The Echo, Eat Drink Magazine
Easter 2025
Maria's Catering
Maria’s Byron Bay is a local catering business, launched by sisters Maya and Chelsea, where food is always at the heart of creating lasting memories and shared experiences. Showcasing the best local and seasonal ingredients. Maria’s celebrates the joy of authentic cuisine, to be shared among friends and family. A product launch, a birthday or hosting a wedding, Maya and Chelsea will work with you to curate a package specific to your event. mariasbyronbay.com
17 Banksia Dr, Byron Bay
0433 969 981
feedme@mariasfood.com
@mariasbyronbay
Back in the 70s, my mum
worked for a caterer. The
company would do weddings and balls, engagements and
21st birthdays. Mum would
often have her hair ‘done’ before those
events and always wore a white shirt, a knee length black skirt, and black stockings and shoes.
Menus boasted items such as roast beef or roast chicken, and they would come with three veg and gravy. They were always sit-down meals with serviettes
and dessert – pavlova or lemon sponge, with or without ice-cream!
Two local catering services, Open Table Catering + Cooking School and Maria’s, have shown just how far the industry
has moved forward from dinner rolls.
Director of Open Table Catering + Cooking School, Ronit Robbaz Franco, has been in hospitality for the last 35 years and has run Open Table for the
last 23 years in the Byron Shire.
Ronit was trained by several chefs over the last 40+ years, from France and Brazil, to India, South East Asia and Japan. ‘I worked in restaurants, boats and retreat centres until I decided to open my catering business.‘I cater for private celebrations, weddings, parties, funerals, retreats, corporate events and cooking classes and workshops.’ Ronit services small gatherings from ten people up to large events of 1,000, and has a variety of menus from three-course meals, banquet sharing, cocktail-style roving food, station food, grazing tables, buffet tables and more as well as serving vegan, GF, DF, vegetarian, KETO, Paleo, carnivore to FODMAP and other options.
Ronit says hiring a caterer for an event ensures a seamless dining experience, allowing hosts to focus on their guests rather than meal preparation and service.
‘Professional caterers bring expertise in menu planning, food presentation, and dietary accommodations, ensuring
high-quality, delicious dishes tailored to the occasion. They also handle logistics, setup, and cleanup, reducing stress and
saving time. With their experience in managing events of all sizes, caterers help create a polished and memorable
experience, elevating the overall atmosphere and ensuring guests are well taken care of.’
Ronit says common misconceptions
about hiring a caterer include the belief that it’s too expensive, inflexible, or only
suited for large events.
‘Some think catered food lacks quality or personalisation, but professional caterers offer tailored menus with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Others assume catering limits dietary options, yet most caterers accommodate various
preferences and restrictions.’
Maya and Chelsea Sourial are the
founders and directors of Maria’s and say they specialise in bringing an event
vision to life.
‘Whether it’s a wedding, an intimate gathering, a milestone birthday, or a brand activation, our team is committed to delivering a flawless and memorableexperience that brings your gathering together through good quality food.’
Catering for groups up to 150, Maya says Maria’s is passionate about curating a menu that reflects the client and harnesses the best local and seasonal ingredients. ‘Whether it’s gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, or any other dietary requirement, our team tailors each menu, ensuring an inclusive and enjoyable experience for all.
’Maya says Maria’s is a reflection of everything they are about. ‘It’s an invitation to our table to celebrate tradition, family and friends. We’ve spent our lives watching the people we love cook for the people they love. Bringing people together through food is something we enjoy most about this industry.’
And the meat and three veg? If that’s what you want, it can be arranged, but Ronit, Maya and Chelsea have other ideas about what is the yummiest.
Ronit has a huge list – snapper encrusted withza’atar and sumac with saffron mayo; date lamb tagine; celeriac skordal
ia; smoked eggplant served with tahini and bejewelled pomegranate; and chard filled with bamboo rice with broad beans in tangy tomato relish.
For Maya and Chelsea it’s simple: ‘Pasta – it’s always pasta!’
For more information, contact Ronit at: opentable.net.au, and Maya and Chelsea at: mariasbyronbay.com
