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The Caterer and the Art of Catering
A caterer is the person, persons or company who has been hired by a client or an event planner to plan, prepare and serve any number of guests at an event on a particular day and at a particular time. A caterer is employed by a catering company and is usually a professional chef or cook who has intensive knowledge of culinary arts. In the event planning process, the caterer is the authority on the pricing and menu for every event. The event planner would plan in conjunction, with the client the menu and then consult with the chef. If every item is in season and the chef feels as though the menu selections compliment one another then the chef will give a price per person for the event planner to take back to the client. It is always important for the caterer to be including in every step of the menu planning process because they can anticipate any problems and offer suggestions. If the menu selections are uncomplimentary or out of season then the caterer would be the best person to consult about alternative suggestions. When approving an event’s menu the caterer will consider factors such as:
- Seasonality
- The Environment of the Venue
- Cooking Space on site
- Coherence of the menu selections
- Style of service (sit down, tray passed, buffet, action station)
Seasonality is probably the most important factor because you want to make sure that you can provide the food that is promised. If strawberries are totally out of season and you suggest a strawberry shortcake and homemade strawberry ice cream you will encounter unhappy guests when they bite into bitter berries. Also, the caterer should determine what items they will be able to cook onsite and what items they should prepare ahead of time. This is important because the caterer will have to consider the environment of the event. Is the event outside? Is it summer or winter? Is there a possibility of rain? The chef has to think about alternative and the cooking space on site. Is there enough room to set up a full kitchen- should the food be cooked outside on a windy day at the beach? These things might seem silly but have to be considered by the caterer because they want their food to be the best that it can be, which is a delicate feat.
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