Office Catering Do's And Don'ts (Jon Espinoza)

Office catering can bring in steady income but only if it's done right. It's a high stress job that requires organization and good execution as clients rely on the caterer for meals. Slip ups can leave them hungry and irritated and cost you future contracts.

As for clients, make sure you go with a caterer you know has a good reputation. If it's daily lunch catering for employees, go for wholesome home-cooked style menus. If it's clients you need to impress, a touch of gourmet is a good idea. Just be sure to find out who suffers from what allergies or is on a diet plan.

Get real about the budget

This applies to both clients and caterers. We've just come out of a recession and the going is slow but not so slow that commodities are too cheap. Clients should have a realistic view of what their budgets can buy. Caterers should too.

Cutting corners is fine as long as nobody expects gourmet cuisine at $20 a head. Menus should be simple and not consist of 7-course meals unless it's a fancy event. If a 7-course meal is being planned, the cost can be tempered by selecting decent quality fare and not exotic foods.

Give the guest list some leeway

If the catering is for 20 guests, caterers should expect another five guests. Clients who decide to invite more people after giving the list to caterers should inform them at the earliest. Doing so a day or two before the event can be disastrous as plans will go awry. Clients are also likely to pay an additional fee which will dent the budget.

Don't interfere

This is for clients eager to make the event a success that they unintentionally interfere with the catering work. Caterers understand you have qualms but they're experienced at handling different events. Leave them to their jobs and enjoy the occasion rather than fretting with the service. Caterers will also appreciate your trust and do their best to serve up a memorable event.

Hire way in advance

If a caterer is hired only three-four days prior to an event, you can't expect excellent service. There's a lot of work involved like planning, shopping, preparation etc. Small parties of 10 to 15 people require at least five days notice while large parties have to be planned a week to 10 days in advance. The more time is given for organization, the better the event will proceed without a hitch.

A perfect menu

Menu selection depends on the client and you may choose any group of items. But some foods are a bad choice because they don't sit well, dry out or become soggy. Unless they're prepared on-site, exclude them.

A perfect menu consists of soup which can't be overcooked or dried out, chicken which heats well and doesn't become soggy and braised meats and vegetables as they retain heat and water. Chilli also holds well as it doesn't lose taste and texture.

If certain items can't be excluded, caterers will have to do the following: Cook fried foods and rice on-site, chilled slightly undercooked grilled items during transport and complete the cooking on-site, and prepare fried oysters or crab cakes if seafood is demanded as fish is easily overcooked and dries out when held for too long.

Catering service can help you have a clue how much food as well as drink you must have based upon the number of people and sort of celebration. Milligans Catering specializes in offering the finest corporate and office catering service. Visit their website milliganscatering.com.au for additional details.

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Office Catering Do's And Don'ts (Jon Espinoza)

Office catering can bring in steady income but only if it's done right. It's a high stress job that requires organization and good execution as clients rely on the caterer for meals. Slip ups can leave them hungry and irritated and cost you future contracts.

As for clients, make sure you go with a caterer you know has a good reputation. If it's daily lunch catering for employees, go for wholesome home-cooked style menus. If it's clients you need to impress, a touch of gourmet is a good idea. Just be sure to find out who suffers from what allergies or is on a diet plan.

Get real about the budget

This applies to both clients and caterers. We've just come out of a recession and the going is slow but not so slow that commodities are too cheap. Clients should have a realistic view of what their budgets can buy. Caterers should too.

Cutting corners is fine as long as nobody expects gourmet cuisine at $20 a head. Menus should be simple and not consist of 7-course meals unless it's a fancy event. If a 7-course meal is being planned, the cost can be tempered by selecting decent quality fare and not exotic foods.

Give the guest list some leeway

If the catering is for 20 guests, caterers should expect another five guests. Clients who decide to invite more people after giving the list to caterers should inform them at the earliest. Doing so a day or two before the event can be disastrous as plans will go awry. Clients are also likely to pay an additional fee which will dent the budget.

Don't interfere

This is for clients eager to make the event a success that they unintentionally interfere with the catering work. Caterers understand you have qualms but they're experienced at handling different events. Leave them to their jobs and enjoy the occasion rather than fretting with the service. Caterers will also appreciate your trust and do their best to serve up a memorable event.

Hire way in advance

If a caterer is hired only three-four days prior to an event, you can't expect excellent service. There's a lot of work involved like planning, shopping, preparation etc. Small parties of 10 to 15 people require at least five days notice while large parties have to be planned a week to 10 days in advance. The more time is given for organization, the better the event will proceed without a hitch.

A perfect menu

Menu selection depends on the client and you may choose any group of items. But some foods are a bad choice because they don't sit well, dry out or become soggy. Unless they're prepared on-site, exclude them.

A perfect menu consists of soup which can't be overcooked or dried out, chicken which heats well and doesn't become soggy and braised meats and vegetables as they retain heat and water. Chilli also holds well as it doesn't lose taste and texture.

If certain items can't be excluded, caterers will have to do the following: Cook fried foods and rice on-site, chilled slightly undercooked grilled items during transport and complete the cooking on-site, and prepare fried oysters or crab cakes if seafood is demanded as fish is easily overcooked and dries out when held for too long.

Catering service can help you have a clue how much food as well as drink you must have based upon the number of people and sort of celebration. Milligans Catering specializes in offering the finest corporate and office catering service. Visit their website milliganscatering.com.au for additional details.

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The Process by Which Commercial Catering Operates (Steven Browns)

Whether it is a gallery opening, book signing, bar mitzvah, rehearsal dinner, there would be catering involved to complete the experience. If in a wedding or in a fundraiser one would taste good food and it is mostly the catering team's effort. The term catering sounds simple. It means to cook some food and serve it. This is the basic concept, however, there is more to it. This article would try to cover the many aspects of catering. Starting from the initial customer-catering meeting to the execution of the final event, catering is a whole lot more than cooking. It involves selection, food planning, preparation, teamwork, creativity and equipments.

Let's understand what the term Commercial Catering means today. Food remains the main component in the catering world. However, it is just a part. Most companies would agree that catering involves full event planning. The focus has morphed into a full on event-planning model. The focal point has moved on to a broader mission, more aptly, towards the satisfaction of all senses like the sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. With the appropriate atmosphere, the catering agency can appease all the senses and thereby make the event memorable. Beautifully prepared food would appeal to the senses; however, it is subtle enough to not outshine the main event. This is the reason that tableware, glassware and even the decorations used would have the same impact. Everything used starting from the flatware, flowers to lighting and linen used should complement the food to create a unified experience. The key lies in continuity. It is important that each element be in sync with each other. There are certain things that matters in offering the overall experience. Like, whether the venue is apt for the occasion, season and pax. The menu should befit the occasion and taste of the group. For example, the retirement celebration would love tapas stations. Lastly, the decor should suit the venue and the event. The white linen, china and crystal stemware may not be ideal for a casual barbeque party. Whatever be the party type, the goal remains the same, to deeply satisfy the guests.

Most catering agencies come up with the mantra of "How can I make it happen for you?" but the most important thing to remember is that each caterer is actually worth his or her salt. It is duty of the caterer after being contacted to figure out what is wanted and decide how the company would accomplish this. The process starts with client-caterer meetings. The idea is to share and discuss as much information that would help in developing the proposal. As the customer, they may have to face questions on topics like the time and date of the event, the cause, budget, guests and venue. Depending on the answers, the other set of questions come into conversations. This forms the backbone of the caterer's proposal and therefore it is advised to be as explicit as possible. Most of the time the customers think only about budget, yet it is important for the caterer to understand the budget and the expectations. Most caterers are professionals and they are equipped to help you.

Once the Commercial Catering company understands the requirements of the customer, they move forward in creating the proposal. The foundation of the proposal is based on general inquiry with the prospect client. Now, armed with the information, the caterer moves to construct the main menu, beverages and itemised listing of rented equipments and other details. This greatly depends on the theme of the occasion. For example, for the cocktail party it is mainly hors d'oeuvres that are served. Other than this, the amount of food intake is less in cocktail parties. These criteria would be included in the proposal. The other considerations include are as follows:

Balanced menu: This would ensure that the menu served to the guests have a balance of two proteins, one starch and one vegetable.

Courses: There are can be multiple courses in a seated dinner and each course should complement the other. The entree can be venison, and the antipasto can be seafood, which would also give variety to the dinner.

Buffet stations: The number of buffet stations would correspond to the total number of guests attending the event.

Beverages: The wine and all other alcoholic beverages are listed in this proposal.

Once the caterer's proposal is ready, it is given to the customer to verify. This is done in the next meeting.

After the approved proposal, the caterer moves on to the next thing that is planning the event. Everything including the decor, the food, flatware, glassware, linen, and decorations, etc. is scheduled according to the requirements of the customer. The idea is to impart an overall outlook that would satisfy the senses of the invitees.

The Commercial Catering business requires thorough planning and analysis before its appropriate execution. Steven Brown thinks that the process requires seamless customer and caterer interactions.

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The Intricacies of Boutique Catering

Boutique catering is one of the most coveted and sought after food services in this sector. It is a premium service which requires a great deal of expertise to be delivered. Essentially these sort of services are targeted when a special occasion is organized and a huge number of guests are to be treated and served accordingly. In the case of boutique catering the duration of the program is also very important. Accordingly various courses of different types of meals are designed, scheduled and executed accordingly in compliance with the demands, tastes and preferences of the customer who places the order and makes arrangements for the occasion.

In this context of boutique catering the service provider, very importantly must make certain observations in order to deliver the best service to the customers. For instance, the date, time and place is to be determined and finalized in collaboration with the customers. This is necessary to have an estimate of the pertinent equipments to be provided for on the day of catering and as mentioned earlier, arrangements must be made according as the duration of the entire program so as to determine the number of courses of meals. Click for more info on boutique catering.

The area where the service actually needs to be delivered is very important in order to customize the service provided. For instance, if it is inside a dining hall, then there need to certain specifications of the tables and heating and freezing requirements. This also involves designing the floor layout so as to have an idea of how they would enable to accommodate all the guests by removing any chances of crowding or commotion. The equipments used and provided for in respect of boutique catering also need to be determined wisely. This is because the equipments for boutique catering in a closed space is likely to be quite different from that which is organized in an open space like one's patio or garden etc. Click for source of these services.

In this regard, the service providers also need to ensure certain safety measures while rendering their services. The heating or freezing equipments and appliances must be checked to ensure that they are working in fine condition. Apart from all this, it must be noted that it is up to the service providers' capacity and expertise to decide and counsel the customer as to the culinary specifications of the meal; whether it would suit the occasion perfectly, alterations or suddenly made demands, if any etc. Click here for more.

"By Two Sister" is one such company in Australia providing boutique catering services to the customers of Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide that has consistently delivered in this particular front of food services. They make proper arrangements in collaboration with the customer well in advance so that the service delivered is impeccable. To add on, these "By Two Sisters" have a wide range of multi continental cuisines which are tailored in such a way that they suit the needs of the customers as well as gel well with the occasion for which the boutique catering services are being delivered. Click here to know more. http://www.bytwosisters.com.au/boutique-catering-melbourne/ .

For great cuisines and Vietnamese Restaurants look no further than By Two Sisters. The best food recipes and dishes. Contact us today on 1300 663 995

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