Topped off with a garnish of innovation

FOR award-winning corporate caterer Orange Clove Catering, the recipe for success goes beyond simply dishing up good food. Certainly, food quality will always be paramount for the mid to high-end caterer. Each of its dishes is prepared by only one chef, unlike other caterers which assign a team of chefs to cook all the dishes, Orange Clove's executive director Elvis Lee says.

The company, a subsidiary of Neo Group, also controls its food quality by importing its own ingredients and preparing its food an hour before the event, so as to keep the food fresh. However, Orange Clove yearns to be far more than "just a food delivery man", Mr Lee says. Its secret sauce, he says, lies in innovation. He constantly tells his team to "differentiate or die". Its latest innovation is a portable conveyor belt, which serves both Japanese food and canapés at events. Unveiled some weeks ago at an event for Google, the conveyor belt idea was born after Google had nudged Orange Clove for something new.

"Our clients are always asking for novelty because they order from us so often; otherwise, they'll get tired of our offerings," Mr Lee says. Corporate clients may engage Orange Clove as frequently as once a week. So far, the seven-year-old caterer has, among other things, introduced new menus, started a dedicated arm for weddings, and launched a food truck named Captain 500.