An impeccable taste and culinary can make all the difference to an event you are planning ahead of your auspicious occasion. Hence it is very important for you to take care of this well in advance. Your objective will be; to look for a potential caterer who offers good quality catering services. Good catering services does not mean just serving lip smacking cuisines but also professional serving and ensuring that your guests are delighted with the overall arrangements of food and beverages.
There are a number of caterers in town and even if you have moved to a new city, you can Google and find contact details of a few of them quite easily. But then, booking a caterer for great quality catering services is not all that easy. I have managed a wedding party in the past and have observed quite a few things that matters when booking a caterer in India. This post s all about that and if you are planning to hire a caterer, then may be this post will help you do it well.
Whether it’s a wedding reception, birthday bash, graduation celebration or a corporate party, choosing a caterer can ease a great deal of the headache from you and here’s how to get it right.
Requirement analysis
Before searching for a caterer, first you should properly assess your exact requirement and expectation from the catering service to whom you will approach. Hence you have to fix the following things before calling them up:
Time and date of the event
Budget for the event
Venue of the event
Is there a kitchen at the venue?
Number of guests you are expecting for the event
Special dietary requirements of few guests
Theme for your event (If any)
Particular style of cuisine you require
Decorations, flowers, table settings etc
What equipments you require? (Tables, chairs, linen, crockery etc)
A good catering company can take responsibility of everything related to the event. It will save you time and effort and also from running around organizing things separately. Having everything organized by a single company will ensure that the event run smoothly and reduce your workload.
Initial Approach to book a caterer
Before seeking a caterer by simply searching them over internet, you can ask your friends and family for a prospect caterer they have got service from. A trusted and known faces are much more reliable and easy to work with. Or you can also take help from portals like ServiceSutra to specify your requirement and they will arrange calls from three caterers who best suit your enquiry, they will call you shortly and give their quotations and you will have a better idea while comparing them as per their services and prices. Let me share a quick checklist that’s going to help you take the final call on booking a catering company in India
Menu options
Whether they can meet your requirements of specific cuisines that you want for your event? (Including any special dietary requirements of specific guests)
Do they have the provision to manage & arrange for the particular event you are hosting?
Corporate, private, cultural events, festive specific etc
Double check if they have any other event to attend on the day of your event?
Make sure they are not preoccupied with some other project on the date of your event or else they might try to wrap it up quickly to attend the other event compromising with the quality of service and other factors)
Are they comfortable working 24/7?
If your event is a huge one and require them to work even 24/7 then you should clearly mention it to them that whether they are flexible with the timings, before starting. Otherwise you might face trouble later.
Check whether their staffs are professional and experienced in your style of event?
In case you need equipments, can they organize them as well? Check whether the equipments are in good condition or not?
Ask if they are flexible regarding food preparation in case you have limited kitchen facilities?
Organizing beverages In case you are throwing a cocktail or mock tail party, you may need hard drinks as well.
Ask whether they have any membership with Restaurant & Catering association and similar services?
Ask for references References like phone numbers of their past clients they have served, testimonials, letter of appreciations for their past works etc.
Check whether their business is registered or not? You should not fall trap into an illegitimate catering company, so check their registration and their official address.
Payment methods they accept? Debit, credit cards, online bank transfers, check etc
How much money you need to pay in advance? This is a tricky part you should read their payment, postponement and cancellation policies very carefully before signing the contract with them.
Now that you have figured these things out you are ready to check the last criteria before hiring one of the 3 or 4 caterers you have shortlisted.
Qualities of a good catering company
What quality should be possessed by a potential catering service that set them apart from others? There are many qualities such as;
Taste
Everything else has absolutely no value if the food is not tasty. Immaculate presentation skills combined with superior tasting cuisine prepared from freshest and best products on the market along with lots of love (in return of the amount you are investing) is always the perfect blend for pulling off an successful event in style. Check their portfolio’s to have an idea about their past works, and you will have an idea whether they will be the right person who can understand your vision and requirements? Do they have the proper equipments and skilled man force for making your event successful? Ask them about the best events they have put together in the recent history and don’t forget to ask the million dollar question “Why should I hire you?”
Value
A reputed and experienced caterer will cater to your exact needs, if you state them that you have a limited budget, they will assist you to make certain modifications in your plan such that you can pull of the event successfully that too without burning a hole in your pocket. If they already have this quality then definitely they are the one you are looking for.
Unparalleled service with reliability and dependability
You will get an idea of the quality of their service soon after you make the first contact with your caterer. They would carefully listen to your plans and strategize accordingly; their first priority should be working with you such that they can execute the event in accordance to your vision. Employees should be well behaved, responsible, dependable and promptly response to your needs in both the planning stages and production of your special occasion. The company should be well-organized, willing to go above and beyond your expectations, and should be determined and dedicated towards the completing of the event successfully.
Flexible in accommodating individual requirements
Quality caterers are sensible enough to understand that every event is different along with the requirements, hence they should adept to the specific requirements quickly. They will be well versed with assisting you with special menu requirements such as vegetarian, vegan, Halal, or Kosher. Check whether they understand staffing ratio needs for bartenders, wait staff, chefs etc? If they are capable to provide special equipments and décor associated with diverse event themes. There are a lot of things that should be taken into account before planning for any special occasion. You need a caterer who understands what your special needs are and is dedicated enough to make sure that your event goes smoothly!
Experience
If your budget is not a bar then it is recommended to opt for a professional event catering company who have vast experience in performing impressive culinary events in the past. They will certainly make your special day memorable for you and for your guests. So that when you introspect through your auspicious wedding day or event designed to impress your clients or boss, you will be glad and feel proud of yourself for your choice of caterer who made everything possible.
Over to you
Events like wedding comes once in a life time, hence you would not like to compromise with it and leave no stone unturned in pulling the event off in style. Other party events like birthdays, anniversaries, corporate parties are also held once in a year or so. So the best idea is to hire a professional caterer for making your event a memorable one so that people will recall your event.
There are a number of catering companies who offer good quality catering services in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore and other cities in India. Finding them is not an issue, but make sure to spend some time with them in discussing your event and food and beverages you want to serve. Evaluate everything from their expertise to costs before booking caters.
