Catering with Teatime Delicacies and Ruth MacBean – What’s For Dinner?

I rarely sit still for a photo, and if someone happens to snap one, it’s usually with me in an apron. So here is another side of Ruth MacBean the caterer of all things yummy and delicious here in the Metropolitan Washington DC area.
I also sing.  And play a mean 12 string guitar.  For the past 16 years I have spent every Sunday morning when not working or on vacation singing and leading a group known as Spiritwind.  The group has some amazing talent and it’s a treat to get away from the kitchen and get behind a microphone.
How did I fall into this business of catering?  By accident.  My educational background is theater, and in my much earlier life, late 1970’s, I lived in New York City singing in nightclubs and trying to break into theater.  Different life, different husband.  Moved to Alexandria VA and started working part time as a bartender at a restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, VA.  The owner was having some trouble with the dessert distributor, and he knew I liked to bake/cook.  So he asked me to experiment with a dessert.  30+ years ago I started to provide him with 8 Sweet Potato Pecan Pies a week.  Within a year I was doing all the desserts for the restaurant.  He got engaged and asked me if I could make a wedding cake.  Um, sure, just show me a picture of what you want.  He went on to open 4 more restaurants and I provided all of them with desserts.  At some point I realized, hey, I can actually make a living at this, and Teatime Delicacies, Inc. was born.  From there folks just kept asking me to do more and more catering, and I left the wholesale dessert part of Teatime behind, and concentrated on full service catering.
Still, as creative as putting together menus and parties, I still love to belt out a blues or gospel tune. 
www.teatimeinc.com