Creating Tailored Culinary Journeys and Unique Catering Events
At Raving Raven, we believe that personalized catered events create truly unforgettable memories. As talented hospitality professionals, we work closely with clients to design bespoke menus and exceptional culinary experiences that embody a sense of island charm and rustic elegance.
Catering for any ocassion on Pender Island
What Our clients are Saying
We are beyond thrilled with the exceptional service and delicious food provided by Michael Cowan for our wedding! From the very start, he made everything easy and stress-free. Not only did Michael show incredible flexibility by traveling to different locations, but he also respected our budget without compromising on quality or flavor—an absolute win!
We had a diverse group of guests with various dietary restrictions, and we were honestly amazed by how Michael handled it all. He took the time to understand our needs and created a stunning menu that catered to everyone—whether it was gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or vegetarian. Every dish was so thoughtfully crafted, and our guests couldn’t stop talking about how delicious everything was!
Not only was the food outstanding, but the entire process of working with Michael was smooth and seamless. He was incredibly easy to communicate with, made sure everything was delivered on time and exactly as we had hoped. The service was friendly and professional, and we could tell he really took pride in their work.
We are so grateful to Michael for making our wedding day even more special with his amazing food and thoughtful service.
Thank you, Shakti and Nick
We enlisted MIchael to cater our wedding in July 2024. When we first started our discussions with him in January of that year, we’d just returned from an awesome family vacation in Mexico, and flush with all the good vibes, were inspired to have a Mexican-inspired theme for our wedding. Michael’s response to everything we suggested was “yes!” and he promptly put together a creative and varied menu from which we chose cocktail appetizers, dinner selections, desert and evening snacks.
Ensuring excellent food was a priority, and MIchael fully delivered! Not only did he accommodate for our resident pescatarians, vegans, gluten-free and dairy-free guests (it’s modern times!), but the food was so beautiful and delicious that people – those with food intolerances and regular, old omnivores alike – were still talking about the food months later, not even joking. If we’re talking stars, then five out of five, we would definitely recommend!
Carrie and Brian
Michael came to us very highly-recommended and we found that his planning and catering exceeded all of our expectations.
From the outset, we appreciated Michael taking the time to explore our vision of our eclectic special day – a small, informal, casual, and somewhat chaotic wedding celebration. Although we were initially overwhelmed with the sheer variety of Michael’s food options, he guided us through the options with thoughtful suggestions that helped us select an array of delicious small ‘tastes’ that delighted our guests, including a diagnosed celiac. He even provided a delicious, gluten-free meal for our on-site guests for the relaxing evening meal after the celebration.
On the day, Michael’s calm and positive approach stood him in good stead as he responded to the inevitable logistical problems. Because we were delayed on Roes Island for pictures, Michael ended up welcoming guests to our deck for the reception! He did this with such aplomb that most guests felt this approach had been prearranged!! Throughout the reception, he managed the pace of serving with a sensitive and up-beat approach. Without drawing attention to themselves, Michael and the server he recommended, worked to take care of everything, giving us confidence that everyone would be looked after. This helped us ‘go with the flow’ and focus on celebrating with our guests.
Best decision we made – hiring Michael for the catering!
Bonita and Bob
For our art unveiling event, Michael was an extreme professional both in planning and organizing all aspects of our catering. Michael cares. He was communicative throughout in planning what was served, ensured we had adequate and capable bar and serving staff and made sure we had the necessary tableware. He was conscious of working within a budget and provided high quality, delicious and innovative menu items. He helped us source on island plateware and tables. During the event we didn’t have to worry about anything. He had it all under control so we could be the hosts to our friends. After the event was over, Michael’s team ensured an efficient and orderly cleanup. We received many, many compliments by those who attended on how great the catering was and how well the event was organized. We are pleased to highly recommend Michael and his team for anyone considering a catered event.
Neil and Jackie
Michael catered dinner for a retreat I was running on the island – the food was fabulous, there was lots of it, and Michael was very supportive of our schedule. Because of that, we hired him to cater our wedding – wild salmon for 100people! It really was a highlight. People are still talking about how good the food was!
Alison and Elisabeth
My partner and I hired Raving Raven to provide afternoon tea for our garden party wedding, and Michael was absolutely wonderful. The food was beautifully plated and presented with decorative edible flower petals, as well as everything being outstandingly delicious. There was plenty of food for everyone, lots of people went back for seconds, and many guests complemented the food (the scones and mini sticky toffee puddings especially)!
Michael was professional, friendly, and well-organized and we couldn’t have been happier with the service provided. He understood what we were looking for and provided lots of options that could work for us, including accommodating vegan and vegetarian dietary restrictions. We would highly recommend Raving Raven to anyone looking for high-quality catering for a special event.
Lis
Michael catered our wedding on Pender Island, he did such a wonderful job! Michael was also lovely to work with and all of our guests were thrilled with the food. He was committed to making sure all dietary requirements were met and that everything was executed perfectly. He was able to roll with the punches when our plan for him to use the BBQ at our venue didn’t work out. He did such a good job I had not idea there were any issues until he told me himself later that night. I would not even hesitate to work with Michael again, such a great experience!
Lara and Brayden
Michael catered for our wedding dinner and breakfast, and we had the most amazing experience. As we were based in the UK, all of our communications was through email, and Michael was nothing but kind, explaining all the details, offering alternatives and making sure the food was tailored to our needs.
Came to the day, and everyone was raving about the food – be it the steak for dinner that all of the guests talked about for hours, to the bread, quiche, smashed avocado for breakfast that I think is the best I tasted to this day, the food was absolutely sublime.
I would highly recommend Michael for any type of events – the food cannot be beaten, and Michael and his team are extraordinary.
Thank you for making our day extra special!
Alex & Megan
The food was fabulous! Michael and his team were a real pleasure to work with for a big birthday celebration. He thoughtfully planned a menu that worked well for 80 guests for dinner, and seamlessly managed a delicious lunch and late night snacks for the same day. The team was efficient, pleasant and self-sufficient, freeing me to enjoy my guests. I highly recommend Michael and Raving Raven for any special occasion on Pender Island!
Sandra
Michael and his team catered our wedding in Sept 2025 and they were fantastic from start to finish. We had a lot of menu revisions and requests and Michael was responsive, flexible, and great at suggesting alternatives.
The meal itself was excellent – exactly what we were looking for and how he described it. Highly recommend Michael and his team!
Thomas & Danielle
I can’t thank Michael enough for his outstanding work on our wedding meal last weekend! We asked for a family style meal for our group of 16 and every element was perfectly executed. The planning process with Michael was a breeze and he made the day of completely stress free. The meal was one of my favourite parts of the day and our guests are still raving about the quality of the dishes!
Tessa
Michael Cowan and Raving Raven Catering provided excellent service and food quality for our wedding this past June. He and his team were easy to work with, collaborative and insightful on menu design, and impressed our guests with their delivery and flavours on the day-of. I would highly recommend their services for your gathering / wedding / event.
Eric & Lindsay
Michael and his team were a breeze to work with from day one for our wedding.
We still have not stopped hearing from our friends and family about how fantastic the food was.
Michael is a great communicator, has creative vision which shines through the end product of the catering and was a complete professional from start to finish.
If you’re looking for top tier catering and a smooth experience I would look no further than Raving Raven.