estate. The pricing is extremely fair and reasonable. John and his team are so professional AND personable.
I would absolutely love to book Ellington Catering for another event!
Katherine Sent on 05/03/2026
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Amazing Chef and Caterer!
John has catered multiple events for me. His staff is AMAZING. He did my daughter's engagement party and her college graduation party. Both were spectacular.
Terri Sent on 05/02/2026
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Excellent across the board!
If I could give Ellington Catering more stars, I would. John and his team catered my daughter's outdoor wedding, and everything went without a hitch. John is flexible and incredibly responsive. I do not live near the wedding venue, which means I had a lot of questions, and John was extremely helpful. We had a couple of last-minute changes that were handled promptly. The menu was a huge hit. I received only positive responses about the food, which is a small miracle since our guests came from all over hte country! Ellington Catering's prices were more reasonable than any other estimate we received- and we received plenty. We appreciated how John's years of experience in the field resulted in a relaxing, confident experience for us at my daughter's reception.
Victoria Sent on 04/19/2026
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Would highly recommend! :)
Ellington Catering was amazing to work with! We got so many compliments on the food, drinks, and excellent service throughout our wedding. They were so kind and communicative throughout the entire process and made our day run so smoothly!
Camille Sent on 03/24/2026
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Wonderful experience!
The food for both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding they provided at Waverly Estates were fabulous! So many guests commented on the delicious food. The catering staff were very prompt, professional, and friendly. I would highly recommend Ellington Catering!
Alicia Sent on 03/15/2026
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Wedding Catering
We worked with Ellington Catering for both my rehearsal dinner and my wedding at Waverly Estate. The menu was incredible and our guests are still raving about the food. The team was incredibly easy to work with and accommodated allergies and my special requests (coffee and hot chocolate bar!) with no issues. They were very professional, personable, and easy to work with. I was excited to eat the food (and the leftovers!) and loved how much my guests enjoyed the meal.
Kayla Sent on 01/20/2026
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Incredible
Absolutely incredible from start to finish! Everything was so well prepared, perfectly timed, and beautifully executed. Our guests have not stopped coming up to us or reaching out after the wedding to tell us how amazing the food was—several even said it was the best meal they’ve ever had at a wedding. The mac and cheese was a huge standout, and we even had a guest joke that they would happily eat just a bowl of the baked beans as a full meal!
Beyond the food, the entire team was truly a joy to work with. The staff and bartenders were professional, friendly, and made the entire day run so smoothly and stress-free. They played such a big role in making our wedding day enjoyable and seamless. An absolute must to work with—we couldn’t recommend them more highly!
Sallie Sent on 11/14/2025
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Highly recommend!
John was an absolute dream to work with for our wedding catering. He was so easygoing and flexible with the set menus. We were able to swap items for ones we preferred with no hassle at all. The menu options had great variety, our tasting went smoothly, and he took the time to answer every question we had.
Most importantly, the food was delicious and our guests are still talking about it. John was quick to respond, extremely professional, and made the entire process stress-free. I would recommend him to any future bride without hesitation!
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At Ellington Catering LLC, the cost of the full wedding catering service includes:
Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up
Tastings
The bar service starting price at Ellington Catering LLC includes:
Bartender(s)
Ellington Catering LLC offers the following event services for weddings:
Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up
Ellington Catering LLC offers the following catering services for weddings:
Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Custom Menu
Hors d'oeuvres
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings
At Ellington Catering LLC, you can find the following types of cuisine:
American
BBQ
Greek
Italian
Local
Mediterranean
Mexican
Seafood
Southern
At Ellington Catering LLC, the following dietary needs can be accomodated:
Gluten Free
Nut Free
Vegan
Vegetarian
Ellington Catering LLC provides the following bar and beverage services for wedding events:
Bartender(s)
To cater to all tastes, Ellington Catering LLC offers the following food and beverage items:
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
Ellington Catering LLC is recommended by 100% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 5.0, with the same score awarded for quality of service, flexibility, value, professionalism and average response time.
