We put hospitality first,
with our clients, our vendors, and our team.

At our core, we are a hospitality-driven catering and events agency dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences that spark connection and leave a lasting impression. Through impeccable quality, heartfelt professionalism, and moments of epic gestures of hospitality, we transform every event into a story worth telling. From intimate gatherings to large-scale brand activations, we meet our clients where they are, and elevate every moment from there.

We’re ACE!

  • Our mission is to become the most reliable and inspiring partner in our clients’ lives—delivering consistent excellence, celebrating creativity, and proving that hospitality done right can transform how people gather.

    Our core values are built on three pillars, which guide us in everything we do.

    1. Care with integrity: we lead with genuine care—for our clients, our team, and the food we serve. 

    2. Reliability through excellence: We hold ourselves accountable to deliver with consistency, precision, and trust. 

    3. Creativity with purpose: We balance innovation with intention—crafting food and experiences that are both refined and meaningful.

  • Avela is deeply committed to sustainable practices. We prioritize responsible sourcing, partner with local farms, and ensure all events feature vegan/vegetarian options and compostable or reusable serviceware. Our culture centers on delivering unforgettable events with minimal environmental impact.

  • At Avela, diversity and inclusivity are part of how we think, cook, and connect. We champion local LGBTQ, BIPOC, and female-owned businesses, and our diverse team reflects the cultural traditions we celebrate in our cuisine.

MEET THE ACE TEAM

Founded and operated by industry leaders Evan Elman and Jacob Sweetapple, the Avela team brings years of local and national experience, from sell-out pop-ups and ghost kitchens to major festival activations and luxury events.

  • Evan Elman is co-founder and Culinary Director of Avela Catering & Events. A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, he’s spent the past 20 years refining his craft—as the chef on a cruise ship voyaging between Antarctica and South America, in roles with Vancouver’s Hawksworth Group, and as Executive Chef for Dinner in the Sky Canada. He’s also produced pop-up dinners across North America, including an NYC event attended by guests from The New York Times, Food & Wine and Complex Magazine.

    In 2017, Evan left the executive-chef track to launch Vancouver Private Dining, growing it into one of the city’s most sought-after high-end catering and private-dining services. Driven by entrepreneurial flair, he’s gone on to consult for a major Chicago supermarket and launch a CPG product line carried in stores across Canada, as well as build and exit ventures in ghost kitchens and food trucks.

    After collaborating on several large-scale activations, Evan and Jacob Sweetapple officially joined forces in 2023—united by a shared passion for hospitality, exceptional guest experiences, and unwavering integrity in every dish—to form Avela Catering & Events.

    Now based on the Sunshine Coast with his wife and daughter, Evan remains active in the local chef community and travels the globe in search of fresh flavors and surf—always ready to catch a wave when he can.

  • Jacob Sweetapple has been working in the hospitality industry for 25 years. Hailing from Australia, Sweetapple is an internationally award-winning bartender, competing at an international level multiple times throughout his career. In 2011, he won the Global Gin Cocktail Masters in London.

    Sweetapple has played an instrumental roll in helping to establish Canada on the international cocktail circuit, and sits as a judge for the ‘Worlds 50 Best Bars.’ In 2009, Sweetapple opened the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel and developed the hotel’s cocktail program. Following that, he joined the team to manage the bar at one of Vancouver’s most iconic venues, Chambar Restaurant. Throughout his most recent years in hospitality, he has been heavily involved in spirit education & brand advocacy as the Premium Spirits Ambassador, including being a certified instructor for the internationally accredited spirit education course, ‘Maison by Pernod-Ricard’, as well as launching The Keefer Yard project in Vancouver in 2019.

    In 2021, Sweetapple launched Notion Concepts, a Consulting & Events Agency with the goal to consistently elevate drinking culture around the world while working with like-minded people. Notion specializes in drink ideation, venue design, and custom events while working alongside an elite team and the most recognized brands globally. 

    Now, he has partnered with Elman to create Avela, with the aim of achieving a new standard in what catering can be for corporate and private clients.

A white plate with a colorful dish including slices of beets, mandarin oranges, orange segments, dollops of white cheese, walnut pieces, and green edible leaves on a bed of green sauce, garnished with green herbs.
A woman in a black jacket pouring champagne into a glass at a celebration event.
Someone wearing a pink apron and black gloves slicing a large piece of raw meat on a wooden cutting board.
A tall, narrow yellow cocktail with a straw and a round garnish on top sits on a white table with a black tablecloth, next to a glass paperweight containing a small white item inside, with a wooden background.
A slice of chocolate cheesecake topped with whipped cream, strawberry sauce, and crumbled cookies being garnished by a person's hand, on a white plate.
A woman with red nail polish and gold bracelets holding a flute of sparkling wine or champagne indoors with a blurred background.

JOIN THE ACE CREW!

If you have a passion for food, beverage, and genuine hospitality,
we want to hear from you!

careers@avelacatering.com