Audain Art Museum collaborates with Lazy Gourmet for an appetizing Illuminate gala
The goal is for the virtual event to be as delicious as if it were in-person
The Lazy Gourmet’s Gala Box for Audain Art Museum’s Illuminate Gala & Auction is multi-level.
Audain Art Museum’s Illuminate Gala & Auction takes place April 24 at 6:30 pm PDT online.
THE CATERING BUSINESS was not a great one to be in in March 2020, when event after event got cancelled as COVID-19 shut the world down. Then came the shift to online everything, from dance performances and theatre shows to cooking classes and wine tastings. Even extravagant fundraising galas have gone virtual—and long-time Vancouver company the Lazy Gourmet responded with a pandemic pivot. It creates boxes with the kind of gourmet finger foods you’d find at fancy in-person functions for people to nosh and nibble on at home.
For the Audain Art Museum’s Illuminate Gala & Auction on April 24, the Lazy Gourmet is curating special Gala Boxes. The goal is to re-create the annual event’s whole experience, and it’s not just about the food.
“We’re an event company at heart, and we think that you still want to create excitement to make it feel special for someone, and that starts with the delivery to their door, right down to the driver dressed in white gloves and little surprises arriving at the door,” says Kevin Mazzone, Lazy Gourmet general manager and co-chair of the gala (with Justine Nichol, AAM marketing and communications manager). “It goes onto opening the box, with the ribbon and the different types of paper. It’s really about engaging with people in every aspect, elevating the experience with every piece of it being meaningful.”
The Gala Box’s grazing-style menu has several of Lazy Gourmet founder Susan Mendelssohn’s most popular appetizers. Think Chicken Saltimbocca Lolly (prosciutto-wrapped chicken in a sage-and-white-wine marinade); Mustard Herb Lamb Pop with mint sauce; Cuban Sliders with Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, and sweet-pepper garnish; Seared Ahi Tuna; Lobster Salad Cup with lime aioli and pickled ginger; and New York Steak au Poivre on rosemary skewer. Then there are Spanish prawns, cured meats, duck rillettes, house-made sausages, cornichon, marinated olives, pesto-marinated bocconcini, Brie, aged cheddar, smoked gouda, focaccia bread, dips, and more. The dessert compartment contains Ruby Pistachio Pops, Espresso Financier, and Mini Yuzu Éclair.
Cocktails and wine are also part of the package, depending on the tier purchased. Wine from Mission Hill Family Estate has been picked to best pair with the food. Art-inspired mementos are also tucked into the boxes.
“When you think about when you go to an in-person event, you start with cocktail then have wine with dinner,” Mazzone says. “People will be watching the gala on-screen and engaging for 90 minutes, which allowed for us to map this journey for them. It’s an at-home celebration but it still feels like a celebration.”
The program includes a live auction of major works of art by auctioneer Robert Heffel of Heffel Fine Art Auction House; performances by Arts Umbrella and Said the Whale’s Jaycelyn Brown; a silent auction, and more. (The Lazy Gourmet, meanwhile, also offers a line of at-home meals, groceries, and virtual cooking classes through LG at Home.)
For more information, visit Audain Art Museum.
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