How to Choose the Catering Menu for Your Event?

When planning the food and beverage for any event, it’s important to consider the not-so-obvious items to help ensure a successful program and delicious meal. The following steps to catering coordination and menu planning will ensure that your event stands out among the typical catered event meals.

01. Know Your Guest Profile

What is the profile of the guests being invited to the event? For example, most business people attend many events throughout the year, and the phrase “rubber chicken circuit” is common among political, business, and fundraising circles. To prevent your event from meeting this unflattering description, consider the following:

· The professional level of your guests
· The frequency your guests attend similar events
· The ethnic background of your guests

02. Know Your Guest Preferences

By taking the opportunity to understand the general profile of your guest list, the event planner is better prepared to begin considering what menu options to offer. The following may help you to better plan to meet their needs:

· Attendees concerned about health and fitness may prefer more seafood and vegetarian options.
· Younger or middle-aged attendees may prefer spicier or simply more adventurous meals.
· The idea here is to consider what your guests will enjoy the most based on the type of event you are planning.

03. Provide Menu Choices

While you may do your best to anticipate your guests’ food preferences, you will never be able to please everyone with one entrée. Event planners should always plan to offer several entrée or menu choices to ensure that all guests will be pleased with their meal. Some general guidelines to consider:

· Offer three or more salad dressing options for salad courses.
· Serve all condiments on the side.
· Offer two dessert options: one very indulgent, one healthy.

04. Anticipate Special Needs

Today, there are more dietary preferences and concerns to consider than ever before. Before any event, it is critical for an event planner to find out if any of the guests have a special dietary need so that the catering manager can address those needs prior to the event. Special dietary considerations may include:

· Food allergies (such as lactose intolerance, nut allergies, etc.)
· Religious requirements (such as Kosher observance)
· Voluntary dietary restrictions (such as vegetarianism or veganism)

05. Select a Menu that Fits the Event Schedule

Sometimes the clock will be the greatest guide to determining the menu and meal service for an event. Choose the meal type and menu options that best suit the time you have for the meal. Consider these common event meal examples:

· Box lunches are best if you have 30 minutes or on the go.
· Plated meals usually require at least 1.5 hours.
· Working breakfasts or lunches should incorporate menu items that can hold up for longer periods of time without ruining the integrity of the food.