From humble beginnings cooking ordered meals in his parents’ kitchen, to the launch of Mise en Place & Co., Sean Collins has grown a community focused, 100% Caymanian-owned business with a mission to nourish our islands.
This newly established parent company brings together nutritious, easily accessible, locally produced products and meals through six existing brand offerings – a reflection of a steady and intentional 20-year evolution rooted in Caymanian entrepreneurship.
Company cohesion for community benefit
That evolution began in 2002, when Sean launched Mise en Place Events, offering high quality catering services. What followed was two decades of expansion into six focused sister companies, all while retaining the community mindset upon which Mise en Place Events was first created.
Now these companies are united under a single umbrella – Mise en Place & Co. – creating a cohesive family grouping of products and services designed to benefit Cayman at every level.
“Uniting all the brands – Gino’s Pizzeria, Yum, The Barista Café, The Bake Shop, Boxed and Mise en Place Events, under our parent company means our clients can feel sure that they will get the expected quality that our business is known for,” says Sean. “We know our customers and our customers know us, and with all the brands working together we can offer the best, with food that is freshly made, and locally loved.”
The move is a milestone moment in a 20+ year company history, which has always focused on supporting and benefitting the local community. But the roots of this milestone reach back much further.
Beginnings of the brand family
The foundations of the brand family were laid long before Mise en Place Events existed. Sean started cooking at an early age, and cooking classes in high school officially set him on his journey to make food his profession.
“Due to my love of food, I took a culinary arts degree in university and was so fortunate to make it my career upon returning to Cayman and opening Mise en Place Events in 2002,” explains Sean.
With his passion and formal training now aligned, he was able to turn his childhood dream into a successful Caymanian business.
“I saw a need for restaurant-quality dishes served in people’s homes and that’s where the business started. So, we are a locally home-grown Caymanian business.”
Utilising his parents’ kitchen for preparation, Sean distributed meals in a 1996 Dodge Ram van he had purchased from a local gardening company.
Over the next two decades the business grew at pace, now catering for numerous private events as well as corporate and public sector groups.
However, it wasn’t just Mise en Place Events that was growing during that time. Sean took the opportunity to diversify and open the five other companies in order to serve Cayman residents better.
These companies now comfortably sit within the Mise en Place & Co. family structure – namely Gino’s, The Barista Café at Walkers, Government Administration Building and the Anthony S. Eden Hospital, The Bake Shop, Boxed and Yum.
Nourishing Cayman
Despite the company’s rapid growth and expansion, one thing never changed- Sean’s commitment to community values and responsible practices. As such, Mise en Place & Co. retains an ethos rooted in community.
“It’s really important for Mise en Place & Co. to be a part of our Cayman community,” says Sean. “It’s through that intention that our customers have come to know us. Also at our core is passion for the environment and being good corporate citizens.”
This passion shapes every decision. The companies reduce their waste wherever possible and use eco-friendly packaging across all of their brands.
They source ingredients responsibly, prioritising local ingredients at every opportunity, while also ensuring peak nutritional value with whole ingredients free from additives and preservatives.
As well as providing day-to-day sustainable nourishment to Cayman residents, the family of companies has also risen to the challenge during disaster and relief efforts.
“We have set up the businesses with these capabilities in mind,” says Sean. “With a mindset like this, I am ready to collaborate and partner with like-minded entities and support local whenever I can.”
This mindset was put to the test during two of Cayman’s most major disasters. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the companies provided more than 1,500 meals a day to government and public workers who were rebuilding the islands. And during the COVID-19 pandemic they partnered with Meals on Wheels, donating more than 100 meals per week to vulnerable residents, as well as donating a fridge, setting up hand washing stations, and increasing food handling safety measures.
The company’s community philanthropy also extends to its partnership with ARK Cayman (which includes donation and personal delivery of Christmas meals by Sean and his daughter Ebba), sponsorship of the Young Chef Young Waiter Young Mixologist Competition, and the Summer Culinary Internship offered by Mise en Place Events to Caymanian high school students.
With a legacy built on service, sustainability and community, the next chapter of Mise en Place & Co. is already taking shape.
The future is fresh
The Mise en Place brands have spent more than 20 years growing and diversifying, and the future provides even more opportunities under the umbrella of Mise en Place & Co.
Alongside the company’s new managing director, Justyna Hachulska, Sean hopes to expand their school catering services, be an example of sustainability within a corporate structure, nurture local culinary talent in Cayman, and continue to make great food accessible to all.
Mise en Place & Co. is more than food, it’s a way of life.
Timeline
Mise en Place – est. 2002
Catering company offering restaurant-quality food in the comfort of people’s own homes or events.
Gino’s Pizzeria – est. 2005
Cayman’s first New York-style pizzeria.
Mise en Place School Catering – est. 2006
Nutritious, balanced meals accessible to Cayman’s students. Mise en Place now feeds more than 3,500 students daily across 11 schools.
The Bake Shop – est. 2013
Wholesale bakery supplying fresh, locally produced bread to the island’s supermarkets, cafes, and retailers.
The Barista Cafe – est. 2014
The first Barista Cafe opens.
Boxed – est. 2018
Cayman’s first local frozen meal brand. Freshly prepared, responsibly packaged, flash frozen without additives or preservative.
Yum – est. 2020
Easy, accessible healthy school meal orders through an online ordering platform. Today it serves a wide range of private schools including Cayman Prep Primary, St. Ignatius, and Island Primary. Inspired the government’s My School POS app, allowing parents and students to view Yum canteen menus in advance.
Mise en Place & Co. – est. 2025
The parent brand is established. A shared identity unites the brands under one name – rooted in care, community, and a commitment to local.
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