Catering - Tips to Help You Pick the Best Provider

Friday, November 30, 2012
One important aspect of event planning is making sure that you have chosen the right caterers. Since the type and quality of food you serve can impact how well your event goes, you need to make sure that you hire an appropriate catering service. Instead of opening the yellow pages and picking the first company you come across, try to invest a little time screening the prospects before you hire anyone.
You need to have a good idea of what kind of foods different companies specialize in. Don't assume that just because they say they can make chicken that it is going to taste great. Contact the companies and get a copy of their menus. Keep in mind that no two companies cook the same, so their foods will not taste the same either.

Reputation is very important in the catering industry. It can make or break a company. You can save yourself stress by learning about the reputation of any company you are interested in before you hire them to serve food at your next event. Ask for references so you can find out what their previous clients thought of their services. If the majority of their clients would not use them again, that is a red flag and means that you should continue searching for a catering company.
Inquire about pricing. You want to make sure that any company you want to hire fits into your budget. You don't have to pay a fortune for the best food and service, but nor should you pay pennies. A good catering company will have their services moderately priced for competitiveness. Check credentials. As much as you may want to use a company that seems too good to be true, if they don't have the right credentials by the health department and other organizations, you are putting your guests' health at risk. You are also opening yourself up to potential legal action if there was ever a problem where a guest became ill from the food that is being served at your event. Don't forget to find out if a particular company is willing to include staff to help with serving the guests. Keep in mind that there may be an additional charge if staff is provided.
Since you want to make sure you pick the most qualified company, you can't just base that decision off of price, credentials, and reputation alone. You also need to sample their foods so you can determine whether or not they will be a good fit. This will also help you come up with the meals that you want on the menu for your event. Make sure that you have someone with you that you can trust when you go to sample the food that you want served at your event. By sampling your menu from different catering companies, you can choose the one that is able to capture the taste you are looking for.

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