Caterers Offer Tips For Your Event

Caterers are experts in providing food for special events. Here are some tips offered by the pros.

Caterers are the ones who know how to provide the most memorable and delicious food at events. At weddings, anniversary parties, birthday bashes, corporate shindigs, banquets or extravaganzas, having tasty menus will play a major part in the success of the event. Most caterers have seen it all and they know what works and what doesn’t work. Before coming up with your own plan of 'must haves,' a wise party-planner will have a sit down conversation with an expert. Here are some tips from the pros:

- Be flexible from the start: Some people want to ironclad their menu right off the bat. While it’s nice to have details sewn up, variables may present themselves that may cause a change of heart. Certain seasonal fruits or veggies may be unavailable. Some main dishes may be difficult to transport or produce for a huge crowd. News of a food allergy may present itself. There are arrays of variables and a wise party-planner will allow some flexibility within the menu. Having a feel of formal, casual or down-home as a theme may be a better bet for the menu in the earliest stages.

- Word-of-mouth referrals: As with every other business, the way to find a high quality caterer is by asking friends, family members and co-workers for referrals. Asking who they’ve used personally or who cooked the delectable food at a recent event will be a way of gathering names. Once a list of potential chefs and companies has been drawn up, a party-planner should begin to check it more closely. Look at websites, make a few phone calls. When a final decision of who to meet has been drawn up, asking for taste samples and names of references will be wise. It won’t be long before a planner knows who to hire.

- Menu recommendations: When planning the menu, chefs advise customers to select fairly simple dishes with a few personal choices thrown in. For example, selecting a salad that has meaning to the guests of honor, such as mustard potato salad because that’s Grandma’s absolute favorite and the party is to celebrate her 50th anniversary with Grandpa; or having apple turnovers for dessert along with the wedding cake because that was a bride and groom’s sweet treat they shared on their first date.

- Buffet vs. sit down meal: One benefit of a buffet is that it can keep guests active and mingling with each other. The downside is that some hungry guests may eat more than their share and not leave a balanced amount for all who are in attendance. Bringing out small trays and replenishing them more often is one way of getting around this problem. Besides that, it’s simply a matter of preference for the host or hostess.

Food is often a central feature of a party or event. Having the top quality, scrumptious menu will go a long way in making the occasion a successful experience. When hiring caterers, take some tips from the pros: be flexible, get word-of-mouth referrals, make personal as well as simple selections for dishes and give some thought to sit-down vs. buffet dining style.

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