People often ask: How did Basil Tree Catering get started? Surprisingly the owner, Valerie Shulock, did not have any formal culinary training. She did, however study Bio-Psychology with a specialty in Nutrition and Behavior as an undergrad at Tufts University. Later, while working on her Masters in Management of Human Services at Brandeis University, she took the advice of the head of the program and left school to carry out a business plan she had created for a class.

In 1987 in a small, shared kitchen in Somerville, Val and two co-workers prepared unique pasta salads for area cafes and take-out markets; an idea that soon evolved to include catering. The catering became so popular that they decided to eliminate the wholesale aspect of the business altogether.

Basil Tree is now located in the Fresh Pond area of Cambridge. Basil Tree is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise as well as an LGBT Business Enterprise .  Owner Val Shulock is on the advisory board of Community Servings and is on the board of directors of Cambridge Local First and continually works to support other underrepresented groups in the local community.