About Cleaver Co
A Note from Mary
It is with great sadness we announce that, due to the COVID pandemic, Cleaver Co closed permanently on December 31, 2020. After a lovely, if different, 2020 summer season at The Battery and The Green Bottle, we simply weren't able to make the finances work until a time when it is safe for us to gather again.
I'm so proud of the business and community we have built over the past four decades at Cleaver Co, The Green Table, Table Green and Table Green Café at The Battery, and The Green Bottle. I have been extremely fortunate to have learned from, taught, laughed with, and struggled with an outstanding group of people, some of whom have been a part of the business for nearly all of that time. We have cherished being a party to your joyful family celebrations and life transitions, galas, and conferences. Thank you for your support of our team and of our mission over the years.
With gratitude,
Mary
Cleaver Co’s Mission
Our mission was to affect positive change by supporting a regional farm and food economy that fosters a pure food supply. Cleaver Co has always been committed to improving quality of life for all by being part of the solution that will cultivate and preserve our earth’s remaining topsoil and other natural resources for the generations to come. We actively promoted the practice and politics of regenerative agriculture and food production by bringing the best possible ingredients to the table to create exquisite meals for our clients’ special events in concert with with superb production and thoughtful service.
B Corp Certification
Cleaver Co was proud to be the first catering company to be certified as a B Corp.
Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. We subscribe to the idea of a triple bottom line. We consider the impact of our business decisions on people and planet, as well as profit.
Cleaver Co’s Story
Mary Cleaver, co-owner of Green Table Farms, owned and operated Cleaver Co from 1979 until 2020.
Cleaver Co was a catering and event-planning business dedicated to creating and producing high quality events for private, non-profit, and corporate clients, while striving to improve the food supply. From the time we started cooking, Cleaver Co was committed to supporting a regional farm and food economy. In order to provide the absolute tastiest and life giving food for each and every event we created, the genesis of the food was critical. We were committed to regenerative agriculture and sourced the best ingredients to create healthy, beautiful, sumptuous and regionally-focused seasonal fare with inspiration drawn from many different cuisines of the world. Our organic raw materials came from local family farms - including our own Green Table Farms in Washington County - producers and fisheries, and were fished and farmed using ecologically healthy practices.
Our clients received conscientious individual attention from our planners and each event was produced with tremendous care and focus. Our wait staff was recognized as a leader in the New York City area for excellence in service and served as a key marketing arm of Cleaver Co.
We also operated two food and beverage kiosks during the 7 warmer months of the year at The Battery in partnership with The Battery Conservancy, bringing a local focus to concession-style food and drink. The Green Table, a farm-to-table restaurant in the Chelsea Market, where guests enjoyed delicious dishes demonstrating a commitment to seasonal cuisine, operated from 2003 until August 2018. We also operated Cleaver Counter, a casual dining pop-up in Chelsea Market in 2018. The Green Bottle, a bar with a sustainable menu of beverages and snacks, operated out of our Columbia Street Waterfront District headquarters in 2020.
Cleaver Co was recognized by the Slow Food NYC “Snail of Approval” program indicating our efforts toward building a “good, clean and fair” food system and was named the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Green Business of the Year in 2015. Throughout our run, we were committed to the good food movement and to maintaining a large portfolio of pro-bono work and donations aimed at organizations working on food systems change, regenerative agriculture, public policy, and children’s food education.
