Planning an event for a large, diverse group is both nerve-racking and exciting.
Serving diverse guests comes with special diets and diverse tastes, meaning the entire experience can be overwhelming. Therefore, meeting the needs of such an audience requires an experienced corporate catering service.
The service takes care of beverage selection, the catering menu, equipment, staff, and other logistics related to food for the event.
“Comfort foods” such as cheese and mac were once all the rage at events.
But…
Today, foodie fads, including guests, prefer eating healthy. However, planning an event comes with many decisions you must make. For instance, you have to choose the right nut milk to offer your guests with coffee, for the connoisseurs.
You must keep abreast of the most rent food trends. Although this isn’t part of your job as an event planner or creator, there’s a need to offer your guests the best experience.
A survey revealed that 77% of people who answered screening questions stated that an event menu is critical to them. This is despite the event in question. The survey of foodie trends published on Eventbrite received input from event experts.
When planning an event, a lot goes into planning to make the day successful. Here’re a few steps to help you ensure that you day runs smoothly to the satisfaction of all guests:
5 Tips to Help You Organize a Successful Event with the Best Catering Service
- Prepare well to succeed – find out the type of event you’re organizing for a catering service to equip yourself better to meet the needs of your guests.
What’s the type of event, location, time of day, number of guests expected, budget, menu ideas, and event duration? Offer a flexible, bespoke service based on your ideas and catering expertise.
Ask questions early regarding dietary requirements to ensure that you offer various food options for all your guests. The number of guests determine your logistics requirements, making it a good idea to engage an event manager for professionalism and smooth event operations.
- Event style – confirm your guest list and event style. Is it a casual or formal gathering? Choose a proper and suitable event catering for the event style.
Finger foods, grazing tables, and canapes are great options for your event because they’re easy to shape. Ranging from classics such as pastries and mini pies to cheeses and gourmet cured meats, there’s something for your specific event style.
It’s important to offer lots of food, keeping your guests’ favorites and dietary requirements in mind. Another great option is a pizza party.
- Work out amounts – find the sweet spot between too much and enough to cater to diverse guests in a large group. Find out what’s enough.
Avoid food wastage. You can donate consumable food to organizations such as Oz Harvest to minimize wastage. This is key to becoming a sustainable caterer.
- Consider less – organize a more casual and intimate event for boardroom dining occasions instead of a 5-course sit-down meal. A fuss-free, trendy solution can be:
- A Mexican fiesta
- An American-style barbecue
- A classy cocktail reception
- A large garden brunch during the day
Fresh finger foods such as Thai salad boxes or Vietnamese Bahn Mi rolls can lift your existing menu. Suggest delicious meals you can easily prepare to your customers or event host. Make sure that quality surpasses quantity.
- Offer more – food stations and buffets are perfect for serving a large group of diverse guests in an event. They’re cost-effective and save on time when serving many people.
Use themed food stations to tell stories. Some examples include:
- A mid-summer night’s dream themed dessert bar
- A saloon-style grill station
- A pop-up-style Mexican stall for finger food
- A secret garden station for cocktails
Install separate stations with dedicated staff, including chefs, for efficiency and better focus. As a result, you can cook on site and reduce wastage, saving you money long-term.
Eliminate sophisticated table service to enable guests to choose foods that meet their unique needs and preferences, control their portions, and eat at their own pace. Hungry guests eat when they want and mingle with others for social purposes.
Scale your service to cater for 50 to 10,000 guests, elevating the event to an extraordinary level. With great experience in the industry, you’re guaranteed great results.
Top 4 Foods You Can Prepare and Serve Your Event Guests
Delectable cocktail food ideas can wow your guests and keep them full for longer, atop keeping things fun and fresh. When preparing a catering menu for diverse guests, here’re some fresh cocktail food ideas to serve:
- Sliders
The tiny, bite-sized burgers are favorite cocktail foods for many people. The diverse dish is a hand-held treat that tops cocktail menus for events. Although meat is popularly used to prepare beef, opt for any protein to suit the appeal and needs of your diverse guests.
Prepare a wide variety of sliders using different proteins such as chicken, beef, crab or pork. This ensures that the taste and appeal of each guest are met.
Top savory mini sirloin sliders with caramelized onions, Cheddar and garlic aioli to keep things classic. Serve pulled pork sliders with coleslaw for a different yet fun twist. Sliders are guaranteed to please your guests, no matter what protein you place between the buns.
- Soup shooters and pizza
Soup makes a perfect cocktail food. Unless you’re serving a seated meal, avoid loose spoons and bulky bowls. Soup shooters are a comfort food you can easily include in your food menu.
Pour soup into shot glasses and garnish. The hand-held cocktail food is easy to eat, and can be served warm, hot or cold. Some favorites include potato with scallion and crispy bacon (twice-baked) and California tomato bisque served with micro basil.
Soups are an easy, tasty enrichment that means variety, making them ideal for serving guests. If you want a fun, creative food menu, add soup shooters to your cocktail food menu.
Use outdoor pizza ovens to prepare delicious pizza you can serve the guests with hot soup. What’s more, you can prepare it at your own home and bring to the event ready to serve after heating.
- Kabobs
Add kabobs to your cocktail food menu. The treat is easy and fast to prepare and eat. Use different proteins and vegetables to diversify your menu, as with sliders. This ensures that your guests have lots of options to consider.
Try bacon bourbon BBQ chicken kabobs; they’re always a hit with large events. Use roasted pepper kabobs and chorizo to spice things up. Prepare veggie kabobs and serve them off the grill to meet the needs of your vegan guests.
Use your favorite veggies and proteins to prepare delicious cocktail food that’ll leave your guests licking their fingers for more.
- Tea sandwiches
These make a classic cocktail food and ideal finger food. The sandwiches are easy, light, and delicious, hence perfect for serving with tea. You can add a fresh, new twist to your menu with a classic dish such as a crisp, cucumber sandwich.
Use fresh, local food ingredients and bread to prepare this food. Try aged Dublin white cheddar, skillet bacon jam, on black pepper Parmesan sourdough, or garlic aioli, roasted wild mushrooms, and Camembert on rosemary olive bread.
You can also prepare crostinis (a crispy, toasted food) and stuffed peppers or mushrooms to serve your diverse guests. Whether you’re catering for 50 or 10,000 guests, cocktail foods can meet the diverse needs of your guests. Keep your guests raving about the event even after the food runs out with a fresh, diverse, and fun menu.
