Menu Planning
If you are serving food at your event, menu planning is a crucial element. Menu planning is the process of the selecting the food options that will be served at your event and is based on such factors such as:
- The theme of your event
- The time of day
- The length of the event
- The collective tastes of your guests
- Your budget
- Seasonality
- Buffet, Action Stations or Sit Down Service
The theme of your event is important to keep in mind when selecting your menu because you want to make sure that if your event is themed; your selection of food is on target. For instance, if you were throwing a Mexican fiesta, you wouldn’t want to serve Italian food at your event. Food is a great way to keep your guests excited about the theme of your event.
If you don’t have a particular theme but your décor is dominated by one color, you could even associate the food with the colors used in the décor. The time of day in which your event is held is also important because you want to make sure that you are serving items that are appropriate. If you are serving a brunch, you could have a mix of breakfast, lunch and dinner foods, however, if your event is in the evening you want to make sure you are serving something substantial.
The length of your event is important because you want to make sure that the dinner portion of your event doesn’t dominate your whole event. If you are just having a short cocktail party you would probably pick a selection of tray passed appetizers for your guests. A dinner party would obviously call for a sit down dining experience.
The collective tastes of your guests are a crucial determining factor in your menu selection. You have to have a grasp on the dietary needs and preferences of your guests so that they will get the maximum fulfillment from your food selection. When considering their tastes you should think about their background, their dietary restrictions and the evolution of their palate. For instance, you should think twice about serving expensive delicacies such as caviar at a Sweet Sixteen soiree. You should also think about the vegetarians in your crowd as it is really rude not to provide options for those who do not eat meat.
The season in which you are throwing your event is important as well, for the same reason as the time of day in which your event is being held. You want to make sure that the food items you select for your menu are in season and of the best quality at that time of year. The last but most important factor to consider when picking your event’s menu is your budget. The type of dishes you select will affect the price you are charged for catering. Items such as lobster or filet mignon will inflate your price more than chicken or pasta for instance. Your budget will also be affected by the amount of food you need to accommodate your guests; the more people at your event, the more food you will need. You also need to decide whether or not you will be having a buffet, action station or sit down service because this affects the amount of staff that will be needed to serve the food.
