Food is one of the best ways to ensure the success of any event, which makes choosing the right caterer a very big deal indeed. Just one soggy sandwich or burnt sausage can lead to a negative guest experience that doesn’t reflect well on your company or community organisation.
So let’s take a look at how to pick the right event caterer in Sydney for your next function.
1. Do they serve food that’s fresh?
No matter how good a dish is, if it’s been cooked and then reheated, you’ll find most guests at your event will certainly notice. Also, there’s nothing worse than eating ‘hot food’ that’s been sitting out for hours and is bordering on stone cold. For best results, food should be cooked on site using fresh ingredients, then served straight away.
2. Are the catering staff professional?
Have you ever been to an event and noticed that the staff barely break a smile, let alone offer excellent customer service? Unprofessional catering staff can put a dampener on your function in numerous ways. A fantastic catering company should provide staff who’ll engage with guests, be on hand for the duration of the event and have a thorough understanding of the food served and your specific requirements.
Staff offering friendly service should be a given. Unfortunately, it’s not always the case. Check reviews and testimonials from past clients of prospective caterers to make sure a company provides professional staff who do their best to contribute to your function.
3. Does the caterer comply with food safety standards?
Remember that old, ‘there’s a fly in my soup’, joke? It’s not going to be a funny one if it turns out to be true at your event. Your catering company should be a notified business with the NSW Food Authority, have a qualified Food Safety Supervisor, comply with the latest regulations and is covered by insurance.
4. Will they be able to cater for the number of guests?
When you’re holding a large event, can you imagine how grumpy your guests will be if they miss out on the food? Make sure your catering team has the ability to feed everyone invited to your event, to negate the possibility of hungry tummies turning smiles upside down.
5. Does the caterer offer custom packages?
Your catering needs are going to be completely different from one type of event to the next. Perhaps you want to hold an office party on a rooftop terrace, serve finger food to encourage mingling, or impress at a fundraiser with hundreds of guests. Whatever your requirements are, don’t get stuck with caterers who can’t be flexible in their set up, and the number of guests they can cater for.
Finally, when you really want to ensure success, steer clear of all the boring old options everyone’s tried before! Give your guests a colourful, tasty surprise when it comes time to eat and you’re practically guaranteed to impress.