Outside Catering, the way forward for Stylish Events

1. Outside Catering, the way forward for Stylish Events If you are planning an event or party, you're probably left with a multiple page checklist to deal with – venue, food, theme, band, lighting and the list just grows. One question that constantly racks the brain of any event planner is ‘how do I make my party/celebration unique?' The success of any event or celebration is adjudged by the ‘wow’ factor. How do you create that effect with a list of venues that tend to be bland, traditional and appearing on the invitation of every event? The nicer venues tend to be uncharacteristic and expensive. In current trends, we see that events have shifted from stiff and uptight to more ‘casual and relaxed’. Budgets, especially for corporate catering has reduced drastically making event planners to reach out for the option of location catering. Locations like hotels, restaurants, and event venues are fast-fading, and contemporary themes now include office premises, rooftops, homes, or outdoor areas are now gaining repute. Outside catering can address a variety of concerns: budgets, theme, food, and additional costs. On the other hand, you will need to ensure the space you wish to have a mobile catering unit has the space to accommodate chefs, wait staff, storage, mise en place. It should have access to gas, electricity, and generators. If you are hosting the event yourself or hiring a planner, it is recommended to confirm a few things before approaching an outdoor catering company. A typical outside catering charge includes costs for transport, service, food and beverage based on the number of people, distance, and complexity. Have these details ironed out before talking about costs. The biggest advantage of mobile catering is the cost savings on the venue. Without having to pay large deposits/retainers on the venue, you're left with a relatively larger portion to spend on the menu and theme. Most locations are used repeatedly for multiple occasions and it tends to lose its identity after a while.

2. Formal venues have menus which are rarely customizable. However, when you hire an outside catering company you will have the flexibility to arrange the food (buffet, plated, course) in a way you prefer. A trend we see recurring is the ‘food pod’ or ‘foot cart’ –this is ideal if you’re cuisine is ethnic. Instead of a regular chafing dish, the food is arranged in a setting proving opportune for guests to mingle with each other. For example, a make-your-own pizza station, ceviche cart, personalized sushi rolling counter. Conversations will naturally enhance the ambience of your event. This could allow guests who have special dietary or health requirements to make their pick without incurring additional costs. This is also an ideal setting for event planners to choose other complementary services at their discretion. Venues tend to have contracted suppliers for lighting, sounds, flowers, décor, and other services, that may be relatively higher than contracting independent vendors. An outside catering hire service will be flexible in meeting your needs and customizing special dietary needs, and above all, add uniqueness to the event. They are a cost-effective, stylish way of pulling off an event with a signature.