5 Favorite Things With Philly Caterer Jeffrey A. Miller

Jeff Miller of Jeffrey A. Miller Catering

When Jeffrey Miller was a sophomore at Penn, he started a catering business right out of his dorm room: “$5.50 for fresh-squeezed OJ, champagne, Eggs Benedict, strawberries with Grand Marnier and coffee—what a deal!” he says of his early days in the business.

Now, it’s 35 years later, and Jeffrey A. Miller Catering turns out 400 weddings a year at their 10 exclusive venues; if you’ve attended a wedding or event at the Racquet Club, Lake House Inn or Aldie Mansion, for starters, then you’ve experienced JAM Catering for yourself.

And so, we caught up with Mr. Miller to ask him about what he’s loving right now, from the thing he’s most proud of when it comes to JAM venues, to what he craves when he’s not eating his own food.

Favorite meal to eat when not at work Dim Sum at Ocean Harbor in Chinatown. Best congee in the world.

Favorite dish to serve at a wedding reception I love a station, and my current favorite is our newest one: Peruvian ceviche with bay scallops and halibut, cilantro, pomelo and corn nuts.

Favorite thing about the vast variety of different venues that you service in Philadelphia That each of our JAM venues has an important social mission behind it—from the James Michener Museum to the John Hames Audubon Center to the Anthony Wayne House, our properties are supporting the arts, protecting endangered birds, preserving important open space and history. So when you rent a JAM venue, you are part of a great social mission.

Favorite event food trend you’ve seen lately We see folks looking for real food—real food made by hand from scratch by skilled artisans, and that’s what we love to do. So these days, couples are loving our house made charcuterie, hard cider, Parker House rolls and custom, made-to-order wedding cakes.

Favorite part of working with a couple to put together their celebration Getting to know each couple—and in the past year, we’ve been so excited to host and get to know our first batch of same-sex couples now that Pennsylvania has finally granted equal marriage rights to all. And I love when I find a bond with a couple. The most recent same-sex couple I worked with, for example—one of the women is a rabbi-in-training at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, of which my mother was a founding member. She passed away last year, but this bride knew so many stories about her. It was very special for me to work with this couple.

Read more 5 Favorite Things with Philadelphia wedding vendors here. 

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