Experience. Execution. Service.

J&W Catering and Events was built on pillars of experience, ability to execute, service and heart. With all of these, the team at J&W aims to create memorable experiences for all of our patrons that will leave them with a warm smile on the inside and out. From our recipes, to our going above and beyond to plan or staff your perfect event, we get the job done, right. Learn more about the J&W story below.

THE STORY

From even before her very first job as a cashier at a brick oven pizza restaurant at the age of fifteen, J&W’s Chef/Owner, Shana Steele knew that being around food and beverage was where she belonged. Shana always had a fond love of cooking, learning new skills and trying new recipes and ingredients. One of her favorite pasttimes was watching “Yan Can Cook” and “Louisiana Cookin’" with Chefs Martin Yan and Justin E. Wilson with her father, Winzell.

Throughout the years, the self-taught cook honed her culinary and event planning skills with first-hand experience of leading restaurant, bar, catering and cafe operations.

Along with being in the back-of-house, Shana grew her skillset by operating multi-million dollar, full service production kitchens along with over a decade of experience in special and private event coordination. Shana has worked alongside professional bartenders/mixologists, influencers, vendors and venue operators in the Washington,D.C, Maryland, Virginia and New York areas who know how to get the job done and make the client happy.

All of this would not be possible without the upbringing of her parents Joyce and Winzell (J & W).

Growing up in a household with Joyce as a homemaker, Shana took note of how dinner was prepared each night and on the table by 7 PM. Each meal pleasing a home filled with picky eaters. Her mother’s cooking style was rustic yet filled with spice and warm with comfort. Whether a sit down meal, or grab and go on the way to a weekend filled with sports tournaments, every meal was always delicious and made with each family member in mind. From Collard Greens with hamhocks to Shana’s favorite, “Tater Tot Casserole”, Joyce made every meal with love and thoughtfulness.

Pulling double duty as a party-planner when tasked with hosting high-touch clients of her husband, Joyce did so by gracefully managing musicians, caterers, florists and guests to put on the perfect evening for anywhere from a handful to hundreds of guests in the Steele home.

When Shana’s father Winzell entered the kitchen, the family was most certainly in for a special meal. Blending southern flavors from family recipes that stemmed from his roots in Oklahoma, learn-ed tastes from his travels across the world in sales, or crowd-pleasers from his time as a cook in the cafeteria of his Midwestern college, Winzell was never afraid to share a recipe or flavor pairing that the Steele family had never tasted before. A favorite tool of his to use in the Steele kitchen was a Black cast iron skillet gifted to him from his mother. From Mincemeat Pie to homemade Beef Stroganoff to sometimes, simply a bowl of warm Krispy Kreme donuts with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream, Winzell was a shining example of how cooking and eating the food that you love will undoubtedly make you smile (and sometimes dance).

A Note From The Owner

My parents, Joyce and Winzell expressed their love in many ways, but some of my most fond memories are from time spent in our family kitchen. There, I learned not only about food, but also work ethic, time management, presentation, rule following and sticktoitiveness. That is why I named my company in honor them. I hope to share those same feelings of love, warmth and excitement that I felt while being with them in our kitchen, with you through every dish and every event from J&W. J&W offers well prepared comfort foods, and both fun and classic combinations to please even the pickiest palate. Our recipes are aimed for two easy goals: convenience and deliciousness for our clients. Our event coordination and staffing services are aimed to ease your event planning duties by leaving them in our experienced hands.

We hope to build a lasting experience from our hearts to your forever.

Sincerely,

Shana