Top Five Things To Consider When Hiring An Event Catering Company

Event catering is not merely about serving delicious food, it has a lot to do with presentation and management. For a successful event, aspects like the serving style, amount of food to be served, the number of serving staff required, the time needed to cook, and the table setting, are critical.

With so many decisions to make, the process can be stressful and time-consuming, which makes hiring an efficient event catering company a critical decision. By teaming up with a reliable catering company for your event, you can benefit from their expertise to make a lasting impression on your guests.

However, with a slew of options to choose from, picking one that best suits your interests can be quite a challenge. To help you simplify your search, and select the best available option, here’s a list of the top five things to consider when hiring an event catering company.

1. Are licensed and insured.
It is essential to hire a catering company that has proper licenses, health permits, liability insurance, and an approved facility. Such a company will train its personnel to ensure adherence to quality and cleanliness standards set by the health department. Moreover, considering that accidents during cooking are not unheard of, by hiring an insured catering company, you can avoid the liability of mishaps during the preparation of food.

2. Are experienced.
Experienced event caterers will be able to prepare food on time and avoid running out of food in the middle of the event. Before hiring an event caterer, ask questions about their experience in the catering industry. What is the most significant event they’ve handled? Whether they have dealt with an event similar to yours before? What are their specialties in cuisine? By asking these questions, you can get a better idea of their capabilities.

3. Provide presentable and accommodating services.
To ensure that the food served at your event tastes delicious and looks appealing, ask about quality, style, and presentation before hiring an event caterer. You can look at pictures of the food prepared by them to get a better idea of their presentation skills and style. It is also important to discuss beforehand, whether a caterer can provide special meals for guests who want gluten-free or vegetarian food.

You will also need to know more about their management of food concerning guest headcount deadlines and leftovers to avoid wastage.

4. Handle additional services.
Apart from food, there are various other components like décor and equipment, that come under event catering. Hiring separate vendors for items like cutlery, table setting, paper products, rentals, bar equipment, glassware, etc. can turn out to be expensive, which is why you need to ensure that you hire a catering company that provides these additional services.

5. Provide a detailed estimate of costs.
Before hiring an event caterer, you must discuss the payment arrangements in detail. This will include the amount of money to be paid before and after the event, sales tax and gratuities. You must also discuss the arrival time, event duration, and overtime policy with the caterer, to avoid additional expenses after the completion of the job.

If you’re looking for a wedding, event, banquet caterer in Renton, WA, reach out to Christie’s Catering.

With over thirty-five years of experience in the catering industry, we have handled catering for over three thousand events to date. Our team comprises of experienced professionals who are trained to handle different types of event catering projects, effortlessly. From the preparation of food to the table setting and bar management, we provide a one-stop solution to all your catering needs at reasonable prices. We offer our services to clients across Renton, Seattle, Issaquah, Snohomish, Tacoma, Puyallup, North Bend, Lakewood, Federal Way, Redmond, and Everett.

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