Gina Sawtelle is looking forward to springtime and the arrival of wedding season at Above and Beyond Catering in Sanford.
Photo: Kat Szmit
By Kat Szmit
Sanford, Maine, as a wedding destination? Yes! But if you need proof, take a drive along Shaw’s Ridge Road to Above and Beyond Catering, and you’ll understand why Above and Beyond is not just a destination, but the destination when it comes to event planning in Southern Maine.
Gina Sawtelle got started in the catering business more than 20 years ago while working at The Potting Shed in Acton.
“When Mrs. Smith retired, she brought me on,” Sawtelle said. “One of the gals who was working for her then, Mary Anne, she was the only employee who stayed with me and we started catering.”
When the property was sold and the new owners no longer wanted the venue, Sawtelle and her team began catering on the side as a hobby.
“We loved it,” Sawtelle said. But they didn’t have a true business space. “We kept meeting down in Sanford at Aroma Joe’s when it was an in-house coffee shop. We kept seeing this ad on the wall for the space upstairs, an event space.”
The assumption was that it was too much for Sawtelle and her crew, too expensive. But they inquired anyway.
“The landlord was amazing,” Sawtelle said. “It was called the Town Club in downtown Sanford, and this community grew us. Businesspeople, families, everybody who needed space and food came to us.”
Along with the events they were hired for, Above and Beyond started putting on their own events, including Thirsty Thursdays and Sunday Brunches.
Then, Covid struck. “It was a great space, but unfortunately when Covid hit, we had to let it go,” Sawtelle said.
Fortunately, in 2017, Above and Beyond had purchased property formerly occupied by Springvale Nurseries on Shaw’s Ridge, including a farmhouse where they created a bridal suite and a commercial kitchen.
“We were evolving over those 16 years,” Sawtelle said. “Then Covid stopped us.”
But not completely. They created an Above and Beyond Popup, offering oven ready meals for pickup once a week.
“Had we not had at least the farmhouse and created a commercial kitchen here when Covid hit, we would have been left with nothing,” Sawtelle said. “We lost all our events that year, but we survived and here we are today.”
The full suite of offerings at Above and Beyond is extensive: weddings, bridal and baby showers, business seminars, funeral luncheons, class reunions, and more.
“Anything that you need space and food for, we’re it,” Sawtelle said. “We have the bridal suite, we have a gathering room that holds 22 people and under, so we’re just utilizing the whole property.”
The whole property now includes a sizeable function room for indoor events, and there’s also a beautiful meadow, a patio, and plenty of places for photo opportunities.
“There is an outside ceremony area, a spacious patio, and in the summer the bushes are big and it’s so lush and green,” she said. “It’s wonderful.”
After debating on a barn-like layout, with raw wood and exposed timbers, Sawtelle went with modern farmhouse for the space. At first glance, the color theme is black and white. But look closer and the sliding barn doors are a dark slate, with a distressed appearance. There are thoughtful touches throughout.
“We think it’s very universal. People can come in and have something with a little bit of rusticity but still have the element of elegance. It can go formal or casual,” Sawtelle said.
To ensure that her landscaping would look its best, Sawtelle held off on booking weddings until last fall. Since then, Above and Beyond has done several weddings, including what Sawtelle said was a breathtaking December event. She’s excited for the coming season, which will be happily busy.
The menu is another important part of Above and Beyond events.
“We are in an area where it’s more appealing to have cozy comfort foods,” said Sawtelle. “We’re not in downtown Boston where you’re asking, ‘Is that a garnish or is that my meal?’ We always tend to lean more towards comfort foods.”
When she noticed that she was losing some business to companies doing barbecue, Sawtelle realized she needed to get the word out that Above and Beyond could do a Southern style feast.
“We created a whole barbecue line called ‘A Southern Flair’ as part of our traditional catering line,” Sawtelle said.
Sawtelle is up for any culinary challenge. Once, she had a bride and groom from Guatemala, prepared to head to Boston on the day of the wedding to bring back an authentic dish. Sawtelle asked the family to give her a chance, and using the internet, she and her team prepared it and presented it at the wedding.
“He was like, ‘It tastes just like my mom’s,’” she said, adding that mom found it almost better than hers.
Something Sawtelle appreciates most about Above and Beyond is that they treat clients well, by choice.
“We are in control of how guests are treated,” said Sawtelle. “I think being able to have full control and knowing every piece is with love and every piece that we’re giving to them is over the top care. They’re getting their vision, not my vision. They’re getting the whole package.”
Sawtelle loves hearing the giggles, laughs and chatter from the bridal suite while she and her team are in the kitchen. She said it brings her immense gratitude.
“Because it took so long to get here,” she said.
Sawtelle credits her team for the continued success of Above and Beyond.
“My team is amazing,” she said. “They are mainly women. They’re moms. They’re naturally doting. They naturally care. If they see somebody across the room with a perplexed look, they’re not afraid to zoom over and take care of them.”
Her team, most of whom have been with Sawtelle from the beginning, she added, are part of every party.
“They’re very real,” Sawtelle said. “We’re not stuffy. We’re professional, but we’re fun and comfortable. We want people to feel they can come to us for any little thing.”
If Sawtelle had to sum it up, she said that while Above and Beyond is about catering, it’s more about caring.
“I think it all comes down to taking care of our clients,” she said. “Making sure that they’re getting what they’re envisioning for their special occasion.”
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