Editor’s note: Chowgirls Catering received the ACE Award for Sustainability in Catering for their event, Cultivate 2025, A Sustainable Event & Wedding.
Picture this: a buffet table that grows fuller as the event progresses rather than emptying. Not with food, but with beautifully arranged platters of compost, recycling, and trash—each waste stream styled as artfully as any charcuterie board. This was just one of the provocative installations at Cultivate 2025, the annual sustainable event showcase that brought together Twin Cities event professionals for a day of inspiration, education, and honest conversation about what it means to create responsibly. Hosted by LUUM Collective and catered by Chowgirls Catering, the event didn’t just talk about sustainability—it made it visible, tangible, and undeniably beautiful.
For Chowgirls, a company that has been committed to sustainable practices since its founding in 2004, Cultivate represented an opportunity to showcase nearly 22 years of green innovation. Their approach went far beyond the expected composting programs and local sourcing initiatives. What set this event apart was the team’s determination to transform sustainability from a behind-the-scenes operational concern into a central design element that guests could see, touch, taste, and Instagram. The result earned them the ACE Award for Sustainability in Catering—a recognition that speaks to both their environmental commitment and their creative vision.
The challenges began before the first guest arrived. Executing a sustainability-focused showcase in March meant working within the constraints of Minnesota’s colorless months. Local and seasonal produce was scarce. The landscape offered little inspiration. The team had to design a vibrant spring-forward menu using preserved ingredients and root vegetables. This proved that sustainable sourcing doesn’t have to mean sacrificing visual appeal or flavor.
Beyond the culinary hurdles, the event faced logistical complexities. Achieving true zero-waste status while maintaining an on-trend aesthetic required meticulous planning. Scheduling during one of the busiest weeks for the local event industry made securing vendor partnerships for décor and rentals particularly difficult. Rather than compromise their values, the team leaned into creative reuse and innovation with existing resources.
The centerpiece of Chowgirls’ contribution was the Pillars of Sustainability installation. This edible art experience communicated their core values through five color-themed pedestals. Each monochromatic display represented a different pillar. Purple represented their long-standing sustainability mission and featured beet and blue spirulina hummus. Orange showcased seasonality with butternut squash spread and corn chips. White highlighted local sourcing with rosemary white bean dip alongside house-made focaccia and branded pita. Green emphasized organic practices through green goddess spread and fresh vegetables. Mauve demonstrated waste reduction with buttercream, macaron shells, and shortbread cookies.
Each pedestal paired delicious and thoughtfully sourced food with painted canvases above. These created Instagram-worthy moments that invited guests to engage, taste, and learn simultaneously. The canvases themselves embodied the circular approach to sustainability. After the event they were cleaned and donated to a local artist for reuse in future paintings.
Then there was the Interactive Waste Sorting Station. This was perhaps the most conversation-starting element of the entire showcase. The concept flipped traditional event hospitality on its head. Success typically means waste disappears seamlessly. Chowgirls made it the star of the show.
Inspired by the transparency of an open kitchen, they created a reverse buffet. Platters of compost, recycling, trash, plastic film, and reusables were beautifully arranged and clearly labeled. Throughout the event this display grew rather than emptied. It made the lifecycle of event waste visible in real time. Clear signage mirrored typical menu displays and provided waste statistics and context for each category.
“Sustainability alone doesn’t define us,” according to Chowgirls’ ACE submission. “We lead through inspiration, education, and creativity—showing the event industry that zero-waste and visually stunning design are not mutually exclusive. Our immersive experiences, like edible art installations and interactive waste stations, call people in rather than calling them out. They foster collaboration and raise the bar for others in the industry.”
Submissions are now being accepted for the 2027 Cater+Event Gala Awards! We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Cater+Event Gala Awards, a groundbreaking fusion of two of the industry’s most prestigious honors: the Achievement in Catering Excellence (ACE) Awards and the Special Events Gala Awards. Now, these two celebrated programs come together to create something even more powerful: a unified platform that honors the full spectrum of catering and event excellence under one prestigious banner. SUBMIT NOW
The educational component extended to an interactive food booth. Guests could taste ingredients while learning about their origins and the sourcing practices behind them. This edible education approach transformed what could have been dry information into a sensory experience. It demonstrated that mindful sourcing can be both delicious and visually compelling.
The menu itself was designed with environmental impact as a priority. It featured vegetarian and vegan-forward offerings that highlighted local, seasonal, organic, and fair-trade ingredients. Every design decision reinforced the sustainability message without sacrificing aesthetics.
Table centerpieces featured fresh vegetables, fruits, and even bread arranged artfully in place of plastic décor. All of these were later donated, returned to production, or composted. Local florists like Minne Floral Co. contributed gorgeous arrangements that showcased how beauty and responsibility can coexist.
Disposable items were compostable. The team avoided single-use plastics and foamcore entirely. Even the deviled eggs got the sustainable treatment; they were naturally dyed with red cabbage from a local poultry farmer.
The zero-waste commitment extended beyond the event itself. All leftovers were composted, recycled, or donated through Kitchen Coalition, an organization Chowgirls co-founded during the pandemic to provide meals for the community. This demonstrated that comprehensive waste management is possible even for complex events.
What made Cultivate truly remarkable was how it elevated sustainability from a checkbox item to an experience that inspired and educated without preaching. The event proved that environmental responsibility and cutting-edge design aren’t competing priorities. They’re complementary forces that can elevate each other.
“By integrating waste reduction, mindful sourcing, and interactive education, Cultivate transformed sustainability from a logistical practice into a meaningful, engaging, and visually compelling experience,” according to Chowgirls’ ACE submission. “It demonstrated that environmentally responsible events can inspire, educate, and delight simultaneously.”
For event planners seeking to incorporate sustainable practices into their work, Cultivate offers a blueprint that goes beyond the usual recommendations. It shows that transparency can be beautiful. It shows that constraints can spark creativity. It shows that making sustainability visible—rather than invisible—can be the most powerful statement of all.
The installations didn’t hide the realities of event production. They celebrated the possibility of doing things differently. Panel discussions throughout the day reinforced these themes. Speakers addressed solutions for event waste and explored how sustainability and inclusivity intersect within the event world.
Cultivate 2025 wasn’t just an event. It was a vision of what’s possible when creativity, responsibility, and hospitality converge. It proved that the future of events can be both stunning and sustainable.
Congratulations to Chowgirls Catering and all of this year’s recipients, who were honored during Cater+Event 2026 this past March in Los Angeles. Keep an eye on our website as we profile all of this year’s award recipients.
Click through the slideshow for a look at this award-winning event.
