Behind many of the Vineyard’s most memorable gatherings is a team that understands how to turn great food into a true experience—Buckley’s Gourmet Catering. At the heart of it all is Taylor Buckley, whose approach blends deep family roots with a fresh, modern perspective on Vineyard hospitality. From backyard tented affairs to beautifully orchestrated large-scale events, Taylor and her team have built a reputation for delivering not just exceptional food, but experiences that feel seamless, personal, and distinctly MV. I caught up with Taylor to talk about legacy, logistics, and the evolving art of feeding a party on Martha’s Vineyard.
What first inspired your family to start the catering company, and how has your vision evolved since those beginning days?
My family moved here roughly 20 years ago to start their own catering business after years of helping my grandmother with her catering business. So after a very long and successful run down south, they ventured to the Vineyard to build a family business on this beautiful island. Our vision has always been to offer the best food, the most incredible service, and an experience that leaves our guests feeling like their dream event was brought to life. Since I stepped in to take over as catering director from my rockstar mom, Jessica Buckley, my goal has been to modernize our presence in the industry here. Integrating a new website about six years ago and social media platforms into our operations has been a fundamental change that has helped transition our little family company into gaining a more modern and powerful presence here!
How do you balance creativity in the kitchen with all of the logistics behind the big events you cater?
I’m very candid with our clients about what works for large scale events and what doesn’t. The uniqueness of operating mobility, whether it’s in someone’s home, an empty field using rented commercial kitchen equipment in a tent, or a brick-and-mortar venue creates both exciting challenges and at times some limitations as well. I want to make sure the menus we curate and the food we serve are the absolute best given the tools we use on sites that require being highly adaptable. That being said, we are well known for offering memorably delicious food served very quickly and even more importantly, hot!
What were your favorite and least favorite trends of last season?
2025 may have been the first year when I didn’t feel strongly against any trends and was able to embrace and exceed the expectations and wishes of our clients. I used to have reservations about family-style and cocktail-style weddings, but we’ve really thrived making these outside-the-box service styles hugely successful. I credit my incredible team and my Dad, our chef, for rising to every challenge we’ve been presented with and blowing all of our events out of the water! Knowing we can do anything, I just get to enjoy everything we take on instead of having reservations about executing non-traditional catering formats. We just love a good party!
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