As I was finishing up a catering event that my
restaurant booked at a local venue last week, I was packing up and chatting with some of the guests about how much they enjoyed the event and the food. The subject turned from that specific party to party planning in general, and some of the pros and cons of different aspects of the planning. It got me thinking about all of the occasions that come up in a person's life that warrant having a party and all of the ways that having a caterer can make some of the planning easier. I realized talking to my new friends, however, that most people have very little idea when and how to book a caterer and what things they need to consider.
Catering & Party Planning Checklist
1.Think about the kind of event that you are planning. Is it formal? Is it a Holiday event? Who will the guests be? Begin thinking about what kinds of food you would like served. The food should reflect the unique spirit of the party; Grandma Susan's 80th birthday party, for example, is likely to have very different food served than the Annual Cinqo de Mayo Block Party.
2.Think about how many kinds of dishes are needed. How long is the event? What time of day? Do you need the whole thing catered or just a few extra dishes? How many guests will be there? A long event spanning multiple meal/snack times is going to need more food than a shorter event. Depending on the time of day, guests will expect/want different amounts of food; lunch vs. tea or cocktail hour vs. dinner. Some people find that they or their friends and family enjoy doing some or most of the cooking, but that having a caterer help out eases some of the “work” burden so that they can enjoy the party too.
3.Pick a date. Some caterers and dates get booked up rather quickly. The farther in advance that you know your date, the more likely that your caterer of choice can accommodate you. Having some date flexibility can be an advantage if you are certain that you want a specific caterer. If your date is not flexible at all, and your caterer is not available on that date then ask for a recommendation.
4.Choose a location or venue. The location that you choose will have a direct impact on the kind of event, style of service, and possibly on which caterers you can pick from for your event. Some locations have unique challenges (a beach front reception, for instance, will be require extra planning to ensure proper energy needs).
5.What service style do you want to have? The kind of service that you have depends on the type of event, the space it is in, and your budget. Full Service is where servers bring pre-set plates out to your guests (like at a restaurant), Buffet Style is where guests serve themselves, Butlered Tray Service has servers wandering around the party with food items offering them to guests. Will you need rental equipment (plates, glasses, tables, chairs, etc.) for the type of service you selected? Ask if Delivery, Set-Up, and Take-Down are included.
6.Figure out a food budget. How much are you willing to spend per person on food? On beverages? Your budget may impact the final decision on your guest lists or vice-versa. If you are determined to have a specific menu, the guest count may need to be adjusted. If you are adamant about the attendees, however, the menu selections can often be tweaked in order to accommodate the higher number of guests.
Ways to $ave Money
Enlist friends and family to help out with some of the cooking. Hire a caterer for only a few of the dishes.
Instead of a full dinner, have a cocktail or dessert reception instead. Serve a selection of appetizers and desserts. Because you will be saving money by not having a full meal, you may be able to increase the price per piece on what you do serve.
Add "bulk" items to your menu. For a sit-down dinner have plenty of bread to fill in any hungry spots. When hosting a cocktail party, nuts, cheese, olives, pretzels, etc. provide a little extra security that you'll have enough for all but requires very little extra work.
On a Buffet Service, Use smaller serving dishes that get refilled often. Guest will see a smaller amount and take less. For both Buffet and Full-Service events, If you use smaller plates, the amount of food you put on them will seem like more.
Portion Size Per Person for individual size serving of various foods. Multiply these estimates by your number of guests----
Always round up your estimates, don't round them down.
Anticipate which food selections will be most popular and serve more of them than the general portion guidelines suggest. For example, shellfish appetizers are always popular, so serve as much as your budget allows.
The more choices you offer, the smaller your calculation of individual portion size should be.
That said, you can assume your guests will taste everything on a buffet, but the tastes will be small. However, overall consumption per individual will be greater than if there were fewer choices.
Hors d'oeuvres
4 bites when preceding a meal.
4 - 6 bites per hour when hors d'oeuvres are the meal.
The longer your party and the larger your guest list, the greater the number of selections you should offer.
The Main Meal
Poultry, meat or fish - 8 ounces when you have one main dish, 6 ounces when you offer two or more main courses.
Potatoes- 5 ounces
Vegetables- 4 ounces
Beans - 2 ounces as a side dish
Pasta - 2 ounces for a side dish, 4 ounces for a first course, 6 ounces for a main dish
Green Salad - 1 ounce undressed weight
Desserts
1 slice cake, tart or pastry
4 ounces creamy dessert such as pudding or mousse
5 ounces ice cream
A Few Other Menu Planning Tips
When serving two of the above, reduce each by a little less than half.
Don't repeat a main ingredient. For example, don't serve a shrimp appetizer and shrimp main dish.
Consider the colors & textures of the food that will be served together and make sure there is variety.
Offer both hot and cold foods on a buffet.
