Rare and irreplaceable: 'nobody can do it better than Vicky Crease'

Inspired by the unique story of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Glenury Royal, the third release of a special whisky blend made using limited editions of rare whiskies, we ask four bright local stars to share the rare, unique moments that have shaped their careers.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to have attended an event by Vicky Crease Catering & Events, you’ll know that you have experienced something rare and exceptional. Each occasion is conceptualised with the thoughtfulness and attention to detail of someone who understands people and wants to turn their dreams and desires into a meaningful and memorable reality.

Hundreds of pink balloons cascade to form an arch for an elegant picnic; a botanical candyland theme defines the spirit of a global leadership event, a production saturated in red-and-black décor both reinforces and inspires Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic conference. Vicky Crease chuckles as she mimics her mother’s strong Greek accent: “Veeky, nobody can do it better than you.”

“In the early days I remember being asked to plan an intimate gathering of 20 people and called my mother for advice. More recently, I was telling her about an event I had to put together for 2,000 people in a matter of days. She always tells me the same thing.”

Crease has been chanting the words “nobody can do it better” in her head like a mantra since she started her special events and curated catering business over 20 years ago.

The rolodex of illustrious events on the agency’s books reads like an A-list wishlist: from the three-day extravaganza of a billionaire businessman’s wedding to designing, producing, and managing the Johannesburg showcase of Her Majesty’s Trade Commission during Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle’s royal visit.

Crease says the unique fingerprint of every event lies in its originality. “We never want to be standard,” she says. Menus are constantly changed, décor and furniture is bought from local and international retailers and showhouses, and many items are made to order so that each event is unlike any other. And not just for the clients but for the team as well: “I want them to be excited and feel like they are helping to put something unique and special together every time. I always ask myself if it’s an event I would be proud to host in my own home.”

Abundance and extravagance without ostentation play out in the food and ambience. And where caterers and event planners often find themselves stuck behind the scenes they are producing, Crease is often both hands- on and a guest at her events. A regular on the social scene, she has garnered awards for her style and always makes the effort to match and support the themes of her clients’ soirées.

Talking about the events that have stood out in their singularity, Crease says, for her, it’s not about the big names or the money. Once, while carrying a tray full of food up a flight of stairs, she almost bumped into Madiba, who was standing at the landing.

He smiled warmly, remarked on how delicious the food looked, and thanked her for her hard work. Rare moments like those stand head and shoulders above any glitzy, celebrity-filled galas — of which there have been many. Any high-profile international who has graced South African shores has most likely been hosted at a Vicky Crease production. “We don’t only cater for celebrities, most are corporate events and parties for good, kind, normal people.”

From being a Home Channel cooking show host to becoming a multi-award-winner, managing hospitality for a leading bank’s aviation lounges, and a wife to Andreas and mother of three boys, Yianni, Stefano, and Alexi, Crease says it’s only in the past year that she has acknowledged that she has, in fact, made it. “A client came in for a consultation and we introduced ourselves. ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I didn’t realise Vicky Crease was a real person’,” she recounts, laughing. Crease’s eponymous company name has superseded her. Vicky Crease is a global brand that is also in the process of establishing an international arm on the West Coast in the US.

“I still feel I have so much to learn and contribute.”

At the top of her game, Crease says tenacity, courage, a stroke of luck, trusting her gut, and an insatiable desire to please are the characteristics it takes to build a company that has transcended the traditional boundaries of a catering and events business. 

• This article was paid for by Johnnie Walker.