About Actual Food
Actual Food Nashville is a full-service catering company offering every level of food and bar service, from backyard barbecues to black-tie galas.
Our philosophy is simple: high-quality, local ingredients, made into clean, delicious, beautiful meals that become the focal point of your event.
Our menus range from classic Southern to modern Mediterranean, Asian fusion, and vegan, and we’ll customize one to your exact tastes and dietary needs. We bring the same care and attention to detail to every event we cater.
Every step is designed to bring your vision to life on the day: attentive communication from our event design team, tastings built around your preferences, craft cocktail creation sessions, and easy coordination with every other vendor you’re working with.
With a talented bar team, a robust craft cocktail program, and our off-site catering liquor-by-the-drink license, we’re also your one call for alcohol and bartending.
Our team
Event Manager + Co-Owner
Lindsey is one of our event managers and a co-owner. As the wife of founder Dan Forberg, she brings a thoughtful eye for detail and a calm, confident presence to every event, and plays a key role in bringing the team’s creative vision to life.
Owner + Founder
A lifelong entertainer and hospitality-driven entrepreneur, Dan built Actual Food on quality over quantity, high-touch service, and exceptional event execution. A passion for people and a perfectionist’s eye keep every event seamless.
Executive Chef
Graydon cooked his way around the world before bringing his bold, global style home to Nashville. He turns top-tier ingredients into dishes guests remember, balancing your vision with serious technique.
Sales Director
With more than a decade in upscale hospitality, Luke brings heart, insight, and experience to every event he helps shape. He’s your first call for turning an idea into something stylish and memorable.
Catering Event Coordinator
A Nashville native with a passion for hospitality, Autumn pairs precision with calm command, so events run as vibrantly as the city itself.
Don’t take our word for it.
Tell us what you’re imagining. We’ll take it from there.
Start Planning Your Event