Weddings, Birthday Parties, Anniversaries. These events are the happiest days of many people’s lives. Everyone has a birthday they remember from when they were ten. The gathering of people and the breaking of bread. The shared joy and happiness that comes from that sharing of joy. Festivities like these are looked forward to by every loved one we have.
However, as joyous as these occasions are, organizing one can be a hard and stressful job. You have to make a multitude of choices and worry about every detail again and again. Will they like the food? Will the lights be okay? Will anyone have an issue? These problems and the anxiety they bring can keep even the most organized individuals up most nights.
The aspect of food, in particular, is one of the biggest headaches of the organizer. From keeping track of everyone’s allergies to remembering which aunt hates meat, catering can really be a hassle. Thankfully, modern catering services have taken some of the stress out of this aspect of an event like event catering in Sydney. Choosing a catering service can be a very stressful business. It is a task that simply cannot be taken lightly.
In this article, you will learn how to ensure that food will not be an issue at your event. So you can simply enjoy it.
Table of Contents
Know What You Want.
Sit down and think about what kind of event you want. Try not to let yourself be distracted and getting nervous. Think on practical lines and figure out a guest list. This will allow you to judge what kind of service you will require. The size of the gathering, the tastes that they have. What time of day the event will take place. The venue where the event will take place. Knowing these details will ensure that you know what to look for when you do your research.
Do Some Initial Research
Knowing the enemy is half the battle. And event management can truly be a battle. Get as much information as you can. Before making any decision you need to do your research. Set a separate time for yourself in the planning stages for the event to do this. Take out your trusted laptop or tablet and start looking for any catering service near your house. Make sure that the service is located somewhere near the venue. Doing this will make it easier for you to go there later on if there are any changes that you need to make. This will also allow you to drive to the catering services offices to meet them face to face.
Make a list of all the services that are near your area and meet the criteria you have. Having done that, make a list of services that you might need on the day of the event. Different catering services specialize in the kind of events they cater to. Some specialize at weddings whilst some are better for office events. Whilst researching online keep in mind the kind of service you need, and match them to what the companies can provide for you.
Remember To Look At Their Social Media
Thankfully, this is 2020 and every business has a social media presence. Facebook pages, Instagram, and Google reviews are a good place to learn more about the catering services you pinpointed during your initial research. You can use it to filter your list. You can find reviews from previous customers. Going through the comments section will allow you to learn about the experiences of those that have already availed their services. Lots of red flags can be detected with a few taps on your phone.
Look out for any one-star reviews and long paragraphs listing grievances. Better not take the risk if a lot of people have complained about a business. If there are no immediate red-flags you can then look through the images they posted of their events. These are good places to get an understanding of their services. Ask yourself if you want your event to look like that. If you find a place to your liking and feel good about a service, add it to your list. After having gone through multiple websites and social media posts single out the ones that you liked the most. Keep in mind your requirements and the budget you have for the event.
Visit The Offices
Go to where the services offices are located. This is where you can find those responsible for running the business and, potentially, for catering at your event. Face to face contact will allow you to figure out whether or not you can trust these people with catering. If you get a bad feeling about them then it is probably best to trust your gut. After all, it is a big decision and requires some fieldwork. One needs to understand that a world where almost everything can be done online, nothing beats human contact. Moreover, that holds especially true when you are trying to make sure that a loved one’s special day is appropriately celebrated.
This will allow you to get a better understanding of their services. Tell them about your budget and see which deals would be best for you and your event. Do the same for all of the businesses that you have singled out. It will take some effort so you should begin doing this ahead of time.
Taste The Food
The fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Unfortunately having an upset stomach will be the fastest way to dampen spirits during an event. You do not want to be hearing how the food at your event made someone sick. It is one of the biggest nightmares of anyone organizing an event. Remember to ask for samples from the service. Select the kind of menu you want and check each service’s food quality. If they cannot provide you with quality food then you can cross them off your list. After having tasted the food and developing an understanding with the caterers you can select the services you need. Making such an informed choice will help you deal with the anxiety that you feel on the day of the event, so you can enjoy the festivities with those you love.
Conclusion
Deciding upon your catering service is one of the most stressful aspects of event management. You want to ensure that your loved one has a very special day. To make sure of this just remember to be diligent, do your research, and to not be afraid of trusting your gut.