When selecting a catering company for an event, regardless of what that event might be, certain rules and considerations always apply. You have to think about food variety, quality and presentation, make sure you will get proper service level, and do your best to avoid making common catering mistakes that can turn an otherwise awesome gathering into a nightmare.

While it is completely natural to do research and ask friends and family for reviews and recommendations, do create your own checklist of aspects that will have to be covered if you are to hire your potential caterers. Then go over the list in question as you weigh in the pros and cons of each service. Here is what to look for in your process of selection.

Availability On Your Event Date

Availability is the logical criteria that comes before everything else. Even the best caterer is of no use if they are unavailable when you require their services. That is why, before you discuss any details pertaining to your event, make sure they will be free to take on the job on the exact day you need them, without fail.

While on the phone with a caterer, start by asking if they can work with your event date and venue. Once you get an affirmative answer, continue with a bunch of questions you can find here. Try to find out how responsive they are to requests and enquire when you are expected to make the payment. It is also a good idea to check with the venue, as some venues can provide a list of trusted and preferred caterers they employ on a regular basis.

Responsiveness And Genuine Interest In Your Needs

It is incredible how much your initial communication with a catering company will tell you about the way in which they will handle the job, should you choose to work together. Responsiveness and interest in your particular needs are directly related to the level of performance that can be subsequently expected. Once you find someone with these characteristics, follow the tips at https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-a-Good-Caterer in order to cover all aspects of the selection process.

Whichever company you ask, they will claim to deliver the best food, prepared with the utmost care and freshest ingredients around. It is, however, quite difficult to come across someone who will be both quick to respond to your e-mails and calls, and take critique and new ideas easily. Even though the main concerns are often taste and cost, readiness to meet your requirements is not a characteristic to ignore or overlook.

The Ability To Cater To Your Kind Of Event

Caterers usually cover quite a broad spectrum of events, but you can’t expect them to be the perfect choice for all occasions. Experience and focus is key here as well, so you should do a preliminary research on the types of catering a company usually covers, in order to judge how effectively that particular caterer will potentially serve you. Even with the best reputation, if they don’t specialize in your kind of event, they will not be able to pull a decent job.

After you narrow down your list of at least 3 different caterers, make sure you discuss with them the type of event you are planning, as well as the food and presentation you expect to see. And even if you have previously used somebody’s services, don’t automatically expect them to be equally good at catering to company teambuildings and weddings, for example.

Richness Of Menu Options

When it comes to the menu, flexibility in options is key. Negotiate. And if you’d like to make sure you speak their lingo, you can find an awesome reference for catering terminology online. Your ideal caterer will be able to provide enough substitutes and alternatives to menu items in order to fit what you are looking for. Menus should be customizable and more or less in line with current trends.

See how willing and prepared your future caterer is to adapt or even build from scratch a menu that will match your event theme and dietary specifics. Trying to force a preset selection of menus on you should be a red flag that you are not dealing with a true professional. Also, even after a dish is modified in accordance with customer wishes, a tasting needs to be organized to perfect and finalize flavour, portion size and feel of the food, in order to create an amazing and unique set of dishes that match the event theme completely.