Whether you’re planning your wedding, a charity dinner, a birthday celebration or an anniversary spectacular, the key to getting your event right is having the best possible catering team you can find. Our clients sometimes tell us that finding a good caterer has been like looking for a needle in a haystack, so today we share with you some tips on how to choose a caterer.
- Make sure you’ve got your logistics straight. Not only do you need to know the date and, roughly, time of your event, but you’ll also need to know the number of guests that need to be catered for, how many courses you want to serve and whether there are likely to be any special dietary requirements.
- Think about the type of event you’re hosting and what sort of food you require. Caterers aren’t just about traditional, sitdown meals, so if a hogroast, a barbecue, a buffet or an afternoon tea are more fitting for your wedding or event, then explain that. Likewise, for more informal affairs you might prefer bowl foods, food stalls or canapés instead. Make sure your food suits the theme of your event, as well as your own personal tastes.
- Make sure that the venue you are hosting your wedding or event at allows external caterers. Some venues will have a list of catering companies that they have approved to work on site, others will have companies they can recommend and some will have their own in-house caterers.
- You can begin your search on the internet looking for local companies but you can also choose the good old fashioned route of asking for recommendations. Ask your family and friends whether they know of any caterers, ask other professionals (wedding photographers, florists, venue etc) if they can recommend any caterers that they have recently worked with and also, think back to weddings and events you’ve attended in the past – did any of them have standout menus that you’d like to approach the caterer from?
- When you’ve shortlisted some (more than five will get confusing) catering companies, arrange meetings to personally acquaint yourself with their team. In addition to the menu samples and portfolio they’ll show you, make sure you ask some key questions:
- Will they be providing drinks/alcohol as well as food?
- Are they licensed to sell alcohol or will you be responsible for obtaining a temporary license?
- Do they have adequate insurance and what happens in the event of cancellation?
- What precisely does their service include?
– How many staff will they provide?
– Will they provide tableware and linen?
– Do they provide furniture, if it’s required?
– Can they supply a cake stand and knife if you need them?
– Is rubbish/bottle removal and recycling included? - Is VAT included? Are there any hidden costs, such as travel charges? Is there a deposit against breakages?
- Most event and wedding caterers will have a huge array of menu samples they can show you, which you should be able to mix and match to suit your event. If you don’t see what you want, ask. If you’ve got a strong idea of what you’re after, ask. You’ll tend to find that catering chefs are always open to new ideas and would be happy to draw up a menu to your specifications.
- Arrange a tasting session.It may look great on paper, but it needs to taste even better. At Jacaranda we organise biannual tasting evenings for all of our couples to come and sample some of the great food we’ve been telling them about. Sample a few dishes so that you can make your mind up from a choice of options. In addition to the flavour and taste of the sample dishes, think about how they’re presented, what wines would compliment them and how they work in the context of other courses.
- Whilst you will be making your menu selection based on your own tastes (and quite rightly so!) do also be sure to feedback to the caterer about any special dietary requirements. They should be able to accommodate for everything from dairy intolerances to fruitarians, so make sure none of your guests go hungry by overlooking their needs.
- By now you should have a very shortlist of perhaps two or three caterers, if you haven’t already decided on the one. You should take an objective overview of what each offers in their proposal and quotes by assessing:
- Price per head
- How well they have accommodated your brief
- What’s included in their service
- How much the food appeals to you personally.
- Finally, make sure you’re comfortable personally with the caterer you choose. It can be hugely stressful organising a big event, but if you get on well with your catering team and trust them then there’s a much greater chance that you’ll enjoy the process. A great personal connection is key to a brilliant working partnership!
Hopefully these ten points on how to choose a caterer will help narrow down your search a bit so that you find the best possible professionals to cater for your event.