Catering Dos and Don’ts to Help You For Your Next Event

Like many types of social gatherings, a catered event can be quite tricky to effectively organise and properly execute. There’s plenty of logistical concerns you have to manage together at once, and not being able to make the right decision in one aspect can spell disaster for the entire affair. 

However, this doesn’t mean that it’s next to impossible to do it right. People who have experience doing so usually follow a few basic rules to guide them through the process. It usually takes a bit of getting used to, if we’re being honest, but planning a catered event can be much easier if you have an understanding of what you should and shouldn’t do. 

In this article, we’ll outline what those are. If you need a helping hand to outline catering dos and don’ts that you shouldn’t forget, keep reading to learn more. 

Catering dos: 

• Stick to an overall theme: This is one way to ensure that the entire event is cohesive, giving you a bigger chance of pulling it off successfully. It makes planning much easier as it lets you identify the essential elements from the non-essential ones. 

• Provide enough variety: You need to accommodate all of your guests’ individual dining preferences, and the easiest way to do that is to have enough options for them to choose from.  

• Prioritise local and in-season ingredients: To better guarantee that the food and drinks you’ll be serving are of the best quality possible, choose to highlight ingredients that are sourced near you and at their best. 

• Know your needs and communicate them: You absolutely must have a clear idea as to what it is you need from your caterer and let them know about it. Get the details you need like the number of expected guests, the timeframe of the event, and any special considerations that need to be brought up. 

• Have a backup plan: Prepare for the worst and have a Plan B. Many parties don’t always go the way you expect, and no amount of planning can predict what would actually happen during the event. Have a backup plan in case your needs suddenly change or your caterer has to deviate from the original agreement 

Catering don’ts: 

• Sacrifice quality to cut down on expenses: You might be tempted to save a few dollars by choosing cheaper ingredients or providing an incomplete menu, but you should avoid doing so or your guests will likely not enjoy their time. There are creative ways to stretch a tight catering budget, but opting for substandard service is not one of them. 

• Keep your guests waiting: Whether you plan to have a buffet-style setup, a sit-down meal, or an event where food is carried around, you need to ensure that guests don’t have to wait long to get a taste of your food and drink choices. Have a system in place so that everyone is served at more or less the same time. 

• Forget to sample the menu beforehand: You should avoid unwelcome surprises by taking the time to sit down with your caterer and taste what they plan to serve. This way, you can ensure that the menu is exactly what you want. Remember to provide feedback to the caterer so they can make adjustments before the actual event. 

Conclusion 

Remember these basic catering rules so that your next catered event goes by without a hitch. If you’re looking for a Chatswood-based catering company for an upcoming event, get in touch with us today and we’ll be more than happy to serve.