Catering is one of the most important parts of a successful event. Guests always remember the food! At St. Bonavenue, our in-house catering team knows what it takes to produce high-volume, high-quality food for a customized menu that will wow your group.
Here is our advice when it comes to planning the food for your event:
Know Your GuestsWho is attending your event? Consider the demographic of those guests and how that may influence their preferences. This may include everything from age, gender, financial or ethnic backgrounds, and geographic makeup.
You will also need to think about what sort of food they might prefer or even require. Attendees of a health-focused event may favor healthy options, while out-of-town guests may appreciate a menu that highlights the local delicacies – like chicken wings!
Be sure to offer several choices. That way, even if a guest doesn’t like one of your entrees, they still have other options. As a rule of thumb, you want at least three choices of entrée, three or more salad and/or side options, two or three dessert options, and a full selection of condiments. Guests can choose their own adventure!
Consider what time of year your event is taking place, and try to incorporate items that are exclusively available during this time. For example, make peaches the star for a summer event and yams for a winter one. Guests will taste the freshness and appreciate the timely tie in.
Mind Your ScheduleIf you’re holding an elegant gala across a few hours, a buffet or plated meal will work. But if you’re planning a conference with mere minutes in between sessions, a box lunch or grab-and-go food stations will better fit your needs.
Essentially, you need to know how long each type of meal takes on average, and have your menu preparation, services and consumption requirements match the time allotted.
If any of your guests have special needs or dietary requirements – such as religious restrictions, severe food allergies, or dietary needs – it’s important to be aware of them. With alternative diets growing in popularity, you never want to offend or harm any of your attendees, or leave them hungry and grumpy.
You can avoid most issues by asking your attendees and staff in advance if any special considerations must be made.
Presentation Pays OffThis may seem obvious, but the food and the space in which it’s served and consumed needs to look and smell amazing! If your buffet table placement requires people to line up near the bathroom, it’s going to be less than ideal. It’s important to consider how your guests will experience the food. Is your room large enough for tables and chairs to accommodate your group? Is the butter near the bread on the tables? These little considerations go a long way.
Our on-site, industrial kitchen regularly produces food for thousands of students. The catering team works here all year-round, so there is no learning curve. We are ready to make expert recommendations that will have your guests leaving extremely satisfied.
Let’s talk about your event today! We will work hard to bring your unique taste, style and budget together for a very special occasion.