5 biggest mistakes when booking caterers for an event
You can never underestimate the importance of food at an event; the look of it, the safety of it, the amount of it and, of course, the taste of it. No matter how well the rest of an event goes, people will always remember whether the food was amazing or awful. There’s a myriad of caterers around waiting for your business; which one should you hire?
There’s a lot of thought that needs to go into making a decision about a caterer for your event. You need to think about reputation, experience and reliability. You also need to hire a caterer that it’s going to be easy communicating with; you don’t want any problems to add to your stress.
Does the venue allow outside catering?
You’ll find that there are some venues who insist on providing the catering for your event as part of the contract. This may not always be an issue, depending on the quality and variety of catering offered by the venue. On the other hand, if you have an outside caterer that you want to use, because you know you can trust them to provide the high quality you need, then you need to check for any catering limitations before you sign contracts.
Are alternative diets an issue?
If you’re organising an event you have to make sure that everyone is catered for when it comes to food. It’s always a good idea to have a vegetarian option available and you’ll need to check whether anyone attending is vegan or has any dietary needs due to their religion. There are some people for whom a mistake in a menu can be fatal; if they have an allergy to particular foods such as nuts or shellfish. You need to make sure that the caterer you hire is completely comfortable dealing with different dietary requests. Having a guest turn up for your event and not be able to eat is not going to give a very good impression.
You’re not Heston Blumenthal
If you ever feel like saying this to a caterer at an event then chances are you’ve made the wrong choice. Let’s face it, there are some people in life who have a very inflated sense of their own importance and this can be really irritating if you have to deal with it. You’ll usually have to discuss your requirements one on one with a caterer, so don’t be afraid to use the discussion as an opportunity to check out their attitude and look for any potential problems.
A taste of success
Food can look amazing, and be suitable for all the guests at your event, but if it doesn’t taste good it isn’t going to have the right effect. When you’re choosing a caterer it’s a good idea to ask if you can taste some of the food they produce. You can also seek opinions from independent reviews and from people who have previously used their services. It’s not a good idea to just rely on a series of glossy images on a website, or in a brochure; you can’t taste a picture.
The price is right
If you aren’t prepared to pay a competitive rate then you’re unlikely to get high quality catering. Good caterers have to be recognised for their skills and they also have to pay out for the best products. We’re not suggesting that you pay a ridiculously inflated price for your catering but we will say that you need to be realistic with your budget expectations.
Choosing a caterer for your event isn’t always easy; there are so many of them around that it can be difficult to navigate the maze of choice. Hopefully, we’ve helped you to identify some of the issues you need to be aware of when making your decision.