There’s a quiet shift happening in how we gather. It’s no longer just about food on a table or flowers in a vase, it’s about how a moment feels. ERA was born from that understanding. A tablescape-to-catering experience and sister brand to Crave Catering, Crave, and Qahwa, ERA exists to turn life’s in-between moments into something intentional and deeply personal.
At its heart, the brand asks a simple question: why wait for big milestones to celebrate? Or, as Farida El Batouty, the mastermind behind ERA, so perfectly puts it, “Why not celebrate more when you can, with heart and flair?”
What ERA Means
ERA is a permission slip to pause, mark the moment, and step fully into whatever season of life you’re in.
The idea began with women, those who so often host, feed, and care for everyone else, but quickly expanded into something more inclusive and universal.
The intention was never to limit celebration, but to reclaim it. While women were the original inspiration, the feeling itself resonated far beyond that.
As the concept evolved, Farida realized something powerful: “Everyone wants to feel ‘in their ERA’.” And with that realization, the brand’s purpose became clear—“Celebrating Life’s in between moments.”
From Catering to Curation: How ERA Was Born
ERA didn’t begin as a standalone concept. It emerged organically from listening—really listening—to clients.
The conceptual team noticed a pattern. Guests weren’t just asking for food; they wanted help with the details. The tables. The centerpieces. The atmosphere. So ERA stepped in to fill that space.
By combining beautiful tablescapes with their catering expertise, ERA makes hosting feel easy and enjoyable. At the core of it all is a deeply human fact: “people want to be taken care of”.
Creating the Full Experience
What sets ERA apart is how far the experience extends beyond the plate.
Every gathering is carefully curated, from setup and menu details to the intangible elements that make an event feel complete. ERA even designs invitations aligned with the chosen theme and offers curated playlists to match the mood.
As the team describes it: “It’s all about the CURATION – from setup to menu details.” This attention to cohesion transforms a meal into a memory.
How ERA Finds Inspiration in Nature
ERA’s creative process doesn’t start with a fixed aesthetic or menu. It begins with a question: what are we celebrating, and why?
“We start by listening to what our client wants to celebrate, why are we hosting a gathering…” From there, inspiration flows naturally. “…we explore what nature offers in that season in terms of produce (fruits & vegetables) and flowers or greens.”
The best part for the conceptual team? When clients hand over the reins and let the team run wild with ideas, designing the whole experience from scratch.
Rooted in Crave Catering Experience
ERA may be its own brand, but it stands firmly on the foundation built by Crave Catering. That legacy of experience, adaptability, and excellence plays a major role in how ERA operates today.
“Crave Catering is our Parent, all the expertise, experience and know-how is passed on and shaped flexibly to the quickly changing needs of our market.”
By building on what they know and trying new things, ERA feels both familiar and full of fresh energy.
Scoop Empire’s Curated Lunch with ERA
ERA set up a curated lunch for us in the office, and it was straight out of a daydream. The theme was inspired by the Bird of Paradise flower, a symbol of new beginnings, freedom, and bold anticipation—pretty much the vibe for the New Year and the month of January. Everyone slowed down, conversations pausing as we all just soaked in the setup and dug into the food.
The table itself was a showstopper: oranges stacked like art, bird-of-paradise blooms popping up everywhere, and a blue-striped tablecloth that made the oranges and greens pop. One colleague couldn’t resist, he walked off with a couple of orange candles tucked in his jacket, claiming they “would fit perfectly in his room.”
The food was as fun as it was delicious. The pasta station—farfalle Alfredo and rigatoni with aubergine—was a whole story on its own, but the smell of the grill, with beef fillet, shish tawook in tikka masala, and a whole teriyaki-glazed salmon, had everyone wandering out of their offices in no time.
The real star? A spinach gratin that had everyone going back for seconds… and thirds. Desserts kept the energy playful too, mini berry tartlets, little crème brûlées, and chocolate cookie dough skillet with creamy icecream topping it all off.
What’s Next for ERA
Asking the conceptual team about what’s next for ERA, they got excited talking about creative leaps—working with brands that bring table setup details and planning partnerships for 2026. They also teased a seasonal calendar packed with fun collabs with local and international brands—plenty of fresh ideas and surprises to look forward to.
A New Way to Gather
ERA is about celebrating where you are, right now. The message is: everyone deserves to feel seen and celebrated.
These could be anything, a bachelorette with friends, a new job, a personal milestone, a housewarming, a birthday that sneaks up, or even just a week that went really well. Sometimes it’s the little things that deserve the biggest cheers.
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