Festivals, parties, events, and ceremonies are all the essence of life that needs to be celebrated with full zest and excitement. These are the times when all the burdens of everyday life take a pause, and there is the spirit of extravaganza. And what adds charm and feel to the celebration is the food. Food is the one thing that can make people happy instantly, and no party is complete without food. The food makes a party worth remembering. If the venue isn’t excellent, it will still work out, but if the food isn’t tasty, the event will be a big disaster. Often party hosts make a big mistake by placing the food order or cooking it by themselves for a small gathering or party. It is an affordable option but isn’t practical due to two reasons:
a. The order placed will reach you in some minutes or even take up to one hour if it is coming from a distance; in the meantime, it can get cold. Even though you can heat the food, it still won’t taste fresh and embarrass you in front of guests, which is more expensive than money.
b. If you cook the food by yourself, it will create a lot of burden on you, and you would spend a maximum of your time on the preparation and serving instead of attending to the guests, which will spoil the spirit of the party.
That’s why for every successful party, having a reliable team of caterers is very important. Also, the catering should be top-notch, and your food selection should be exemplary. Therefore, investing in a quality catering service is essential. If you have problems locating one such business, it is best to conduct extensive research and be specific. It’s preferable to ask your close ones for suggestions or search on the internet. Once you have five to six caterers, you need to speak with each person individually and thoroughly investigate them to conclude. Once you have hired a trusted business, there are some things you need to discuss for catering which are:
The menu
What goes on the menu is the primary topic to discuss. Learn about what the chef you have hired has expertise in. See if there are some items that you specifically want or a particular cuisine that you would like to get served. Depending upon availability and weather, there should be at least three to four starters with a minimum of two beverages. For the main course, the variety should be more but not more than six as then there is a considerable possibility that guests would get full quickly and won’t finish the food which can lead to food wastage as well. You must also see what you want for dessert, as it is advised to have at least three sugary items. Such a menu won’t hurt your pocket and will also satisfy the guests considering the chef prepares really delightful items.
The number of caterers
With a sufficient team, the tasks get completed faster and better. That’s why there must be enough caterers to serve the guests. Often you must have seen at parties that a maximum of three servers serve the guests, and the rest three to four waiters cater at the food counters, which is insufficient if the guests are more. It is better to discuss with the team how many servers you need. It depends on your personal choice, but it is advised to have at least a group of ten and not more than twelve, as if you hire more, you need to pay more. If there is no work for ten servers, don’t employ them as there will be no requirement, and your money will be wasted. Otherwise, the choice also depends upon how much your gathering is. Three waiters are sufficient if it is a small get-together, but if it is a big party, you obviously need more teams.
Taste
Even though the food is essential to making a party memorable, the taste is a significant element in that. It doesn’t matter if your head chef has the expertise to prepare the best cuisines in the town; they are useless if they don’t taste good. Taste is the essence that the guests would remember after days too. If you have zero working experience with the catering company and have never had their food before, the best way to find out about the taste is to have a demo tasting. You can ask the chef to serve you some items from the list you gave them for the party. When you go for demo testing, you have at least one person to provide some suggestions and double-check with you about the taste. Check thoroughly, as these dishes will be served to your guests. Also, remember, if you have an allergic reaction to any food item better not taste it and ask someone from your side to do the tasting.
Ingredients
We know you wouldn’t want to get involved with the chef about the ingredients and what goes in which food but think about it. Would you like your guests to eat something you yourself won’t like? It’s better to cross-check and verify if the ingredients being used are authentic and safe. Moreover, the quality of veggies and fruits used in the food also plays a crucial role. If the vegetables are dull and a few days old, it will ruin the dish’s taste. Try to buy groceries by yourself, told by the caterers and according to the requirement. If you don’t have the time to do that or are occupied with other things, try to find a catering company that prepares their dishes from fresh farm vegetables. You can find plenty of them online. That way, you can know if your guests are being served with quality. After all, you are an excellent host to care enough about the food.
Special Dishes As many people are converting vegan, there must be some of your guests too who would not eat the other food as it contains gluten and dairy. Moreover, you could even have guests on the list who are allergic to some specific foods or are lactose intolerant. So for such guests, you can ask the chef to prepare a few separate dishes, primarily vegan or gluten-free, in a lesser quantity depending upon the number of members. You can even appoint one serving person to cater those special dishes. This way, you would look very considerate in front of everyone and present yourself as a good host.
