The MacPherson family has been treating islanders to their mouthwatering BBQ’ed meats for 29 years, having built a reputation throughout Atlantic Canada for their dependability and quality.

Bruce MacPherson purchased Sizzler BBQ Catering from his parents, Herb and Janet, in 1997. In 2005, Bruce began expanding the business to include additional catering trucks, refrigeration units and new equipment giving him the ability to cater events throughout the Maritimes for groups of up to 2500 people. Now employing 22-25 people, Sizzler BBQ Catering has come a long way from its humble home-based beginnings when everything from prep to refrigeration was done from the MacPherson’s home.

Despite this growth, Bruce has continued his parents’ tradition of serving charcoal grilled, Prince Edward Island-raised pork, other locally sourced meats, seafood and homemade side dishes. The popular chicken, pork, combo salad buffet sells for $14.45 and everyone loves it.

Bruce isn’t concerned with the economic implications of public health food safety epidemics that are sweeping eating establishments around the globe. He says, “We interact with the people we cook for and serve so I always tell my staff members to make sure everything is excellent because the person they’re feeding is going to be seeing them again. Also, because we work with local farmers and suppliers, we have a great deal of confidence that they’re only putting the highest quality product possible out there. A local farmer knows they’re going to face huge repercussions if someone gets sick. If we dealt with suppliers in a different country, we’re just another faceless company to them so they may be less conscientious about the quality of produce they would send us.”

After a fire in 1975 destroyed Herb MacPherson’s meat shop, he could no longer continue selling meats so he started trucking. Within a few years he had established a catering truck business providing lunches to workers. He and his wife Janet soon began dabbling in catering on a bigger scale.

Sizzler BBQ Catering started as “Pork Sizzler” when Herb and Janet were asked to cater an event for the PEI Pork Board. Within 3 years, Pork Sizzler expanded its line of barbecued pork products to include chicken, steak, beef, sausage and seafood. As well as expanding its line of food items, the company’s scale and locale expanded as well, prompting the name change to Sizzler BBQ Catering Since 1980.

The loyalty of their customers keeps the business humming throughout the year and on occasion, Herb can still be found behind the barbeque proudly assisting his son with a business that was built entirely on tenacity, determination, and never giving up in the face of adversity.

You can find menu ideas and information on how to book Sizzler BBQ Catering Since 1980 at  www.SizzlerBBQ.com by calling Bruce MacPherson Toll Free at 1-800-805-2227, (local) 902-892-6160 or by email, sizzler@pei.eastlink.ca.