Top Tips For Choosing The Best Catering Company

A big event is coming ahead? Of course, the first thing you have to consider is a reliable catering company! In case you are not a gastronomy virtuoso and you do not have all the time in the world to prepare all those fancy and delicious meals and appetizers for a bunch of guests, a catering contractor is a real live saver! All you need to do is pick up the phone and make a few calls… or is it all you need to do, actually?

In fact, finding a reliable, experienced and truly talented and passionate catering company is not that easy and it might take more thorough research and a couple of non-successful calls here and there. After all, you need to be aware of the fact that the best contractors are booked for a long period ahead, so the sooner you start looking for a catering company for your business event, wedding, birthday party, or any other kind of celebration and event you might need the help of a catering company for, the better.

Now, where to start from, when booking a catering company for your event. There are a few basic, but very important considerations you need to acknowledge, such as food quality and variety, quality of service, ability to work to your requirements, the price of the service and more. Since there are a few aspects you will look at when choosing a professional catering service, here are our top tips to follow and be aware of!

Availability

This one is among the most important and first things you need to check when looking for and booking a caterer. As we have already mentioned, the best companies are usually booked some time ahead, so make sure to allow yourself a comfortable time period space, so you won’t find yourself in a situation, where you need to come up with some last minute wonder. Obviously, the caterer should be available to provide a service on the exact day you need them to do so. Make sure to research and check in what the booking and payment process is.

One of the most important things you need to know is if the date is secure. You also would like to know when you are required to make payments because you definitely do not want to shock when a serious and unexpected bill is hand out to you just before the event. Ideally, meeting with a few catering service providers before the event is great. One additional thing that is best to do beforehand is checking with the venue, where the event will happen because many venues come with their individual lists of preferred suppliers and caterers.

Budget

Speaking of shocking bills, considering your budget and making sure the catering company is following your budget requirements is very important too. Make sure you have a clear idea of an average cost of a catering service before booking one, otherwise you might be left surprised. Always check what the quoted costs include, ask about all the options the catering company provides and do not be afraid to ask about everything you don’t understand, or you are not completely sure about.

If you have a low budget, make sure to inform the catering contractor the about the budget they will work with, how much you are willing to spend and what are the opportunities you can be provided with. Most of the professional and reliable catering companies will be able to provide you with a package that meets your budget requirements. As the inclusions and exclusions vary from one catering company to another, make sure to check these too. Some of the most important things to look for in this aspect are whether or not the quote has VAT included and whether or not linen and tableware are included in the total price of the service.

Quality of food

Of course, one of the most important aspects, when looking for a catering company, is the quality of food provided. You definitely do not want to leave your guests disappointed and experience the rude shock of low-quality food. Excellent presentation, freshness and good taste of the food are necessities, no matter your budget and other requirements. Do not hesitate to ask your caterer for a portfolio and you will be able to have an idea, to some extent, about what you can expect from the company. Ideally, a reliable and experienced catering company will have facilities and personnel to prepare food and serve your guests on the day of the event. Do not be afraid to ask your caterer for the sustainability, quality and freshness of the products and ingredients they use for preparing the food.

Tasting

Just like it is with test driving before buying a car, you do not want to invest your money into service, without knowing whether or not the service worth it and make sure that there will not be any disappointing surprises on the day of the event. So, ideally, a testing session will give you a pretty good idea about what you can expect and if the catering company is offering a testing session, do not hesitate and book yours. Even with reliable and recommended caterers, you can never be sure if the style of presentation, the way of preparing the food and the overall experience will be your cup of tea, so testing the service beforehand is a pretty good way to narrow down your choice.

Experience

Of course, as it is with any other service you might consider, the experience is one of the most important aspects of hiring a catering company. This does not mean that a contractor with less experience is automatically offering bad service, but a good experience and enough expertise is definitely something you don’t want to overlook. Additionally, you should make sure that the contractor has the experience of working on the exact kind of event you are hiring them for.