A party caterer is entrusted with the
responsibility of taking some pressure off the hosts. Caterers are responsible
for planning the menu for the party, prepare the food accordingly, deliver and
set it up and subsequently clean up the area when the event is over. If you
think you can manage doing the non food duties and still have some spare time
with you, you may consider doing the job of a caterer yourself. Not only will
you enjoy doing the duties of a caterer but also have some savings coming your
way.
Here are few tips to allow your party
catering venture go smoothly without any hiccups:
1. Don't Experiment
It is wise not to try a new menu on the
guests. The best choice is to stick to the menu that you are comfortable with.
This tip holds true for food prepared by professionals as well as homemade
food. The secret to a successful catering is to offer food that you have cooked
in the past or if you are ordering it from a restaurant, go with the dishes
that you have tried before.
2. Order Early
When you decide to order food from another
party, it is recommended that you order it early to ensure that you get what
you want in time and in the exact quantity. Make sure you order your stuff at
least a week before the scheduled date of the event. This tip holds true for
both the conditions; whether you are ordering food from a restaurant or
ordering the list of groceries required to prepare the food that you have
decided.
3. Discounts
While ordering food from a restaurant, it
is wise to enquire if there are some discounts being offered. If the order is
large enough, the restaurant may offer you a discount even if there is none
being advertised currently. Also ask the restaurant owner if the food can be
delivered at your place on the day of the party. You will be very busy in other
jobs on the day of the event and may not get time to fetch food from the
restaurant.
4. Preparation and Preservation
There are some foods that can be prepared
ahead of the event and preserved for later consumption; say after a few hours
or after a day. For example mushroom stuffed with cheese and spinach can be
prepared and kept in freezer for a day. Vegetable kebabs and fruits can also be
stored overnight. Strips of meat can be refrigerated for up to two days before
they are taken out for grilling.
5. Alternative Needs
It is advised to stay away from an all meat
affair. Unless you know that you have no guest on the list who has a vegetarian
preference, it is in good form to keep some vegetarian dishes so that the ones
with special food choices have some dishes to select from. Also try to keep
some sugar free desserts for diabetics.
When you plan to throw a party, it goes
without saying that economy is one of the issues on your mind. Most of you who
have organised parties before would agree that bar is an element that compels
you to spend a fortune when you plan to set up one.
Here are few cost saving tips for a party
catering when you decide to set up a bar:
1. If you plan to set up a bar in your
party arena, it is recommended that you cater for limited but interesting
offerings of beer, wine and only one specialty drink. When you try to offer a
variety of drinks, you cannot gauge the taste of the guests. This results in
one drink being undersubscribed to and the other being heavily oversubscribed
to resulting in a disastrous imbalance.
2. Stick to an all purpose glass if you are
going to rent glasses. Avoiding special glassware can obviate the possibility
of you ordering extra glasses per person and also allow you to have a sleek and
contemporary set up at the bar.
3. Try to club the coffee machine with the
bar counter. This will save you the costs of placing sugar and creamers on each
table as well as on cups and silver display urns.
Catering for a part requires meticulous
planning and preparation. These tips will go a long way in enabling you to have
a successful party. Pay attention to small details to make sure that you do not
face any impromptu requirement which may result in the party going off the
track. If you have an iota of doubt on your capabilities to cater successfully
for the party, it is wise to resort to the services of a professional caterer.
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Love this advice! I always try new things at dinner parties, sometimes they work and sometimes they dont haha.. so you're right I think I should just stick to what I know! xx
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