Meet The Team - Birch Hill Catering

Steven FeldmanOwner/President

Steven grew up in his family’s Restaurants in the late sixties and seventies. Visiting his father and grandfather involved going to the restaurants to “help out.” After school Steven would help out at all of the family restaurants, Herbert’s, Daddy-O’s, Mall Mart, Daddy-O’s Party Place, Snack Shack, and Albany Business College Food Services. Steven opened his first restaurant, Daddy-O’s North in Lake George, following his high school graduation. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Steven has always immersed himself in the family business. He likes to say he grew up with “Russian Dressing in my blood.” Steven has been there for many of the changes over the years. From relocating Herbert’s due to the fire in 1974 to the acquisition and renovation of Birch Hill in 1987, Steven has been a driving force in the growth of the family businesses. From managing events of 55,000 people to small intimate weddings, Steven has seen and done an awful lot over the years and he is excited about his daughters Serena & Val, joining the team and looks forward to continuing to grow Birch Hill Catering while working side-by-side with them in the years to come.

Serena FeldmanSpecial Events Sales Manager

As the fourth generation, growing up in and around the Birch Hill Catering Business, Serena started working at an early age. From her first official title “Activities Participant” Serena could be seen running around the Birch Hill Grounds with her Grandmother Felice and learning how to play the activities she’d later be running. Following college at SUNY Delhi where she pursued a degree in Veterinary Science, Serena spent a few years living in Florida; but her desire to help her father brought her back to the Birch Hill Estate. Serena used her drive for success and continued years of learning and growing, working in every facet of the industry from dish-washing, to bartending, and then to management and sales in 2019. Serena enjoys helping her father Steven and using her experience in the business to ensure the perfect day for her couples. On her days off Serena can be seen spending time with her two dogs Willow and Scooby (The Official Birch Hill Welcome Committee), or over at the farm with her four horses Sabrina, Tessa, Amigo, and Doctor.

Val FeldmanStable Gate Winery Owner

Val Feldman, Stevens’s eldest daughter has always had an interest in being in the restaurant industry with her family; she was able to work alongside her grandfather Erwin at a young age building fond memories and he has always been the cornerstone of her career. Valerie went on to school at Endicott College on the North Shore of Boston to pursue a degree in hospitality. She was able there to study abroad in places like Italy and Spain developing her newfound love for the wine industry. Soon after graduation, she moved out west to San Francisco California where she served time in the corporate world working for BCSF, Levis, Wolfgang Puck, BSW, and more. She then left the corporate world in San Francisco and decided to pursue her passion in Napa Valley, where she worked different internships in production, and viticulture and became a certified sommelier. A few years later she decided to move back and dedicate herself to creating the winery and helping her family’s catering business.

William PattersonOperations Manager

Growing up in nearby Kinderhook, Will began his career at Birch Hill early. He found purpose in assisting Steven’s children with the large picnics and pavilion parties which were a summer staple. Soon enough, however, Will found himself serving elegant dinners in the formal dining rooms. His responsibilities later grew to include running the business’s payroll operations and employee onboarding. Once graduated from college with a degree in Business Administration he joined a local financing firm in Albany, NY. When Covid-19 shutdown the country, Will worked to assist thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs via the Paycheck Protection Program. Following the pandemic, he, like many others, took a chance to recharge; traveling and pursuing experiences and friendships missed during lockdown. Will finally found his way back to Birch Hill, where he applies his logistical mindset, leadership skills, and operational expertise. A close friend of the Feldman family, Will now works closely with Steven, Serena, and Val to ensure Birch Hill maintains the level of excellence that has made it an industry leader for generations.

Jisung ChungEvent Sales Manager

Jisung immigrated to Brooklyn, NY from Korea at a young age, quickly adapting to the vibrant rhythm of the mega city. Her dream of becoming a stockbroker led her to pursue business courses at a high school near Wall Street. She continued her education at Boston University, delving into business administration at the School of Management.

Starting her career as a management consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Jisung refined her project management expertise. However, after several years, she made a significant change, returning to Korea to reconnect with her heritage. Her passion for Korean traditional food and beverage culture led her to spend a decade in various roles in the hospitality industry. During this time, she specialized in high-end event planning for global corporations and Korean government agencies, also achieving certification as a Japanese Sake sommelier and winning the Korean rice wine sommelier competition.

Since joining Birch Hill, Jisung has thrived as a Wedding Sales Coordinator, discovering her true calling. Her joy lies in assisting clients to celebrate their special day. Leveraging her project management skills alongside empathy and compassion, she collaborates with clients to meticulously plan and execute stress-free, beautiful weddings. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the capital region and spending time with her rescue dog.

Joanne HaggertyCorporate Event Sales Manager

Raised in the Berkshires, Joanne broke into the hospitality industry at a young age. She began her career as a busser and quickly diversified her knowledge by learning every aspect of operations and working her way up to management. Working in the industry throughout high school and college, she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology before moving to Boston and furthering her career in the industry.
For much of her career, she gained a majority of her skills and knowledge working at the historic Red Lion Inn, located in Stockbridge MA. Having a strong appreciation for family-owned businesses, she later joined the Birch Hill Catering team in 2020 and has become an integral motivator for the team.
Joanne has always gravitated toward working and overseeing the execution of events and appreciates all of the numerous steps and details it takes for an event to unfold seamlessly. She takes great pride and joy in coordinating all the different aspects of each event and is genuinely invested in the success of your day! It only seems natural that Event Sales is where she has landed! Joanne is loved and supported by her beautiful family with three kids and a yellow lab named Quincy.

Richard MoralesExecutive Head Chef

Hailing from New York, NY, Chef Richie Morales arrived in The Capital District in 1992 to attend The Junior College of Albany. With him, he brought his passion and love for the culinary arts. As a teenager, Richie worked in some of New York’s finest Italian Restaurants, where he eagerly grasped the knowledge of Italian cuisine. His dedication and love for the art landed him the Sports and Entertainment Chef position for Aramark Food Service at The Knickerbocker Arena, well into its transformation into the Pepsi Arena. He then followed his passion for Italian food as he took on the Executive Chef position at LeCaravelle, the Italian American community center in Albany, NY. There he gained recognition and was credited for bringing LeCaravelle back to its feet by The Times Union, awarding him 3.5 stars. Chef Richie then joined the Mallozzi’s, as he took over the reins of their Rotterdam, NY facility. Chef Richie has dedicated himself to supporting local farms, using as many farms and local businesses. As the Executive Chef for Birch Hill Richie will bring his commitment to great foods to all of our guests. He respects the dedication and hard work of our local farmers and is prepared to share that freshness with all our guests.

Laura FamiglettiGuest Services

For over 25 years, Laura has dedicated her life as a Registered Nurse and the past 12 years she has focused her career and passion working with people with developmental disabilities. In 2020, she planned to retire from nursing and join Steven her partner at Birch Hill full-time. Sadly, the COVID pandemic struck with a vengeance just weeks before retirement and she felt compelled to continue with her nursing role. Throughout this pandemic, her focus was on state guidelines ensuring all BH guests and staff remained safe during our events. Before nursing, Laura enjoyed a variety of business backgrounds including banking, the
dental field, and assisting with the family summer campground. Coming from a large Italian family, she enjoys spending time in the kitchen and loves entertaining her family and friends. One of the official taste testers for the BH kitchen, she ensures our food is always excellent! Laura is found at Birch Hill on weekends assisting with customer relations and ensuring memorable events. With her type “A” personality at the front of the house, she brings her discerning eye and exceptional focus to detail. At the back of the house, she is the mother hen to our staff focusing on their success and safety. In their spare time, Laura and Steven enjoy traveling the world and spending time on the farm with her two energetic beautiful grandchildren and four horses.

Careers at Birch Hill Join Our Team Here!

Event Sales Team

Birch Hill Sales Managers are the kind of people clients want by their side when planning any sort of special event: detail-oriented, friendly, and dependable. From the initial tour, to the end of each event, we are the client’s constant advocate for the event they’ve always envisioned.

Operations Team

We pride ourselves on our dedicated, efficient, and attentive operations management. Duties include hiring, training, and managing staff; confirming proper set up of banquet halls and ceremony sites; ensuring guest satisfaction, and much more!

Banquet Service Team

The service staff at Birch Hill are the cream of the crop in the Capital Region. With 80 year’s experience behind the company to train and guide staff, our service team is here to do whatever it takes to make every event is simply spectacular!

The Grounds Team

From feeding the swans and peacocks to planting abundant rose gardens, the Birch Hill ground’s crew has a special and vital role in making sure every event here is picture perfect. And with over 70 acres on our main property and 40 acres of rolling vineyards at Stablegate Farm, we need plenty of help keeping everything up to the Birch Hill standard.

The Culinary Team

With trained chefs from the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales, and the New England Culinary Institute, our passion, style, standards, and creativity in the kitchen are unparalleled. From perfecting the classics, to experimenting with seasonal local cuisine, the Birch Hill kitchen is where the real magic begins with every special event.

Administrative Team

With a successful company like ours, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make every event go smooth. From accounting to database management, the administrative team is here to make sure every job gets done right!

Current Positions

Waitstaff (Part-Time)

Birch Hill Catering, located in Castleton on Hudson fifteen minutes east of Albany, is looking for new servers for our 2019 season!

As a server at Birch Hill Catering you will be responsible for the service side of our events. Some of your responsibilities may entail:

Carrying plated dinners
Restocking buffet and bistro items
Passing out Hors d’oeuvre
Setting ballrooms before events
Answering general questions for our quests
Clearing & maintenance of your tables & service area

A server is also responsible for any side work specific to his/her position and anything assigned by the Captain or Floor Manager.

Experience is by all means a plus but a smile and willingness to learn can go a long way.

Flexible Hours Available (Event Driven)

Company Overview:

Birch Hill is a full-service caterer celebrating 81 years of business this year. We specialize in any event that involves food or service. Some examples of our events are: Weddings, Proms, Concerts, Corporate BBQs, Charity Galas etc…

The property consists of 3 indoor ballrooms (500, 200 & 100 Seats), 3 Open air pavilions servicing any from 50- 1200 guests and an 18th Century Dutch barn that seats 130 as well as 110 acres of manicured grounds.

Compensation:

Compensation is on an hourly basis and overtime is paid at time and a half for any hours over 40. The hourly basis for compensation is negotiable based on your skill set, previous experience, and what value you can bring to our team.

Garde Manger/ Pantry (Full Time)

Birch Hill Catering, located in Castleton on Hudson fifteen minutes east of Albany, is looking for a Garnisher/ Pantry Member for our 2019 season!

Looking for an experienced individual with knowledge in cold bistro displays such as fruit, veggies, and other creative plating. This individual must be able to handle simple baking and create some in house desserts.

Experience is by all means a plus but a smile and willingness to learn can go a long way.

Flexible Hours Available (Event Driven)

Company Overview:

The property consists of 3 indoor ballrooms (500, 200 & 100 Seats), 3 Open air pavilions servicing any from 50- 1200 guests and an 18th century Dutch barn that seats 130 as well as 110 acres of manicured grounds.

Compensation:

Prep Cook (Full Time)

Birch Hill Catering is looking to recruit a new employee to our Line Cook position!

Full time and on call work available!

We’re looking for individuals that enjoy being creative and working in a team atmosphere. In our business every day is different as we don’t mass produce the same items day in and day out and often produce things based on client’s request.

Large production skills and a diverse skill set are a great differentiator as we can be producing food for anywhere between 30 to 3,000 people weekly.

Brief Responsibilities:

Performing weekly production
Organizing the cooler
Manning live stations in the ballrooms and outdoors
Plating meals and filling chaffers
Helping to keep the kitchen clean and orderly.

Company Overview:

Birch Hill is a full service caterer celebrating 81 years in business We specialize in any event that involves food or service. Some examples of the events that take place here are: Weddings, Proms, Concerts, Corporate BBQs, Charity Galas etc…

Our property consists of 3 indoor ballrooms, 3 Open air pavilions and an 18th century Dutch barn.

Compensation & Time commitment required:

We look for an average time commitment of 25 to 55 hours depending on the season and our workload for the week as we are event driven. Compensation is on an hourly basis and overtime is paid at time and a half for any hours over 40. The hourly basis for compensation is negotiable based on your skill set, previous experience and what value you can bring to our team.

We regularly offer positions for all levels of service, sales, grounds, and kitchen staff. Please check in with us frequently to see what opportunities we have available!

All of our current posting can be found on our Homebase Career Page.

Have a question?

We look forward to hearing from you!
Please call (518) 732-4444 or send us an email.