3 Things Your Caterer Wants to Know; Read This Before your Call The Caterer

July 4, 2016 - Outdoor Catering

As soon as you’ve got your event venue booked, it’s a good idea to start your search for elegant caterers as well. While some venues may provide catering services in-house, you may also find yourself responsible for sourcing a catering service. But regardless of whether you are going the all-inclusive route at a hotel or get to choose a caterer, this is the quick and dirty guide to getting delicious food, upfront costs, and top-tier catering services.

By the time you’re done reading the list below, you will be able to create a benchmark for your ideal catering service. Best of all, you can give your specifications to prospective catering companies and avoid the torture of repeating yourself 10 times! Besides, don’t forget after the caterer, you might have to call 10 photographers, then 10 florists… you know the drill.

The 3 Things Your Caterer Wants to Know

1. Venue, date and guest count

These are the fundamentals that put your caterer in the right frame of mind for your call; if you don’t have a date the entire call could be a waste of time.

2. How Do You Want The Food Served?

The best place to start is to understand the different types of catering styles available. Note that each type has a different type of pricing, planning, and ordering procedures. However, once you narrow down to one of the services, not only will you save time and money on the ordering but you’ll also be able to simplify your menu. Here are the four types of catering styles;

i) Family Style

Think of this as a buffet sitting down without the waiting; all of the menu items are served on platters and the guests only have to pass the food among themselves. Still, although this catering style creates a fun and intimate atmosphere for guests, the costs of platters can get pretty high

ii) Buffet Style Catering

There’s nothing like a good ol’ buffet especially when you want to cut your waiting staff by half. And although buffets get a bad rap for making people wait on long queues, you have to admit that it accommodates even the pickiest of eaters.

iii) Plated Dinner

For those who want more structure at their event and an easier time at curating a menu, the plated dinner catering style provides an effective solution. Commonly referred to as the creme de la creme of catering services, a plated dinner has each plate arranged by the catering team and carried out by servers to each guest. Needless to say, although your guests get to enjoy fancy treatment, the food may get cold not to mention this serving style is costly.

iv) Kitchen Equipment

What cooking equipment will the catering team require from you? Ask for specifics, in fact, pictures are the best. Keep in mind that it is important to factor in all the necessary costs to avoid surprise costs later. Most importantly, be sure to ask whether all their burners, fridges, ovens and stoves are in working condition.

3. Who Will Handle the Setup and BreakDown?

For a successful event, ensure the caterers have enough time to set up the tables before guests arrive. And although your friends and colleagues love you, they don’t want to be involuntarily signed up for the breakdown process at the end of the event, so make sure the caterer sets apart time for it.

Simply put, if you want a smooth and enjoyable catering experience, find out what you need, then find a catering service to deliver. Now get going with your list of specifications and start making informed calls to elegant caterers. Remember, delicious food, upfront costs, and better services await you!!