Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-state area. In addition to this update from Dubuque, we will share additional developments in Tuesday’s edition.

A well-known local chef has launched his own catering business after years spent behind the scenes of area restaurants.

Jason Culbertson recently launched Apple Blossom Catering, a Dubuque-based catering service aimed at offering custom menus for a variety of events and group sizes.

Culbertson, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, has spent years in area kitchens, including Diamond Jo Casino’s Woodfire Grille; Off Shore Resort in Bellevue, Iowa; and Potosi (Wis.) Brewing Co.

“(Catering) is something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, and I got to the point where I’ve established myself with enough business connections to make it happen,” Culbertson said.

He described his usual cooking style as “elevated Midwest cuisine,” though exact Apple Blossom offerings are created after one-on-one meetings with clients to ensure the dishes complement the rest of the event.

He expressed excitement about getting to create a variety of dishes through the catering business where flexibility and experimentation are more plausible than a typical restaurant setting.

“I’m doing a lot of custom stuff right now, and that lets me be more creative than a place where you make the same things over and over again,” he said.

Apple Blossom Catering currently is approved for statewide service in Iowa, and Culbertson said he plans to acquire the necessary licenses to cater events in Illinois and Wisconsin to round out the tri-state area.

The business is equipped with a mobile catering unit, which he can use to help cater larger events where an on-site kitchen would be helpful or necessary, he said. Otherwise, he can prepare meals off site and transport them to an event.

Culbertson aims to cater a variety of events but said he is most excited to work with smaller groups looking for a more intimate, engaging culinary experience.

“In a traditional menu, you’re stuck in the back where you do the orders and the food goes out without you ever meeting the customer,” he said. “With catering and smaller events though, you get to be out and about more to talk with people about the food.”

For more information about Apple Blossom Catering or for booking details, email appleblossomcatering@gmail.com or visit the Apple Blossom Catering Facebook page.