Has your manager just entrusted you with the responsibility for catering at the annual office dinner? Rest assured, we’ve got you covered. Catering is an art that’s often understated until you’re obligated to handle it from A-Z.
Research shows that the catering market grew to $58 billion in 2017, from $37 billion in 2011. You’d be surprised by how quickly good food can bring people together. Here are some essential items you should have while catering for an event.
Table Settings
Whether you’re catering for a wedding or barbeque, you will need the right table settings that go in line with the event’s style. The disaster that will ensue if you only have water glasses and dinner plates at an upscale wedding is something we don’t want to imagine!
Make sure you have tablecloths, napkins, flatware, dinnerware, glassware, charger plates, water pitchers, and salt-pepper shakers as the primary table items in your checklist. If you’re catering for a picnic, you may only need utensils, plates, and glasses.
Decorations
Creating picturesque décor will go a long way in marketing your event on social media. You don’t want to overlook this catering aspect since it can either catapult your event into orbit or result in a devastating crash and burn.
Display risers and display stands can highlight mouth-watering dishes in an event. The items that make your décor checklist are table numbers, chalkboard signs, vases and centerpieces, candle holders and candles, and cake-stands or cupcake towers.
Serving Equipment
According to Technomic, the entire foodservice industry brought in $537.2 billion in 2017, which means that catering accounted for 11% of the market. You want to make it easy to distribute food and drinks to your guests, so try a blend of classy and sturdy items.
This can include serving trays and visually appealing but durable water pitchers that keep half the servers stocked during your event. You can also include several bus bins that hold dirty dishes after your guests are done eating.
Beverage Station
Having a coffee or beverage station can help your guests self-serve and refill with ease. Make sure you have coffee chafer urns, coffee air pots, and a hot water source for your coffee station.
You also want to make sure you have plenty of ice and iced tubs for cold drinks with assorted cups and glasses. To make things more sanitary and organized, have a wastebasket that guests can use to dispose of their trash.
Transport Supplies
It’s natural to fly off the rack when you’re short on time, and you haven’t even transported your catering items to the event site. But moving food in containers that keeps them fresh and heated like chafers and soup stations can save you a lot of time.
Using insulated food pans can ensure your guests have warm food, while food totes and boxes can stow dry items. You can also use outdoor coolers to store your drinks and have clean, disposable food delivery packaging to maintain the highest hygiene levels amid COVID-19.
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