about us
Helen Harding was raised in Ann Arbor by parents with deep roots in the community. She went to the local public schools and Washtenaw Community College before graduating from University of Michigan with Honors and a degree in American Cultures. Helen has traveled and studied abroad, and found the experience only deepened her commitment to her home town. In Ann Arbor, with its heartland heart and global sensibility, Helen has found many lessons can be learned by just staying put. With eat, she would like to return the favor to the community that formed her, using everything she has learned to provide grounded, thoughtful and inspiring food and service.
Blake Reetz was raised on the Reetz family centennial dairy farm in West Branch, Michigan, where eating seasonally and locally was a daily way of life and hard work built healthy appetites. Community events large and small centered around family and food, the harvest, the preparation and, of course, the eating. At 19, the farm could no longer satisfy Blake's creative energy. He moved to Ann Arbor to broaden his horizons and pursue a career in the kitchen. Like Helen, his travels and experiences in kitchens across the country, have brought him full-course back to his roots on the farm. Blake found the close ties and sense of place that are an everyday part of farm life are the missing link in so much 'sophisticated' food that falls just shy of the mark. At eat, Blake brings a sense of place back to the table, coupled with a creative energy that finds its natural expression in food. Every meal becomes a feast.
Mission Statement
Our goal is to provide the best tasting food and the most personal catering that we can offer. We don't want people to feel like we're selling them something. We want people to feel like we are helping them with their event, that we're on their side. We recognize how important these functions are to our clients. We are happy to customize a menu to suit their needs. We want the food to not only be approachable, but flavorful and exciting. Food is inherently beautiful. We do not build 'food creations' or make dishes up, but allow carefully-sourced ingredients full expression within authentic food traditions. Locally sourced, traditionally-made food, prepared and served with attention to detail and care creates a sense of abundance and well-being that will make every eat event truly special and uniquely yours. This business is a natural extension of our commitment to community, to each other and to you.
(Thanks to A Girl In Love Photography for a great photo of Blake and Helen!)
