By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
Chef Max Hansen plans to open a 25,000-square-foot farmhouse catering facility at 328 Carter Road, Hopewell Township, in the summer of 2017.
The Hopewell Township zoning Board of Adjustment approved variances in January to allow the change from previously approved restaurant and office uses to the catering and banquet facility.
Chef Max Hansen for 25 years has operated Max & Me Catering, Max Hansen Caterer and the Max Hansen Carversville Grocery in Bucks County.
His newest venture is ambitious: A $7 million farmhouse catering venue primarily for weddings, corporate events and catered affairs. It will also become the new headquarters for his business operation.
“There is a gaping hole as far as catering is concerned in the Princeton area,” said Mr. Hansen. “We intend on bringing the freshest, highest-quality food made from the finest ingredients anywhere to this venture. We’re excited to raise the bar in catering in the region.”
The 9.5-acre venue can accommodate more than 300 guests inside as well as on an elevated deck overlooking a pond and a manicured lawn. The site is being designed by husband-and-wife architects Barbara and Robert Hillier.
The farmhouse sits on a larger, 300-acre property, and is an anchor to an 82-acre business campus. It is located a seven-minute drive from downtown Princeton.
Studio Hillier’s design calls for the removal of the existing farmhouse’s roof and construction of a modern barn structure, giving the original farmhouse, which was built in 1830, the look and feel of a renovated New England farm compound.
The 1,700-square-foot deck and lawn will allow guests the opportunity to enjoy the al fresco spaces when weather permits. Weathered exterior walls will be juxtaposed by plaster and massive windows beside a fieldstone walkway. Studio Hillier plans on using reclaimed and repurposed wood for the building design, and hand-stacking stones for a fireplace that will be visible from the interior and exterior.
Mr. Hansen, who grew up in Bucks County, attended Vassar College and the New England Culinary Institute. He gained his cooking chops under the tutelage of chef Thomas Keller and Michel Rostang in Manhattan. In 1998, Max returned to Bucks County to launch his catering business and gained a reputation as chef as well as one of the top producers of artisan-smoked salmon in the country.
Mr, Hansen has cooked for First Lady Michelle Obama, former presidents George W. Bush, George Herbert Walker Bush and Bill Clinton, and for the 2000 GOP Convention in Philadelphia. Mr. Hansen’s team was hand-picked to cater the National Football League’s cocktail party at the Meadowlands for Super Bowl XLVlll in 2014, and for the New Jersey Manufacturers’ 100th anniversary celebration, among other high-profile events.
Mr. Hansen will relocate his entire culinary base of operations from Doylestown to the farmhouse, creating a state-of-the-art, 7,000-square-foot commissary with a centralized kitchen for his business. The project will create upwards of 100 jobs, with a number of openings for kitchen and wait staff, along with part-time positions.
While the farmhouse will primarily be used for private affairs, Mr. Hansen plans to use the venue to host conferences, seminars and corporate events, and in support of area non-profit organizations. Mr. Hansen also plans to provide culinary services for the two business complexes on the property, which employ about 800 full-time workers.
Mr. Hansen said he will hire a world-class chef to run the culinary operation, and said the venue will contain high-tech audio and video capabilities. He said he eventually hopes to offer cooking classes at the facility.
Mr. Hansen said he will use many ingredients grown within a five-mile radius, including fruits, vegetables, cheeses and other fresh foods from neighboring Cherry Grove Farms, Terhune Orchards and Blue Moon Acres.
