What sticks in the memory long after the meeting or event is over? Food. Delivering delicious meals is right up there with booking outstanding speakers. So, since successful caterers are innovators, I turned to blogs posted by four catering companies around the country for ideas and insights on how to deliver food that is remembered for all the right reasons.
Is it fall, y’all?
Stepping outside is a good way to inspire a menu. We all tend to eat to the season, choosing warm heavier foods in the winter and lighter fare when it warms up. So, while a hot bowl of chili is a good choice on a nippy day, in the summertime, fresh veggies on a skewer and lemonade enhanced with fresh fruit like a big fat strawberry sound right, says Catering by Design in Raleigh, North Carolina. A menu aligned with the season also more easily incorporates what’s grown on local farms. Be Creative Catering in northern Kentucky finds lots of ways to put fall into a menu — from pork loin with apples and butternut squash risotto to warm apple crisp, pumpkin cheesecake, spiced cider martinis and maple old-fashions. Seasonal soups like pumpkin or tomato can use produce from the garden as they warm up the crowd on a crisp day. And the summertime events it caters often top off with seasonal treats like strawberry shortcake and artisanal ice cream sundae bars.
Why be normal?
Shake things up, and people perk up. You’ve got to love an idea like EFS Catering’s hallmark Pretzel Station. The Jacksonville, Florida, caterer hangs sea-salted soft pretzels on a table display and surrounds those salty treats with sidekick sauces like cheese, mustards and hatch chili queso. Other suggestions from EFS? Try a sushi rolling station or a make-your-own taco bar. At one of its events, Be Creative set up a custom-made doughnut dessert bar with chocolate, caramel and strawberry sauces. Rocky Mountain Catering, based near Denver, has done breakfast burrito bars, cookie dough bars and build-your-own sandwich stations. Instead of a holiday sit-down dinner, how about a standup reception like one Rocky Mountain does that starts with mini crabcakes, stuffed dates and other passed appetizers and moves on to stations with heavier options like bruschetta, macarons and a signature cocoa. Or, to disrupt routine and save some bucks, Catering By Design recommends trying breakfast for dinner. Who doesn’t love some cheesy grits, egg sandwiches and crispy waffles? For some sparkle, add mimosas.
Cover all the bases
Making sure everyone’s food requirements and preferences are met is a major consideration. Most caterers understand how critical this is, but few voice it as well as Be Creative. It works to ensure “no one is left out or feels like an afterthought,” crafting menus that “are not only delicious but foster a sense of community and belonging.” Its signature vegan entrée, the portobello mushroom stuffed with couscous and seasonal vegetables, is popular beyond its intended vegan audience. Keeping foods simple and providing lots of variety are good ways to make sure everyone has something to enjoy. Catering By Design suggests “grazing tables,” a modification of the charcuterie board that lets people pick and choose what they want. For an easy carry-around appetizer, it puts charcuterie items in cups customized for different diets and preferences. Catering by Design also suggests soup and salad bars, with multiple soups and a variety of salad fixings. Make-your-own bowls are a newer trend that does the same.
Waste not, want not
How many times have you seen perfect slices of pie sit uneaten in the center of a banquet table? Or half-full plates carried off by servers because portions were just too generous? At meetings, we often get reminded of how much food we waste in this country. Don’t forget that caterers can adjust to avoid this problem. It’s easy — and effective — to use a smaller plate and smaller serving utensils. It’s human nature to fill whatever plate you’re holding, so using 9- or 10-inch plates instead of the 12-inch plates restaurants typically use can alleviate that problem. A dessert table can cut down on waste too, because it allows people to pick and choose what they want rather than being served a big slice of cake or pie. EFS also recommends going small-but-mighty and has created a selection of mini dessert cups, with options like Southern carrot cake, Florida key lime pie and tiramisu.
Service style can shift the mood
The way food is served sets the mood. Sticking with tradition, planners often opt for the plated sit-down meal, but other styles can work well depending on the circumstances. Buffets can save money, Be Creative points out, because they require less staff, a big concern these days. Buffets also allow people to pick what they want and how much they want. Food stations are popular and energizing as people move about, engaging with more than a table’s worth of people. They can, though, require more staffing. A good way to speed up dining — for example when it’s a quick meeting with a lot of ground to cover — is a generous box lunch. Catering By Design fills its box lunches with varied sandwiches, including meat, seafood and vegan options, fresh fruit or pasta salads, and handheld desserts. And, although they’re not often used, family-style meals tend to pull people together as big bowls of food are passed, reminiscent of celebratory meals around a family dinner table. Another plus? You won’t need much in the way of decoration, as big platters and bowls dominate the table.
