who is The Spoon?

Chef duo Lindsay and Tim Brooks are living their dream of making delicious craft food for happy people

Married for 15 years, this couple followed their mutual passion for cooking and started The Runaway Spoon over 13 years ago. Since then they’ve done thousands of events, but still are excited about each and every one. With a philosophy centered on the art of cooking and client relationships, Tim and Lindsay continually balance high demand while staying small enough to provide personal service.

Inspired by the elaborate and elegant meals her grandmother would prepare for holidays, Lindsay was always captivated by food and entertaining. At age 14, she got her first job at the Swan Club in De Pere, and has been working in a kitchen ever since. After cooking full time while attending high school, Lindsay moved to Chicago to study at the prestigious Illinois Institute of Art. After a few years working as a personal chef and making chocolates and gelato in Chicago, she moved back to the area and continued to cook at Chives, Hinterland, Bouchee Catering, and The Seasons. She first ran a dessert company, wholesaling pasties to local country clubs before the popularity of her food demanded she start a proper catering company and run it full time.

Growing up in northeast Wisconsin, Tim experienced a “live off the land” childhood with many of his meals coming from the woods and waters of the local area. As a kid he loved browsing vegetables in the large family garden, eating fresh caught trout, and foraging for wild berries in the woods. After earning his degree in fine arts from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Tim took an ad agency job in Sheboygan were he worked with food and hospitality clients like Kohler Co, and first taught himself to cook seriously. By the time that he met Lindsay, he already aspired to have his own personal chef gig, and was eager to bring his business expertise and creative food ideas to her endeavors.

The marriage of friendship and food has been a successful one. Today The Runaway Spoon continues to strive for higher and higher levels of creativity and quality. And while they’ve been fortunate to cook for the president, speaker of the house, governors, and foreign royalty, Lindsay and Tim remain humbly rooted in the simple craft of cooking. They grow herbs, berries, and over two dozen varieties of heirloom tomato for use in The Spoon’s dishes. Each year they donate thousands of dollars to give back and make the local community a better place.

---

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where can I view your menu?
We get to know our clients and create custom menus to make each event as unique as they are. Please contact us to discuss your dream food!

Do you provide bar service?
We have trusted partners that we contract, but Runaway Spoon doesn’t serve alcohol.

How far do you travel?
Green Bay, Appleton, Door County, and surrounding areas (exceptions may be made with special arrangements)

Do you have a restaurant?
No, our commercial kitchen is in east De Pere, where we host small groups for tastings and cooking classes. Our food is prepped and cooked fresh for every event.

Do you make gluten free food?
Yes. We have lot’s of experience with food allergies and take it very seriously.

Where do you get your food?
Meat and seafood come in fresh from all over the world, through purveyors in Madison and Chicago, and our food quality is equal to the very best restaurants in Green Bay. The Spoon’s garden provides dozens of heirloom tomato varieties, fresh herbs, and we source local growers for other produce.