Milton’s new catering director knows how to throw a party.
John Doyle comes to Milton after five years of catering, planning and executing weddings, and 18 years in the catering and event planning business overall. In his previous role, he was involved in every aspect of wedding planning, which has prepared him for the myriad special events on Milton’s campus throughout the year.
“I came to this business in kind of a roundabout way,” John says. “My background is in education. I have my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Spanish, and I taught it in high school for about eight years. During that time, I took a part-time job as a server in a banquet hall, and eventually had the opportunity to move full-time into the catering and events business.”
John’s career path has woven through college campuses, such as Boston University and George Mason University, as well as the New England Aquarium and the wedding business. The job allows for a good deal of creativity from beginning to end, he says.
John was hired by Flik, Milton’s dining services provider, and began working on campus at the end of October, his transition aided by outgoing catering director Michael Santoemmo. The Flik staff on campus have helped him understand the spaces and logistics of the School, he says. John will oversee all aspects of catered campus events, including athletics banquets, the annual boarders’ holiday dinner, visits from speakers and lecturers, and faculty and staff events. He consults with the hosts of each event to determine a theme, and then works with executive chef Benji Solivan, who will create a menu to fit the event. Benji and the rest of the dining services staff, many of whom have worked at Milton for a long time, are “amazing,” he says.
“From my experience so far, it is a very streamlined operation,” John says, adding that he’s happy to be working in a campus setting once again. “The creativity involved is always very exciting, especially with the student events, where we have the opportunity to provide what they want, as well as broaden their horizons a little.”