Smart Catering: Know How Much You Really Need

There is a lot that goes into preparing for a catering job, so be prepared to answer a long list of questions if you are dealing with an experienced catering service.  If you don’t have that luxury, then you will have to make the same considerations on your own.  There are several questions that you should be asking yourself as you prepare the menu for your big event.

What Time of the Day? Obviously the time of day is going to dictate how hungry the guests will be.  If you are hosting a party in the middle of the afternoon, just after the lunch hour, then it is safe to assume that guests will not be consuming as much as they would if the party was held at dinner time.  It is not just quantity of food that should be considered based on the time of day, but also the way in which food is served.  It might be better to consider a small buffet for the after lunch party, but a dinner party might be better equipped with a more formal serving.

How Long Will People Stay? If this is going to be a long event, if you have a DJ booked for four hours or more, then be sure that you have extra food to keep people full and content throughout that time.  This might mean have one session of appetizers and then a more formal feeding time. On the other hand, a very short event would not necessarily call for much food.

Who Are You Feeding? Typically, a group of children, or a gathering of women will eat less than a party that includes male guests.  Men do tend to consume more in the party environment.

What Type of Party is it? This discrepancy in eating is even more pronounced at certain events.  For instance, a wedding tends to be an event that sees people eating lighter fare, while gathering people for a tailgating party can mean that a great deal of food will be consumed.

Meal of Hors d’oeuvres? At some parties, it simply makes more sense to keep hors d’oeurves circling through the guests, throughout the event, while at others it is necessary to serve a formal meal.  The amount of food needed will be dependent on how the menu will be served.