We know being a celebrity comes with its perks – private plane travel, free swag, and parties (not to mention after parties and after-after parties) — many of which look like something out of a modern adaptation of The Great Gatsby. But what you might not know is that behind every over-the-top party are high-end production companies making those Instagrammable moments happen. To find out what it's really like to throw the kinds of events that we find ourselves reading about on social media, we turned to a celebrity caterer.
Kathleen Schaffer is the mastermind behind the eponymous Schaffer, an LA-based catering and production company that regularly serves A-Listers and celebrities in its signature inventive, no-limits style. Thankfully for us, Schaffer is more than happy to dish (pun intended) on what it’s really like to see a side of fame and Hollywood the rest of us aren’t privy to.
While she regularly signs NDAs (and thus couldn’t reveal which celebrity once requested a specific brand of margarine), Schaffer shared behind-the-scenes tidbits about over-the-top events, funny moments, and, yes, she even named some names.
Things Are Top-Secret
With some parties, Schaffer and her team don’t even know whose party they’re catering. Often, they’ll be contacted to put together a proposal within a budget for a party, have the proposal accepted and tweaked, sign the NDA’s, then show up to the house — and only then find out whose party it is. Something similar happened for a party she catered in Malibu with Lady Gaga, who Schaffer says is “really lovely,” as was everyone they worked with ahead of the party to pull the event off. Staff are also not allowed to have cell phones on them during events and are instructed to treat all guests the same, regardless of fame.
The biggest security measures her and her team have had to go through, however, had nothing to do with a star of the stage or screen. They once catered a party with Vice President Joe Biden in attendance and there were staff background checks and a K-9 squad walk-through of the premises.
Photo: Courtesy of Schaffer.
There Are Often Good Reasons For Over-The-Top Requests
Since Schaffer runs a luxury catering company, they are willing to go to great ends to meet guests requests, no matter their name recognition. But when it comes to famous people, that could mean getting a specific brand of caviar for Steven Spielberg or tracking down a request brand of margarine for an actor she can’t reveal. The kooky requests can also extend to the event itself. At a party for The Handmaid’s Tale, someone was assigned to hold Elisabeth Moss’s wine glass during the event so her hands were free to greet guests.
Photo: Courtesy of Schaffer.
The Celebrities Are Really Nice
While having your wine held for you may sound like diva behaviour, Schaffer insists that most celebrities are often very nice. Elizabeth Moss, for example, “couldn’t have been nicer.” Plus, there's often a specific reason for a special inquiry. Celebrity brand endorsements could mean a star will request a certain water at their party to avoid a photo being snapped of them drinking a competing brand.
In general, Schaffer has mostly nice things to say about celebrities she’s met, including Angelina Jolie, who was “very kind,” and David Beckham, who impressed her by coming alone on a motorcycle to an event.
Photo: Courtesy of Schaffer.
Riders Are Less Telling Than We Think
In addition to premiers and private parties, Schaffer and her staff may cater events that include a green room — and that means riders. Often used as a way to point out how high-maintenance a personality is, Schaffer explains that the actual celebrity might have less to do with what the rider says then we might think.
For example, she had to adhere to a rider for Kevin Hart, who arrived sans entourage with zero fuss, that included mostly healthy foods like steamed vegetables and brown rice. But, she points out, the food could just be something that his manager saw Hart order one time, or be food that his wife or another member of his team wants.
Photo: Courtesy of Schaffer.
Yes, People In LA Eat
While Schaffer is used to accommodating various eating restrictions, she also gets to see what is truly popular at events. There is a stereotype that stars (or even Los Angelenos generally) don’t eat, but she can give first-hand accounts of what people get excited about. At a premier party for Battle Of The Sexes, a stand serving french fries was a big hit.
Photo: Courtesy of Schaffer.
It Can Be Hard To Place People
Coming in contact with so many famous people can be disorienting — especially when you might not know who is hosting the party. She recalls one incident where she was at an event at Alfred Molina’s house — but had no idea who he was. Because he often has an American accent in movies, his (real-life) English accent caught her off guard and she couldn’t figure out how she knew him.
Photo: Courtesy of Schaffer.
You Have To Keep It Professional
While Schaffer admits to being a bit “jaded” about celebrities, there are still times when she loses her cool. Sometimes it’s internally, like when she looked up at an event and was standing next to Jon Hamm. She also remembers doing an event at Julie Andrew’s house and thinking, “Oh my god, there’s Mary Poppins.” As the owner of the catering company, she also gets a chance to glimpse things her servers or chefs might miss, like Emma Stone slipping out through the kitchen.
But she’s not immune to the occasional fangirl moment. At a Breaking Bad finale party, fake crystal meth labs were set up and pastry chefs in Hazmat suits made liquid nitrogen ice cream. Bryan Cranston came up to her to ask what was going on and when she explained it to him, he said, ‘That is so cool!” and she had to respond, “You are so cool! I’m glad to meet you!”
Photo: Courtesy of Schaffer.Related Video
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