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Catering is one of the most essential elements of any social event. Whether you are throwing a business party for top-notch guests, organizing the special wedding day, or just planning a family gathering, food is of utmost importance. People will never remember average food, but they will always complain about a bad menu as well as they will admire an excellent table. Of course, you may try to deal with everything yourself, but do you really want to spend the whole evening in the kitchen instead of having fun with your guests?
The most likely answer to come to your mind is no and it should be so. Your party should be fun for everyone including you, so look closer at catering services to ensure that everything goes smooth and appropriate. Here are five simple tips to help you find and hire the best catering chef and crew for your special evening.
1. Start from the Venue
It is very likely that you already have a venue for your party. And the important point for caterers here is whether outside service providers are allowed to participate or not. If in your case the venue offers its own chef and catering crew, then you will have to stick to what you have chosen or consider changing the venue if you are not satisfied. If your venue allows hiring people from other services, then you got the best offer! This means that you have already chosen the best place for your special occasion and now will get down to choosing the best caterer!
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2. First Impressions Matter
When looking for a caterer, search for a company whose pamphlet will make you hungry. After the tempting piece of paper got into your head, call the service provider to meet in person and talk over the details that you are interested in. Make sure that you discuss not only menu, but also beverages. Some catering companies dont offer drink serving so in this case you will also need to look for a bartender and additional servers to serve non-alcoholic beverages.
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3. Budget
Budget is the most decisive factor in the choice of a caterer. All professional caterers advise setting up a precise budget for the food serving before you head to the caterers office. This is the only way not to get tempted into something more expensive than you can afford. Try to cooperate with the chef in order to create a menu on your budget. Yet if there is something you liked a lot and you see that its over your limit, negotiate the price or maybe ask for a substitute. Experts will always find a way out!
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4. Special Needs
Today being vegan or vegetarian is very popular among people. This means that you have to think about this kind of fashion and be ready for it with your menu. Ensure that your table will serve some green food, some lactose-free food, etc. for people having specific food needs. In a perfect situation you should know about the food preferences of your audience to maybe even design specific meal packages. However, in most cases it is literally impossible to do, so just try to make the menu diverse and interesting. But dont get radical in this case, because you are likely to have meet-lovers too. Make your table balanced and unique with the help of a professional chef from a catering company.
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5. Tasting
And the final important step in finalizing your deal with a catering company is tasting. Dont get surprised if you would be asked for some fee to cover the charge, because this is a traditional practice for caterers. At the tasting choose several main courses keeping in mind food preferences of the guests and also listen carefully to the advice from your chef.
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