Catering with flavor,
polish, and care
Premier Catering for the Greater San Francisco Bay Area
Based in Oakland, Blackberry Soul caters throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area, including the East Bay, San Francisco, the Peninsula and Silicon Valley, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma, with selective travel by arrangement.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
Corporate & Executive
Team gatherings, conferences, client receptions,
and company celebrations
Galas & Fundraisers
Occasions where timing, presentation,
and trust carry weight
Private Celebrations & Milestones
Milestones held with beauty, flavor, and care
Photo Gallery | Click to expand
Photo Gallery | Click to expand
Events We’re Made For
We cater corporate events, executive dinners, galas, fundraisers, product launches,
company milestones, conferences, client receptions, and private celebrations.
From intimate executive dinners to large-scale events of 2,500+ guests, Blackberry Soul Fine Catering
brings custom menus, polished service, thoughtful presentation, and soulful hospitality to
every corner of the Bay Area we serve, from Oakland out to Marin, Napa, and Sonoma.
A taste of what we've served recently: Poached Alaskan Salmon with Caviar, Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb, Lobster Bites & Grits, and Jerk Chicken alongside soul classics like Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Collard Greens, and Fried Chicken & Waffles — with a full plant-based range from Vegan Creole Gumbo to Vegan Crab Cakes, and our namesake Blackberry Cobbler to finish.
Organizations including Google, Salesforce, Uber, and the City of San Francisco
have trusted us with moments that carry weight.
Planning an event with high expectations?
Tell us what you’re hosting, and we’ll help shape the menu, service style, and experience around it.
Planning at a Glance
There are two ways to book. Instant Booking: pick a set menu and an open weekday, see your total, and pay online. Custom events and staffed service: build an estimate or tell us your plans, get a proposal, and reserve your date with a 50% deposit. Staffed service can include setup, rentals, bartending support, live stations and teardown.
Meet Chef Rene &
BLACKBERRY SOUL FINE CATERING
Chef Rene Johnson has been building Blackberry Soul since 2008, from a table of twelve to a gathering of 2,500+. Her work has reached corporate events, civic gatherings, cultural celebrations, and major Bay Area institutions.
Her food carries the depth of the flavors of the soul food she grew up on, and her range runs well past it. Blackberry Soul designs menus across cuisines and service styles, with traditional, vegan, vegetarian, and dietary-conscious options built with the same care, so a mixed room shares one experience.
Forbes, Business Insider, EBONY, Huffington Post, KRON 4, and more have featured her work. She was named 2025 Powerful Women of the Bay Entrepreneur of the Year and wrote the cookbook From My Heart to Your Table.
It started in her grandmother's garden. Read Chef Rene's story →
