One of the most important parts for an event could likely to be the food where the quality, flavour, and appearance of the food and beverages are of essence.
In addition, because catering is often the #1 or #2 line-item cost for most events, the caterer you choose is also a significant budgetary decision and can influence how much money you have leftover to spend on other areas.
Add in the fact that caterers can vary dramatically in their pricing and the types of meals and services they offer, and the process of selecting a caterer can figuratively and literally feel like you are comparing apples to oranges.
What To Take Note When Looking For A Caterer?
1) An Experienced And Well-Trained Staff
Surprisingly, how long a catering company has been in business may not be as critical in selecting a great caterer as you may think.
Length of time in the catering industry doesn’t necessarily translate into great and tasty cuisine. The chef’s background and experience can be more important than the owner of the company who has awards on their shelf. It’s the chef, sous chef and kitchen staff that often seals the deal.”
You will know that you have picked the right caterer when they are willing and able to elegantly and expertly surprise and delight your guests by delivering beautiful, tasty and adventurous food with great service that compliments your event theme, you have nailed the catering aspect of your event.
2) Understanding Your Needs
How responsive and interested a caterer is during your initial conversations is indicative of how they will perform during the length of their contract with you.
Many caterers will claim to have the best-tasting food made with the freshest ingredients at the most competitive price, but it is a rare quality for one to be both quick to return calls and emails and open to critiques and new ideas. While these may seem like somewhat insignificant factors when compared with overall taste and cost, they actually mean that the caterer is truly concerned with meeting the customers’ needs and ensuring that they are pleased with both the product and the service.
A prospective caterer should be learning as much as they can about you in your first few conversations with them, so you should expect them to be talking and asking questions about 20% of the time and you provide answers and outlining your needs about 80% of the time.
3) Know How To Handle The Kinds Of Your Events
Not every caterer is perfect or every type of event, and many caterers themselves openly admit this.
Each caterer has areas they specialize in so even a caterer with a great reputation may not be the best fit for you. For example, some are more ’boutique’ and specialize in smaller intimate-type social events. Others specialize in serving large corporate and non-profit organisations
So when interviewing your caterers, you need to be specific about the type of event you are planning and the type of food and/or presentation you are expecting. Otherwise, you may end up selecting a caterer who simply isn’t a good fit for the type or style of your event.
4) Wide Variety Of Menu Options
Practically every caterer has a standard menu or menus to choose from, and many do provide some level of built-in flexibility to adapt these menus to your specific needs by substituting specific items and/or customizing others. Any caterer who has been in the industry and knows what they are doing should have a few different menu options that are constantly being updated and changing to keep up with current trends. However, the standout caterers will go beyond standardized menu options and be willing to create amazing fare that matches even more specific theme and dietary needs.
An ideal caterer should also be wilting to handle (or at least consider) special requests. Ask the caterer if they are willing to include or will they work with items of special significance to the style or theme of your event? Or can they prepare vegetarian, or children’s, meals for your guests?”
All of these are important questions to ask upfront to see how far each caterer you interview is able and willing to accommodate you.
5) Willingness to Provide Tastings
How will you ever know what a caterer can do unless you sample their goods? And more specifically, how will you know what the menu items you are considering will taste like unless you specifically try them?
Some people shy away from asking to sample the specific items they want for their event because it seems like a hassle for the caterer, but it is standard to ask for a sampling of what you are intending to order before you sign on the dotted line.
Never settle for a caterer that will just give you a generic sample; you need to know what the food on your menu will taste like. Be prepared to pay for these tastings if necessary.
And when you are sampling the food, also attend to how it is presented, as any caterer who takes the time to properly display a sample will probably be more likely to make that kind of effort on your event day.
6) Venue Inspection and Understanding
This can get even more specific depending on the restrictions of the venue itself, like in the case of mosques and temple sites. You want to be sure you choose a caterer who has worked at that venue before and knows all the rules that are typical of sites like this. Even more traditional venues can also have restrictions that caterers must follow – like certain setup standards or disposal restrictions for waste food and water – so having a caterer that is familiar with a venue’s rules can potentially save you lots of hassle on event day.
7) Complete Explanation of Services/Goods Promised
The caterer’s contract should clearly spell out exactly what food, beverages and services the caterer will be providing on the designated day(s). Every detail should be included in the contract, included selected menus, number of servings and/or people to be served, beverage service details (if applicable) and all pricing and additional services.
8) References You Can Call and Talk To
Of course you will need to check up on the caterers you are considering, and it’s always good to start online and check out catering sites for their reviews and ratings.
However, don’t stop there, as online reviews are not always reliable (or even authentic); for example, a good caterer may have had a few nightmares/hater clients who skew their ratings, while a truly mediocre caterer may have padded their online reviews. So see if you can track down some past clients of the caterers you are considering and reach out to them.
People are often more forthcoming in private conversations about any disappointments in regards to the food or overall experience with the caterer than they are in written reviews online.
RunningMen Catering will work with you to ensure a great and memorable catering experience at any of your events. Feel free to find out what we can do for you here.
