Theresa Ruffo Swanson hails from a large Italian family — six siblings and a mom and dad now watching from above. She’s a career caterer, founder of Distinguished Engagements, and a firefighter in Chantilly.
The Base at Blue Ridge is at the location where the now-shuttered Sperryville Trading Cafe and Market once stood at 11669 Lee Hwy. The hope is to eventually own the property, which also houses the Distinguished Engagements catering operations.
Family is Theresa Ruffo Swanson’s sustenance, her beacon, her guidepost, her tribe, her heart walking outside of her body. On any given day at The Base at Blue Ridge, one can run into most of her immediate family and supportive friends.
Driving by, you’re certain to see her brother Joe mowing, her aunt Geneva in the kitchen serving up delicious foods including gluten free delectables, her in-laws stopping in to visit and help out, or Buck Best, a fellow firefighter strolling in, beaming a huge smile and ordering a meal. He is her mentor and also has his beautiful photographs gracing the restaurant walls (for sale).
Her young son Jackson, all of “five-and-three-quarters old,” when not in school enjoys seating customers and going table to table making sure all is well. Another sibling, brother Tony Ruffo of Winebow Imports can be seen as well as many more encouraging family and friends. The warmth, the ambiance and family vitality is palpable.
People want her to succeed, a lot of people. You can see Sally Haynes of Rappahannock sitting on the expansive timber-framed porch with Theresa, sharing marketing strategies. Kim or Heidi scuttling about to ensure quick, efficient service with broad smiles of welcome. Chef Ryan creates each meal to perfection.
It’s a family business. It’s a community business.
Kim Loescher is Theresa’s right arm. In fact, Theresa shares, “She’s me.” Kim is an operations guru, “jack of all trades,” she says, with 12 years of catering experience to her credit. Kim has lived in Little Washington, Sperryville, Rixeyville and now Culpeper with her three beautiful daughters. Tenured in Front and Back of house service, she has owned her own business as well as managed catering and service for the School System in Culpeper.
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Kim Loesher and Theresa Ruffo Swanson
Chef Ryan Baisden, an accomplished culinary wizard, graces the kitchen teeming with activity. Chef Ryan came out of rich culinary experience in Spain and the Outer Banks, and wanted to come back North to be with family, his mom especially. After working at the accomplished Field and Main restaurant, Ryan had a desire to slow life down a bit and made a shift to the catering world. Theresa was quick to recruit him.
Having Kim and Ryan on staff through recent years brings a solid team to The Base, combining all the restaurant, event and catering skills, fulfilling a dream of Theresa’a to find a community space to house all offerings.
A bit about Theresa: 21 years of catering experience
As a teenager, she loved to cook and the hospitality industry called her. She worked in restaurants to finance college and majored in drama therapy and music. Her goal was to work with high level trauma in jails, but shares: “I realized quickly that I didn’t have enough life experience.” Her mom, a wise woman, told her, “Theresa, paper doesn’t define who you are.”
With $300 in her bank account, she started a catering business and focused on dual-income families who had no time to really cook. She became a family chef and would go to homes and prepare seven days worth of meals, prepped and placed in freezers. She had 30 dedicated clients and her kid sister on staff.
During that time, she also went through two years of training to become a firefighter, but her top catering clients were hungry to keep her. So, on the side, she catered occasional weddings and events. She was 28 years old.
Fast forward to COVID times, her catering cohorts going out of business, she leased nonprofit licensed kitchens — rental space to keep down overhead. She remained a firefighter. She’d never been busier and decided she wanted to bring the symmetry of catering and a restaurant seared in one location.
Elizabeth Melson, a long time friend who runs The Plains farmers market Theresa often sourced for her catering needs, mentioned to her that the Sperryville Trading Market and Cafe was for sale. Theresa grew up going to Skyline, savoring the Blue Ridge Foothills, so she met with Janet and Eric and magic was made.
Theresa, Kim and Ryan have plans in store for this remarkable space that can host a myriad of local events, from micro-weddings to entertainment, local musicians, presentations by local businesses like Keith Roward, resident beekeeper guru sharing his expertise.
This Saturday (June 24) The Base will feature music from Tamara Mae Live from noon to 3 p.m. The restaurant is open Wednesday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More details at @DistinguishedEngagements on Facebook and @thebaseatblueridge on Instagram.
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