Establishing Your Catering Needs For Your Next Event
Catering an event is a lot of work. You not only have to estimate how much food is enough for everyone, without having too much in leftovers, but you also have to find a wide assortment of food items that match all of your guests eating preferences. For this reason, many hosts hire the services of a professional catering service. You do not need a professional caterer to plan your event. Instead, consider the following planning points when establishing food needs.
Estimated guests
Probably the most important thing needed to effectively plan your event is a guest count. It can be difficult to come up with an exact guest count, but estimation works for most catering companies. You will usually provide them with a range of guests when booking. Then, a couple of days before your event, you will give them a closer count. By this time, you should have received responses from the majority of your invited guests. Some catering companies will offer catering packages, making it easier to plan. You simply select a package that accommodates your guest count range.
Food preferences
When you are catering for a large group of people, you want to select food items that are well liked by a large percentage of the guests. Try not to go too outside of the box. A rotisserie chicken delivery, for example is a great option because of how many people consume children on a daily basis. In fact, the National Chicken Council projects that in 2016, the U.S. will consume 91.8 pounds of chicken per capita. Consider catering sides that go with the rotisserie chicken delivery, such as mashed potatoes, French fries, and macaroni and cheese.
Vegetarian options
You may have some guests with strict dietary restrictions, such as vegetarians. You might also have a few guests with severe allergies. In most cases, these guests are used to limited food options, but are generally very appreciate when these dietary concerns are taken into account. If you have a primarily meat menu, such as rotisserie chicken delivery, also order food delivery sides that are acceptable to vegetarians. It can be something as simple as a side salad.
Another way to better accommodate your guests is to request notifications of any special dietary restrictions. Guests have the option to notify you of any food allergies, which is important in ensuring that food items like chicken wings, do not get mixed in with the allergy item. If you are aware ahead of time of these severe allergies, you can make special requests with the caterers.
Go with a theme
Planning an event around a theme can not only be entertaining, but also make it easier to plan things like the food items. Guests will also know what to expect as food. For example, if you choose to throw a Hawaiian themed event, order rotisserie chicken delivery with pineapple sauces and other sweet flavored syrups. A theme can also make it easier for the catering company to come up with unique menu items, specifically for your event.
Remember food accessories
You will need more than the food items when planning the menu. Do not forget about necessary items like napkins, plates, silverware, tablecloths, cups, drinks, and dessert options. Ensure that you have an abundance of these items, as running out of plates or napkins can make it very difficult for guests to eat. Some catering companies include these items, but it is best to always check.
Hosting an event that serves food can be overwhelming. You are solely responsible for creating a menu that fits all of your guest?s dietary needs and food preferences. Also, with food and drink sales in the restaurant industry in the US forecasted to exceed 683 billion U.S. dollars by 2014, you will have endless catering options to choose from. When planning menu items, consider creating a theme, work with the restaurant caterer, and remember to provide an abundance of food options.
