It's a long way from the Netherlands to Rochester, NY and Arend Jaap (AJ) Hofma gathered a world of experience in catering before his wife's job brought him here in 2001.
The food service business has been his passion from a young age, when he got his first job as a neighborhood ice cream vendor. In the Netherlands this is no easy feat, since the ice cream man comes by bicycle and not by truck! While in high school, he spent his vacations working at a small family-owned vineyard in Krov, Germany, where he not only perfected his German but also picked up a few pointers on making and tasting wines and schnapps.
Throughout college, while pursuing a degree in Hotel Management, AJ continued his career in food service by working for the largest caterers in the Netherlands, where parties often numbered over 1000 guests and were covered in the press.
When the travel bug hit AJ, he decided to try his hand at an even bigger food service challenge by working for Holland America Cruise Line in the Food & Beverage department. During his years with Holland America, AJ worked on ships carrying from 1200 to 1800 passengers and made sure that the five daily meal services and room service went off without a hitch. He covered everything from ordering supplies, public health inspections and training the staff of 350+ food service employees on the ships, and also had time to conduct the wine tasting courses for the passengers.
It was during leave from Holland America that AJ had the good fortune to meet and marry his wife Holland (what are the odds - the Dutchman marries an American named Holland?), and the rest, as they say, is history.
All of AJ's experience, from the large party caterers in the Netherlands to his global travels with Holland America, has taught him a great deal about food and even more about managing catering events large and small. Take advantage of his world of experience and give him a call for your next event.
