I have written a lot of words about the events that might need catering. From the large to the small, from the happy to the sad, from the party to the personal, but one thing I have never really touched on is how festivals consider their catering because it is a very unusual one compared to the rest of the events I have discussed at length on these pages.
Festivals are often welcoming tens of thousands of people through their doors and there is no catering company on earth that could handle that level of people, that sheer volume of hunger, on its own. Instead these festivals welcome a number of companies; from restaurants to festival exclusive companies that only operate smaller stalls at festivals around the country instead of opening a central location. This means that the food on offer is eclectic; all kinds of cuisine from all over the world that caters to all types of people. Festivals have had to adapt as the population has grown.

We have all been on a picnic. Well, there are probably some people out there who are reading this who are thinking “what the hell is a picnic?!” and others who are thinking “thanks a lot idiot, I have never been invited to a picnic!” To those people I’m sorry; if I ever organise a picnic I will be sure to invite you all! But let’s get down to facts here; if you want to start catering for friends and family you have to learn how to do it.

You need to know who is coming, what they like, what they don’t like and what they want. Do these people have allergies? Have you catered for that? Have you brought enough drinks? What about a picnic blanket? Is it big enough, or have you even brought one for your friends? This is a simple catering interaction that you need to master if you’re going to progress to proper meals, proper events. Good luck!

I have discussed a lot about catering specific types of events on this blog. Whether it be for the bigger occasions like weddings and birthdays, all the way down to small, more personal events like birthdays and small family get togethers. One thing I have very rarely touched on, however, is the type of events you might be catering and where you might be catering them as well. Most events that you are likely to cater will be indoors; providing you with easy use of facilities and a fixed placement option for fittings and guests.

But what if you are asked to cater for an outdoor event? You will have to start thinking on your feet, using what power outlets you have, deciding on the food, where best to position guests and food, do you have any kind of coverage for poorer weather conditions? There are a lot of things to consider, a lot more than when catering indoors, but the challenge can often bring about a better reputation as a result.

So you have seen a gap in the market; your local town’s events are constantly looking for caterers but are having to send for companies out of town, adding time and money to their already expensive costs. So you have decided that you are going to fill that void and forge ahead in your own business. What kinds of things do you need, though, to make your catering business a success? For starters you need a plan; you need to decide if you’re going to rent utensils and equipment and do the cooking yourself, or if you’re going to do it all in house. Obviously the latter has more of a start up cost but renting in the long run is more costly, and you’re then relying on other companies for their professionalism and support.

Then you need to decide what kind of events you’re going to cater, what kind of staffing levels you’re going to need. Are you cooking and transporting yourself? Or are you employing people and you’re going to manage? It’s a lot to consider for something that sounds so simple.

I recently found out that some companies outsource their lunch meals to companies. They do not work on the premises, but prepare the meal off site and come into business to serve lunch to the employees. It is an idea that has been brewing for a long time, especially in the modern recession hit era. Companies have let their catering departments go; the cost of buying in, stocking and preparing food, in addition to paying the wages of the dedicated catering team, have meant that companies have decided to look for other solutions.

One such solution is that companies are hiring in outside firms to bring food into work for them. They prepare the food off site before sending it over to be reheated and served on company premises. This happens in my work place, too, even though we have a catering department, a canteen and staff to prepare it. Despite it being a cost saving measure it has meant companies are spending more bringing the food in.