Cartering Blog

So you’re planning for that big event and have most of the things on your list covered. You have your occasion, you have your venue and you have your guest list – the next thing to get sorted is your catering service.

There are many things to consider when choosing the perfect caterer for your event (you can check out some ways to do find the right caterer in this article – link to other article I wrote here) and you have to make use of what information you already have. That being said, there are also many mistakes you can make when choosing a catering company too, and mistakes you cannot be doing with, not when planning the event of your dreams.

Luckily for you though, we’re here to give you some guidance on the matter, and have selected three potential pitfalls so you can avoid these mistakes when making your selection. Get your notepad and pen out, it’s time to take some notes.

1: Overdoing The Food Choices

Guests can Become Overwhelmed with too Many Choices.
Image Source: Wikimedia

Variety is the spice of life, as they say, but in circumstances such as at a social event, variety can also be your gravest enemy.

There is a limit as far as menu variety goes, and that limit tends to fall somewhere between ‘it’s a tough choice’ and ‘pass me page twenty-three of the menu.’ There’s nothing quite worse than having too many options, sometimes it’s less tragic to not have enough. Your guests should feel as though they have a nice wide-range of choices, but shouldn’t be swarmed with thirty different options and combinations.

Keep things fresh but don’t go crazy. Have a look at some of our sample menus.

2: Going Way Over Your Budget

Always Leave a Little Leeway in Your Budget.
Image Source: TheBlueDiamondGallery

Your budget should always have a little leeway, but when you start creeping over it by more than a couple hundred dollars you’re asking for trouble.

One way to avoid this is to select your caterer in the early stages of your event planning. Beside your venue and guest list, your caterer is the next most important thing, so making sure you leave room in your budget to hire the perfect caterer is imperative.

3: Failing To Provide Enough Food

This all ties in with your budgeting and is just as important as anything else.

If your guests are left unfed, it doesn’t matter how glorious the rest of the event is, it’ll end up being a total disaster. No guest wants to go to an event where there isn’t enough food for them all. This is the 21^st century, there’s no longer room for sharing!

Make sure you choose enough food from your caterer and if it’s an all-day event, make sure there are regular snack intervals and enough finger-food for everybody. There’s nothing worse than a bunch of hungry guests, especially if there’s alcohol on the go too…

Now You Know

There’s no need to fret anymore, you now know of three things that you must absolutely avoid, so essentially, you’re three things smarter than you were five minutes ago. Of course, there are many other things to avoid when selecting your caterer, but we don’t want to reveal all of the possible places you could go wrong, do we? What would be the fun in that?

When it comes to those big events in life – wedding parties, christenings, birthdays – you always want to get everything just right. More than that in fact. Most of the time you want things to be more than just right, you want them to be perfect, and as the organizer of such gatherings, you see anything less as a huge failure.

One of the most crucial factors in getting these types of events right is the food, because we humans are obsessed with food. Think about it, what are the main two things that feature at any sort of social gathering? Yep, that’s right, food and alcohol. And because they’re so important, getting them right can mean the difference between an average night and an unforgettable night.

One way to guarantee that these factors are perfect is to hire a professional catering company. Not just any old company though, you must choose the company that is best suited to your type of event. Sound difficult? Don’t worry. Just keep reading and take some notes, here’s what you need to think about.

1: Can They Cater Your Type Of Event?

Some Caterers May be Experts at BBQ and Finger Foods.
Image Source: Wikimedia

Of course they can on a physical scale, but will they be perfect for it? That’s what we’re shooting for here isn’t it?

Much like any sort of profession, there are caterers out there who are best suited to specific events and formalities. Some might soar in wedding parties and high-class birthdays, while others might be experts at good, old-fashioned BBQs and finger-food. So it’s best to do some digging. Give some caterers a call, find out what they’re best at and base your final decision on a company who is best suited to your event.

2: Are They Willing To Let You Sample Things First?                                                                      

A Confident Caterer will Provide Free Samples.
Image Source: Wikipedia

A sure-fire sign of a caterer that isn’t confident in their food is a caterer who doesn’t let you try before you buy. What are they hiding? Why are they so against people tasting their food before booking their services?

It all comes down to confidence in their product. If they aren’t willing to let you sample at least a couple of things from their menu, what does that tell you about their menu? You want a caterer who brings you great-tasting food and a refreshing selection of drinks – these things are important, remember?

3: Do They Have A Bunch Of Great Reviews?

Now, we always advise against taking online reviews as gospel, but they can shed some light on things.

A better way still is to try and get in touch with some previous customers and talk to them about how their experience went. It’s always good to get in touch with people who have actually used the service because online reviews could be fabricated or even fictitious altogether. If your caterer has a flawless client satisfaction rate that they can back up through actual means, you’re on to a winner – and from there it’s time for dinner!

A Few Of Many

Those were just a few of the many things to consider when choosing your caterer, so use the three things mentioned in this list and also construct a list of your own, this way you’ll have your best chances of choosing the right caterer for you. Perfecting your event is what matters most here, and selecting the right caterer is one substantial step towards your utopia.