Finding the right corporate events catering company is tricky. There are a number of different factors involved to ensure you’ve found one who meets all of your demands and can live up to your expectations. In addition to this, you want someone with experience who provides visually appealing and delicious food. Follow the five tips below to find the right catering company for your next event.
1. Experience Level
It’s true, experience counts. The higher the number of years in the business, the better adapted these companies are to handle big crowds and events, have strong serving manners, and are readily able to handle any issues that pop up. Experienced corporate events catering companies have successfully executed a variety of functions, from size to menu specifications, and can meet the standards for any kind of event their services are required for.
Do some research and see how long they’ve been in business to get an idea of their ability to handle large events and different obstacles. The more knowledge they have means a better grasp at dealing with challenges head on, as it’s something they’ve probably dealt with before. Established catering companies are equipped to solve issues, whether they show up in advance or during the function.
2. Food Quality
Do a food testing first to guarantee those photos of savoury-looking food match their physical counterparts. Ask caterers a number of questions, such as where ingredients are purchased, the standard of fresh they adhere to, and other related matters to ensure this is the right catering company for you. Enquire how the food is handled and the ingredients they use to create the best menu. It’s important to choose a company with strengths all over the menu, so sample numerous dishes to see how they do. If you’re serving multiple dishes at your function, everything needs to taste great.
3. Performance Reviews
It never hurts to get customer reviews and ensure that what sounds good in theory actually works in practice. Don’t rely solely on the caterer’s posts, and look outside of the caterer’s site for less biased opinions. Look to message boards, social media, and other relevant forums to avoid the risk of partnering with the wrong corporate events catering business.
Reviews not only indicate quality, but whether there are patterns of continuing issues. Ask for testimonials from previous clients and question them about how the company dealt with rapid plan changes or the busiest times of the night. It’s not necessarily about getting “perfect” reviews, but about ensuring the company can handle any matter with a firm grasp and the business’ experience in that area.
4. Willing to Accommodate
The right corporate events catering company knows how to provide the best experience for attendees. This takes into account any and all dietary restrictions, so everybody can have fun. Vegetarian, gluten-free, halal, kosher, other food allergies—experienced corporate event caterers can adapt dishes for any guest.
Informing caterers about these restrictions ahead of time shouldn’t be a problem, and they should be capable of working around these restrictions to provide good food. This also helps narrow down your list, immediately ruling out caterers lacking the flexibility to meet different menu demands.
5. Within the Budget
Any quotes obtained should also include all associated costs, such as tasting, tableware, rental fees, and hours they’ll be there, so you can clarify if you need to budget for additional fees with possible third-party vendors. Noting those extra charges will help you find the corporate events catering company you can afford.
While searching for the right company, it’s important to keep a realistic cost in mind, as a sky-high budget will eliminate different companies very quickly. Keep a budget in mind to find a caterer that delivers great food and service at a price that makes sense.
