Heirloom Fire — Local services in Richmond

What a fabulous catering event HEIRLOOM provided for us on Rose Hill in Alford to honor my son's marriage to his Australian bride, Niani. The crew arrived early in the morning after a cord of wood was delivered, and they set to work creating their own home-style old-style turn of the century outdoor kitchen, with vintage ice chest and various fires to cook swinging chickens (which fascinated the kids!) a whole pig and whiskey soaked beef. A prep tent up the hill must have been where they created the other salad and vegetable dishes-- all were sumptuous. The crew was nice enough to smoke a whole huge white fish left from the sushi dinner the night before our main event. All of the staff were dressed to match the vintage theme-- all of their equipment was true to era-- including an apple mashing and juicing apparatus which churned out fresh cider for the kids and hot cider for adults (scotch and rum provided). The hors d'oeuvre table was a work of art, great veggie dips, cheeses and meats, and the butternut soup cups passed were especially delicious. Meanwhile donkey rides were going on for the kids, and then a treasure chest hunt, while adults had their signature cocktails and champagne and listened to WAnda Houston and Co. sing-- all of us gazing out across two horse fields to the mountains beyond. So much happy enchanting milling about before we all sat down in our colorful tent (not yr typical wedding colors) with the table cloths ranging from saffron to peach to turquoise in tune with the flowers by Ariella Chezar-- a flow of dahlia bouquets strewn with miniature crab apples amongst the colored moroccan glass votives and tall beeswax candles in an array of colors, all captured by gifted photographer Donna DeMari. The main course was sumptuous, a groaning board of delights-- James was able to fulfill all my requests and was a most gracious, warm head chef! Though the wedding cake was outsourced, Heriloom's dessert with a cornmeal flat crust and cooked fruit was delicious, served with drip coffee, and homemade s'more for the kids which kept them quite entertained. I can't think of a better caterer if you want something unusual, home grown, local, farm to table gourmet. All in all in was a perfect evening. Hats off to James Gop and his excellent crew! Laura...

Heirloom Fire is predicated on the current taste for barn weddings and such but brides and grooms beware - this is a gimmick of an outdoor cooking “experience” that produces inedible “natural” ingredients of tasteless greens, foraged mushrooms and the board platters of fish, potatoes and meat. The dinner served to our guests was woefully undercooked (if cooked at all) with lamb that was inedible. It looked like a pile of animal intestines. See photo below.

The lamb served on the long board that presumably he was cooking for hours and was painfully rare - I had never seen anything served that way and if any food inspector were present would certainly close up James Gop’s operation pronto.

Presumably Heirloom Fire staff had been cooking the meat and fish for hours, as we did not get served till about 8:30 pm.  Not only was the service sloppy and disorganized but the “cool”, “hip” wooden boards had a pile of tasteless greens, mushrooms and potatoes served with what looked like the intestines of a lamb.  Personally I would trade in outdoor cooking “experience” and the servers in gimmicky outfits of suede and plaid for a traditional style tasty dinner and wait staff in everyday clothing.

Urging the wedding and event planners and brides and grooms to not fall for this so-called “experience” of wood fire outdoor cooking. There are other chefs that do it right.

What’s more I sensed that James Gop’s staff is woefully underpaid and unhappy. And to top it off Gop appears to have an outsized ego completely out of sorts for a talentless chef. More importantly, food inspectors should be out on alert here for what he is serving.

Thumbs down for this sham operation. Book at Gedney Farm or one of many fine catering operations in the Berkshires that...

I honestly can’t give Heirloom Fire higher praise. They are the absolute best. My wife and I hired them to cater our wedding day and we couldn’t be happier with our decision. They were a huge hit with our guests. I lost count how many times we heard, “This food is amazing! This is some of the best food I’ve ever had.” We are still getting messages about it a month past our wedding. The food was matched only by its presentation. It was absolutely magical (another word we heard a lot from our guests). Heirloom Fire’s aesthetic is simply stunning, and they use no short cuts to create the perfect atmosphere. All of the above coupled with approachable and interactive chefs and servers made the whole experience memorable for everyone. Jim is a professional in every sense of the word. It was clear from the outset that food is his life’s passion. So much love and thought goes into every single detail to make sure your wedding is as special as it can be. Jim was thrown some curve balls on our big day with heavy rain and having to deal with two very difficult venue owners, but he took it all in stride and never let those issues effect what he was there to do.

In short, if you want a one of a kind, magical wedding day with a feast fit for a royal banquet, hire Heirloom Fire. You’ll also make a new best friend along the way. Jim, whisky next time you’re...