Celebrating our 2024 ACE Award Win

Awards, Sustainability / By

When we founded Primal Alchemy in Long Beach over two decades ago, Chef Paul and Dana Buchanan committed to a principle: serve food that is seasonally sourced, locally harvested, and prepared with intention — and operate the business with minimal environmental footprint. As noted by Long Beach Local News, Primal Alchemy “has been at the forefront of providing seasonal, locally sourced food while prioritizing sustainability” and was the first California Certified Green Business in Long Beach (2016).

That history set the stage for a landmark moment: being honored at the 2024 ACE Awards for “Sustainability in Catering.” According to the ACE Awards recap, the “Sustainability in Catering” category recognized companies demonstrating exceptional eco-practices, and our name appears in that list.

Why this matters

  • It affirms that events can be both elevated and environmentally responsible — great food, great design, and great thinking.
  • It signals to clients that partnering with us means choosing a vendor with credentials and commitment, not simply good intent.
  • It supports our community outreach — educating children and adults about sustainability is a core mission of ours. (As noted in the Long Beach article, Paul and Dana are “actively involved in community outreach … educating both children and adults on the importance of sustainable practices.”)

What contributed to the win

  • Nearly 23 years of operating with a green mindset (since 2001) and long before many in the catering industry adopted those standards.
  • Transparent sourcing: local farms, seasonal menus, reduced waste systems, composting, minimal plastics, thoughtfully packaged meals.
  • A business model that embeds sustainability into every piece of the event-ecosystem: from staff training to logistics to plate design.

What it means going forward

  • We’re doubling down: more rigorous metrics for waste diversion, more partnerships with regenerative producers, more innovation in event design so that every gathering we do has a ‘planet-positive’ impact.
  • We’re inviting clients to join the story: “how can we make your event a living example of care for community + climate?”
  • We’ll continue sharing our learnings: whether you’re an event planner, corporate host, or social client, we believe you can choose catering that aligns with values as well as aesthetics.

We are proud to carry the ACE Award for Sustainability in Catering with us — but more than a trophy, it’s a marker of what’s possible when passion meets purpose. If you’re planning your next event in the Southern California area and want to explore how taste, design, and sustainability can converge, let’s talk. Reach us via our contact page and let’s make your event not just memorable, but meaningful.

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