Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Inside the c. 1710 Captain Joseph Gould Barn (recon­structed on the grounds of the Parson Capen House) in Topsfield, Massachusetts, Jennifer Frost sets a festive table before the Chive cele­bration for team members and suppliers. Both house and barn are managed by the Topsfield Historical Society.
Credit: Kindra Clineff What do Jennifer Frost and Lindsey Wishart, partners in Chive Sustainable Event Design & Catering, do on a rare night off? They throw a party, of course: an informal gathering of family, friends, and assorted members of their “Chive family” of cooks, bakers, and party planners. And when the holidays come around, that means throwing a party as lovely as the ones they do for hire, a way to celebrate the year’s hard work. In the four years since they launched the company, the women have cultivated an ardent following—for their impeccable style, for their delicious menus, and also because most of the food they serve is grown, raised, line-caught, or butchered within 40 miles of Beverly, Massachusetts, where Chive is based. Frost and Wishart know the farmers, fishermen, beekeepers, and cheesemakers by name; many are dear friends. Chive catering, explains event and marketing coordinator Sally St. John, is “aggressively local.” The food for all Chive events, Wishart adds, is “mindfully raised and lovingly cooked.”