Catering may seem like something that is not necessary, an extravagance that you could skip. However, hiring a caterer for your next party, event or private affair has many more benefits than downsides. Catering is something that your party needs. Here are the top ten reasons that you should definitely hire a food caterer.
#1 Cuisine Choices
While you may consider yourself to be an amazing Italian chef or perhaps you specialize in Asian cuisines, a caterer will be well versed in all types of cuisines. Professional chefs are trained to cook a wide variety of foods from all different cultures across the globe. When you hire a caterer, you can choose whatever type of food you would like and can rest assured that the food will be authentic and delicious. So hire a caterer and serve Thai appetizers, an Italian main course, and a decadent French dessert. Caterers can do it all!
#2 Menu Development
Making the food choices for your event can be tough. You want to please everyone but still, want a meal that is cohesive. A professional caterer can recommend what foods to serve based on dietary needs, cuisine preferences and seasonality. Caterers can write up full menus and give you options for what to serve and what to avoid.
#3 You Can Enjoy Your Event
When you are planning a get together complete with an array of food, you already have enough on your plate without having to also worry about cooking the day of. No host wants to be hidden away in a hot kitchen while their guests are enjoying themselves. You want to mingle, you want to party, and you want to eat- not cook! Hire a caterer and enjoy your party without ever entering the kitchen!
#4 No Clean Up
After you host an event, you will most likely have no energy to clean up. Also, who wants to end the night after a fun party cleaning a kitchen?! When you hire a food caterer, not only will they cook the food but they will clean up afterward! You can say goodbye to your last guest and then relax after your event instead of scrubbing dishes- a much better plan!
#5 No Prep
If you are planning on cooking your food, you need to start cooking and prepping your food days before your actual party. This means countless hours in the kitchen to get everything ready even before the big day. Skip all of this by hiring a caterer who will be working to prepare the food for you in those days before. You have many other things to do to prepare other than worry about the food!
#6 Create the Flow
A caterer will serve the food in a timely way that will drive the event forward. By gauging the tone of the party, a caterer will know when to slow down on the appetizers and begin seating people for the main course. When there is a lull, a caterer will fill that gap with food, making your party complete. Controlling the flow of the party is a wonderful perk that a caterer will provide.
#7 Service
When making the food for your own event, you will probably opt for having your guests serve themselves in a buffet-style line. While this can work, wouldn’t it be nicer to have individual meals served to your guests? It adds an extra impressive level to your party when your guests can all sit down and be served their food as if they are dining in a fancy restaurant. Caterers will do this for you! So tell everyone to pull up a chair at the table and prepare to be served!
#8 Courses
After you have prepared everything in the kitchen, putting it out on the table all at once is the simplest and most efficient way to go. If you hire a caterer, you can choose to course the meal, having salad or soup served first followed by the main course and then dessert. Serving courses not only adds elegance to your meal but extends the time that everyone can sit and chat. A much better option!
#9 Dietary Needs
If you have one or two people at your event who have special dietary needs (maybe they are vegan or allergic to shellfish), a caterer can easily make a special meal just for them. While something like this would be time-consuming and challenging for you to do if you were cooking on your own, it is something caterers do all the time! This will make sure all of your guests are accommodated without any stress to you.
#10 Worth the Price
While the upfront costs of hiring a caterer may seem like a lot, all of these little perks are completely worth the cost. The time you will save, and the assurance that you will have is something that is priceless.
So are you ready to pick up the phone and hire a food caterer? You are probably already searching for one in your area right now! Hiring a food caterer is clearly a smart choice.