How to Choose Your Caterers
And if you are the one planning for the event, you know that getting the right caterers for your party is one of the keys to its success.
If you put yourself in the shoes of the guests to be invited, you will also expect to eat quality food and leave the event very satisfied and this is what your goal should always be.
Most of the time, preparing your own food for big events is already not an option and hiring caterers is a much more convenient choice.
So how do you starting choosing the right caterers for your event? First is to check their availability and prices.
It may come to you as a surprise how busy these catering companies are everyday and even on the day of the event.
So it is important that you call several months away and check for their availability on the said date.
But before you are ready to book them, you will need to inquire about their prices first, if they are affordable and their food is just right for the prices.
If they are available and the prices sound good, next thing to do is schedule a taste test to ensure that they cook up good tasting food.
This will also be helpful in letting you see how they present their food and what other food in their menu tastes good.
You can request a sample of their whole menu and choose from the selection what you want to try on the taste test.
The menu should consist of several foods ranging from cocktails to main entrees and desserts.
Furthermore, the catering company should be able to do both sit down menus and buffet style.
Next is to check if the catering company can already provide the tables and chairs for the event.
Big catering companies already have their own sets of tables and chairs while others don't.
So it is always a plus that you don't need to look for table and chairs suppliers as this is very inconvenient.
Moreover, you don't need to worry about the waiters since they will be the one providing this as well.
The only thing you need to consider is if they can accommodate all your guests.
Ask about their food and service capacity, if they can't make it, you should find another one who can.
Another thing to ask them about is if they can do decorations to the table, chairs, centerpieces and buffet set-up.
Most of the time, the catering companies will ask about your theme and what are your preferred color for the chairs and tables.
But if the company have tie ups with people who can do floral arrangements and ice sculptures, then it is definitely a plus.
Last thing to consider is the company's reputation and credibility.
It won't be hard to look for comments and testimonials from previous clients regarding the services of a catering company because good caterers will always be remembered.
It is important that you do some research on the performance of a catering company before choosing them to cater for your special event.