The Ripe Choice Scallop Decorative Image

The Ripe Story

Tammy Lipps Manhattan Beach Caterer

Chef Tammy Lipps

The Ripe Choice was created by Tammy Lipps, a professionally-trained chef with a passion for re-imagining the experience of food.

Our full-service catering boutique serves deliciously fresh food. Recipes include time-tested favorites as well as new flavor profiles created specifically for your event. We strive to transform fresh, farm grown and locally sourced ingredients into amazingly delicious food. The result is a very personal reflection of your palette, sophistication and regard for your guests.

Our passion for one-on-one collaboration makes every event unique and instantly memorable. We’ve helped create everything from beautiful weddings, to high-impact events for the entertainment industry. Consider us for anything that involves food, including:

“I realized that cooking is my “new” passion nearly 20 years ago which lead to the creation of The Ripe Choice. My husband and I have always loved entertaining, and I have cooked my whole life—never thinking of it as a career. It was a light bulb moment for me when I realized that I already love doing this anyway … this is my direction.”

In 2020, we found the perfect location to grow the business. The barn event space, organic field crops, orchard, and vineyard offer endless possibilities and fit perfectly with our sensibilities and desire to take The Ripe Choice to the next level. This drove our move Lake County to open The Ripe Choice Farm and Catering.

After all these years, Chef Tammy still loves her work. “I love working with food. It comes from somewhere in my soul. I find it therapeutic and peaceful to play and experiment with food. I treat each event as if it is my own party in my own home… it matters that much to me. Whether it is fancy and complicated or not, it all has to be good.”

The Ripe Choice is a member of the International Caterers Association, Better Business Bureau, and the local Chamber of Commerce. We are located in beautiful Lake County in the heart of Northern California’s wine country just north of the San Francisco Bay Area. We are a stone’s throw south of Clear Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in California.