In 1977, Ed was catering at Surrey Inn in Ashland. Years later, when Ed was asked to cater the wedding of a prominent local figure, he knew he had found the career he was meant for. Working there, and a few other jobs, Ed knew he wanted to own his own catering business. That dream came true in 1992, when he opened Ed Pickens’ catering in the Barrington One building. In addition to catering, Ed offered daily soups, sandwiches, and salads. In 2001, Ed was able to upgrade to a commercial kitchen and offer full service catering. Ed continued to grow his business as much as the building would allow. In 2008, Ed found a simple solution: move down the street. The spacious new location in the old Reed’s building had a large commercial kitchen, enough room for parties of up to 250, and even a gormet presentation kitchen. It was perfect, but, in 2014, disaster struck. The cold winter took a toll on the old pipes, causing them to burst and flood. Even when another plumbing fiasco caused damage weeks later, Ed persevered.