Brett Liersch | Owner & Head Chef

Brett has never been far from the kitchen, sealing his fate at the impressionable age of 13 when he began working at Casey’s Restaurant as a dishwasher. After this first exposure to the inner workings of the food industry, it wasn’t long before Brett worked his way up to roles as general manager of multiple restaurants, all while managing his own catering business on the side.

Brett later traded this busy life for an even busier one when he decided to leave his day job and fire up his very first food truck, The Dirty South, in 2012. When The Salted Pig and Kreative Katering food trucks followed with equally successful curbside launches in 2014 and 2018 respectively, Brett cemented himself as one of Hamilton’s busiest nomadic restauranteurs; all without a single penny tossed his way by any outside investors or silent partners.

Many other chefs might stop there, but not Brett. On top of his food truck operations, he and his team at The Social Event Group will be opening two new restaurant ventures in Hamilton: a brick & mortar location of The Dirty South on Barton Street, and a new social eatery on Concession Street called The Daily.

With such an all-consuming schedule and never-ending hustle, someone else in Brett’s shoes might not even find the time for sleep, let alone anything else. But even when he’s pulling 80- hour weeks and  running on empty, Brett always makes time for the most important meal of the day: dinner with his wife Kara and their three little girls.

Nadia Cassano | Partner & General Manager

Nadia uses her expertise in full-service event planning as an invaluable part in The Social Event Group’s day-to-day business operations.

Nadia got her early start in the hospitality industry in 2001 at the age of 16, working in her family’s butcher shop before learning the ropes in front-of-house roles at multiple restaurants and bars. Jobs at big corporate chain restaurants followed, with Nadia eventually falling into the curbside culinary world by working closely with multiple local food truck ventures.

Today, with certification from the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada (WPIC) and her own successful event planning company under her belt, Nadia’s focus in the industry has shifted significantly, now primarily focused on event management and coordination. On top of her WPIC Certificate, Nadia also holds certificates in Art Fundamentals and Advanced Advertising from Sheridan College.

Alongside her active roles for The Social Event Group in social media management, hiring, branding, and booking caterings and events, Nadia can also be found on-site and behind the counter or food truck window at events of all sizes as the day-of coordinator, hands-on and ensuring every aspect runs like a well-oiled machine.

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