Executive Chef – Nathan Junell
At the heart of Raleigh Event Catering is our Executive Chef, Nathan Junell. The first thing everyone notices about Nate is how personable and enjoyable he is to be around. Whether you’re a client, a guest, or business partner, Nate’s genuine desire to ensure you have an extraordinary experience, combined with his animated, outgoing personality, makes planning your event a snap.
Nate received his Le Cordon Bleu Diplôme from Atlantic Culinary Academy in 2007 and since then, has benefited from the tutelage of extraordinary chefs and mentors both locally and from abroad. Chef Nathan has an impressive service record that includes having prepared delicious cuisine for patrons and guests: on board Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America in Hawaii, The Washington Duke Inn of Durham, The Carolina Inn of Chapel Hill, Mitchell’s Catering of Raleigh, as well as several premium corporate restaurant management and catering companies serving prominent corporations located in Research Triangle Park like: Cisco Systems, IBM, & NetApp – just to name a few.
Nate’s interest in culinary arts was kindled while a Boy Scout in Troop #1, Princeton, Massachusetts. Along his journey to achieving the honored Eagle Scout Rank, he enjoyed trying out new recipes and “wowing” his fellow scouts with great tasty meals. He liked to show them how easy it was to “eat well” while on the trail, or how to create something delicious with limited ingredients.
Chef Nathan has a well-rounded culinary acumen – derived not only from formal training, but also from diverse personal experience and exposure to a myriad of unique cultures. Originally from New England, Nate was exposed to wonderful fare involving fresh cold-water seafood, wild game, and local produce as main ingredients. And with growing up less than 50 miles from Boston, one can’t avoid acquiring fantastic Irish and Italian recipes as part of one’s repertoire. Cruising around the Hawaiian Islands for almost a year added many new tastes and techniques from the pacific into Chef Nathan’s tool box. Other notable influences that helped shape Nathan’s culinary expertise came from his families’ Swedish and Finnish heritage. Top that all off with a move to Central North Carolina, where there’s a local abundance of scrumptious Southern comfort, exotic Far-East Indian and robust Latino influences, and you can understand why we consider ourselves the “Destination” catering company – because we truly can bring any culinary destination to your event.