Catering Tips For Your Next Event

Catering Tips For Your Next Event

When you are organizing an event, you are more than likely to need some catering. Just the thought of any event that has a guest list large enough to warrant catering can be daunting.

You have to be sure that you do not run out of food nor have too much food. While you must also not have any delays, the catering must be delivered and executed in a way that matches the layout of the venue and the style of the event. 

Here’s what you need to know, along with some solid catering tips for your next event.

1. Your Idea of the Guest Numbers Must Be Solid

Never try to organize the catering of any party until you are sure of the number of guests that will be attending. A vague idea, like expecting between 50 and 100 people is of no use when it comes to food. 

Once you are sure of the number of guests, chances are that your event catering will be successful. With every guest happy and full when they leave for home. Start things off, by having a minimum number which you can add to. So that the caterer can go ahead with planning the project and getting quotes. You can then add to that minimum later. 

It is hard to know the exact number of guests that will attend on that day without a confirmation list. Set an RSVP date before the caterer’s deadline (24 hours prior). Also ensuring that your guests give you an indication of their dietary preferences when they RSVP. Allowing caterers to plan for all diets, and ensuring that nobody goes away hungry from your event. 

Once you have your final number, it might be a good idea to add a few more to it. There might be extra guests, or some people who are big eaters may want seconds. Regular event holder Jermaine Clarke deals with baby naming days, weddings and special events and has a simple tip to reduce stress on the big day. He explains, “always add at least 5% more guests to your expected numbers, as you never know who is going to show up as an unexpected plus one. To remove the stress if extra people do come to your event, it is always good to have food on hand just in case.”

2. Manage Your Costs Through Knowing your Budget

Before you brief your caterers it is important to know the budget you have. In order to give them an inkling of how much you want to spend per person, or the total amount spent on food.   

You need to know how much your total budget is and the amount of food you want to serve each guest. Are you having mains and canapes, or browsing table that people can pick and choose from? Or will you have mains and dessert?. You will need to give the caterer some idea. So that he can work with you and come up with the best options.

3. Your Event Style and Venue Layout

Before you make that call to your caterers, you need to consider the style and the venue for the event. If it is families you are hosting for, the party catering must take into consideration children and adults taste in food. While corporate events that are more formal, the food has to be impeccable.  

The layout of the venue can have a huge impact on the catering you will need for the party; all the more when the guest lists are large. Guests can crowd around easily and this can create congestion and ruin the flow of the event. 

Much like wearing a suit to a barbecue, choosing the wrong food for the situation can be awkward. The blocked drain experts from On Tap Plumbing have experience working on venues and believe that the aesthetics of a location play a huge role in the event. They explain “the design of the space you are hosting the event in is important and will decide on how your event will look and feel. We’ve seen food that matched the event space and the entire night was elevated. So thinking outside the square, or the dinner plate can go a long way.”

Discussing your brief and speaking to the caterer can help you to determine the solution that is the best. 

4. Crowd Pleasers Are Best

You may want to have catering for your party that is unique and innovative or reflects your own taste, but it is always best to have catering that pleases the crowd when you are doing large event catering. 

Larger guest lists mean people with tastes and palates that are diverse, and the best way to cater for this is to deliver items that are popular with everyone and are crowd-pleasers.  

Sashimi and caviar can sound exciting, but leave these foods to be served at parties that are in a more intimate setting. Healthy and wholesome meals appeal to everyone and will leave your event crowd smiling.

Celebrant, Darran Moran, is no stranger to a catered event and recommends to “stick to classic flavours that you know everyone will love. Don’t go too spicy and avoid controversial ingredients such as licorice or pickles if you can. Also. make sure that the options for your gluten-free and vegan guests are substantial as often this is where caterers can fall down” 

So now that you know all these tips on catering your next event, you’re ready to host!

Featured Photo by Asiya Kiev on Unsplash