Basil Tree Catering

Basil Tree Catering is a caterer in Boston, MA, serving corporate businesses, non-profits, hospitals and labs, and educational institutions with drop-off delivery. The service area includes Boston, Cambridge, Medford, Somerville, and Watertown. It holds a rating of 4.70 based on 44 reviews. Basil Tree Catering was launched in 1987 by owner Valerie Shulock with friends and co-workers Irene and Carlos Carvalho. Shulock studied Bio-Psychology with a specialty in Nutrition and Behavior at Tufts University and pursued a Masters in Management of Human Services at Brandeis University before leaving school to carry out a business plan she had created for a class. The first kitchen was a small, shared space in Somerville, where the team prepared pasta salads for area cafes and take-out markets before the catering side of the business grew and the wholesale operation was eliminated. The company describes its mission as catering with a conscience, with environmental sustainability, waste reduction, and local and ethical product sourcing at the center of its work. It is a certified Sustainable Business Leader that recycles and composts over 90% of its waste and collects used catering-ware for sanitizing and reuse. It donates more than 10% of annual earnings to local nonprofits and gives food donations valued at approximately 10% of net profits each year. The menu includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, Rainforest Alliance certified farm-to-cup coffee, Equal Exchange Fair Trade chocolate and sugar, and humanely raised, cage-free, antibiotic- and hormone-free poultry and eggs. It offers health and dental coverage and paid time off to staff. Basil Tree Catering has built a strong local reputation reflected in consistently high customer ratings, along with a steady record of repeat and referred customers.