How to Cater your Party or Event

2020 brings Australia a lot of more simple ways to Cater your event or Party.

With Grazing Tables and Cocktail Finger Food more popular than ever this is the time to start looking out for ideas for your next event or party...

Chef Nade has provided the following simple ways to Cater your event and if you follow this blog we post recipes on a regular basis that you can use to make your party shine.

1. Remember the KISS theory - Keep It Simple Stupid...what does this mean in the Catering context. Don't over do or overthink your food options. If you are having finger food then adding an Arrival Platter keeps within the theme... Don't mix a food truck with a Grazing Table option as this will confuse the guests or create a disjointed atmosphere.
2. When ordering your Catering or coming up with your own menu you need to take into consideration the Season and what is available for that season with both produce and flower arrangements. It is all very well to wish that you have a light summery salad with local prawns and mango but if mangoes are out of season or not available then your menu becomes really expensive to use imported products or not available leaving you disheartened. 
3. Choosing the right food for your event will also need to be dependent on your location and facilities available. There is no use adding a variety of deep fried foods if there is no deep fryer to cook them in. Or deciding on a BBQ menu when there is no facility or safe area to use this. Picking the right area to hold your event/party is the first thing you should be doing to ensure you have the date availability required.
4. Taking into consideration the type of event you are holding ie: wedding, birthday, anniversary etc is another key point. Setting a theme will effect your food style for the Catering. If it is an Anniversary, Engagement or Celebration that requires everyone to stand and mingle, setting a 4 course sit down dinner will not be the way to go, this requires a finger food selection that is easy to eat and allows guests to mingle and enjoy a more relaxed style of dining. Make sure you have high tables for resting drinks and place little plates for discarding toothpicks or other non edible items from the finger food.
5. Guest numbers will have a large effect on the type of event Catering you will require and the location. If you are holding a party or event for less than 30 in an area of your home then a sit down or buffet dinner may be adequate or a grazing table where the guests can just help themselves at their own leisure and not forced to eat at the same time as everyone else.
6. Weather and Seasonal patterns can effect your decision to have your event or party indoors or outdoors this again will also effect your Catering Menu decision. Hiring a Marquis as a back up is often advised if the weather is a little up and down in your area or if you are in a season that has normally a lot of rain fall.
7. Catering to suit your Budget... if you are on a tight $ per head then you will need to either scale the amount of guests to the bare minimum or choose a menu that will fit accordingly. Finding a Food Truck style Catering that fits into your theme or choose just a finger food style catering where guests are provided with a roving selection of finger food that is meant to be a tasting rather than a meal.
8. Shopping for your Party or Event - make sure you have a full list of everything you need to create your event/party food before you leave to go shopping. You will also need to make sure your food is listed under the supplier or shopping store that you need to visit so you don't miss the products at that store. ie: produce might all be from your local market on Sunday so that you get all Organic if you miss the item whilst at the market. Also this will avoid you going backwards and forwards wasting valuable time. If you are lucky enough to have a grocery delivery service the utilise that ... you can just purchase online then save a little time. Before you shop or have your food delivered, make sure you have enough space to store your valuable produce and meat/seafood items. If not store correctly you can invite harmful bacteria to grow or have the food go off and have to repurchase or have less to serve at the event/party. Using a Catering company like Nutmeg and Pepper can save you time and money plus minimise the storage required for your event.
9. Creating Food Magic - whenever I am Catering or assisting someone else with their event, I make sure there is a consistent garnish for the food platters. Using an edible herb or food safe flower on your platter will enhance the presentation and you can tie it in with the theme of the event. Another little trick is to place the food on different shaped/coloured interesting service trays that again fit into the theme. Using fairy lights and other objects are fine as long as they are contained and not touching the actual food.
10. Our last tip for the day... If Catering yourself, make sure the food service doesn't interfere with your enjoyment and time spent at the event. Hiring a private chef to finish off your food and service can be a great way to cut down costs but still allow you to enjoy the event/party. Or have Nutmeg and Pepper provide a chef or catering service for you... with a number of theme/food options.