Our Green Events Staff

Back to Earth stands out from other catering companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are artists, food enthusiasts, and event specialists who take pride in executing creative, elegant, green events.

Our innovative chefs blend their creativity with the freshest abundance of local, seasonal, organic foods. Our talented kitchen staff and professional servers come to us from the finest restaurants and catering companies in the country. We strive to provide the highest level of catering services in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Please review our full-time staff bios below:

Eric Fenster: Co-Owner/President

Eric is deeply passionate about food and its powerful ability to bring people together for transformative experiences. Through Eric's direction, Back to Earth has become the premier green events caterer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each year, over 25,000 people enjoy their elegant catering services and sustainable cuisine.

Eric's adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit was sparked by his experience mountain guiding and his field research of exotic species in the high Rockies and Costa Rican jungle. Teaching at the Edible Schoolyard deepened his commitment to the art of taking food from "seed to table". In 2001, his passions merged with Ari Derfel's and together they founded Back to Earth Organic Catering. In autumn 2009 they opened Gather, an organic restaurant, café, and bar at the David Brower Center in downtown Berkeley where they continue offering the highest quality cuisine and catering service to the Bay Area community. Check out the restaurant at www.gatherrestaurant.com.

Ari Derfel : Co-Owner/CEO

Ari Derfel is an entrepreneur, activist, organic chef, mountain guide and public speaker. His academic career includes the University of Wisconsin, Harvard, Georgetown, UCLA & Cambridge. In 2001 he and his business partner Eric Fenster founded Back to Earth. They became the first full-service green events caterer in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Eric and Ari also operate Back to Earth Outdoors, a company that provides wilderness leadership opportunities for inner city youth, and backpacking retreats for adults. Currently he is the Project Manager of Terrain, an all organic indoor-outdoor restaurant scheduled to open in Berkeley, California at the David Brower Center in the fall of 2009. Terrain will offer organic meats, sustainable seafood, and gourmet vegetarian cuisine at a restaurant, bar and café.

Through their leadership, Back to Earth has positioned itself at the forefront of both the “green” business movement and the sustainable food movement by supporting local organic farmers, educating people about responsible food choices, utilizing green office and transportation solutions, designing progressive employment programs, and forging the path of conscious business practices.

Jeremy Baumgartner, CCC: Executive Chef

Chef Jeremy Baumgartner is a classically-trained chef who has 16 years professional experience in French, Italian, Greek, Mediterranean, Mexican and American Regional Cuisines. He obtained his culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu at Pennsylvania Culinary, where he studied under Master Chef Dieter Keisling. Jeremy also studied at the American Culinary Federation and earned the title of Certified Chef de Cuisine.

Jeremy launched into cooking at a young age with his mother who was a professional baker and cake-maker. Carrying the tradition of many great chefs, Jeremy began his culinary career as a passionate line cook while attending culinary school. After graduating at the top of his class, he quickly advancedthrough the ranks of kitchen leadership at numerous high-caliber restaurants and catering companies.

Jeremy’s latest venture was asExecutive Chef at Fireside Red in Bend, OR. He worked with local organic meats, artisan cheeses and sustainable produce to create a delicious and eclectic Tapas menu. Jeremy's food has been featured in Savor Wine Country Magazine and also published in "Favorite Recipes from Northern California Inns" Cookbook.

Jeremy now heads the culinary team at Back to Earth Organic Catering. He brings a deep commitment to local, sustainable, organic foods and his dishes are served with the creative style that is the signature of Back to Earth.

Molly King: Sales Manager

Molly grew up in a food family –gatherings around the table for dinner every night, food from scratch; big breakfasts on Sunday mornings, and major holiday productions. Molly graduated from the California Culinary Academy with a degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management. She has extensive experience in restaurant and catering management, as well as high-end wine sales.

Mere Ours: Human Resources Manager

Mere has a diverse employment background that has centered on hospitality and service, with a broad Front and Back-of-House restaurant background, and degrees in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management from City College of San Francisco. She started at Back to Earth Organic Catering as a cook and server, and has since moved to a full-time office position, focusing primarily on staffing and human resources. Mere grew up with a consciousness of community, farming, and consideration of our impact on each other and our environments. She started cooking as soon as she was tall enough to reach the kitchen counter and had her first plot in the family’s organic garden at age 8.

Bryan Ward: Operations Manager

Whether it be cutting a new door into the wall, or carefully packing the equipment for your party, Bryan gets it done. A child of the 70's, raised on a healthy dose of Muppets and Saturday morning cartoons, Bryan's sense of humor is his greatest gift. He moved from Southern California in the late 90's and has been living in the beautiful East Bay ever since. If there is something you need to know, ask Bryan - Mr. Fix-it.

“Back to Earth has equipped themselves with the best staff around. Their catering services are over the top, and they have extensive experience catering green events. They are our favorite caterer!” —San Francisco Corporate Catering Client