The summer season is here and people love to have a beautiful lunch or a garden party outdoors. This makes the caterer more careful and plans wisely outdoors. This article is shedding light, on some basic tips and tricks you can add to make your catering service a delight to your visitors
- Choosing the venue considering the hot summers
Choosing an appropriate and perfect menu for outdoors catering is the first step of this journey. A beautiful breezy beach, a park, a rooftop deck, a backyard, or a garden are different places you can consider for outdoor catering depending on the client’s priority and budget. These places can make amazing backdrops and a beautiful destination to organize parties like birthdays or summer
Whatever location you select consider that weather is unpredictable, especially during monsoon rains, you can expect rain. so plan the alternative in case of rain. If you are catering on a beach or park try to have canopies that you can use in case of rain. If you are planning to have an event in a backyard or a courtyard make sure that you can move the event inside the covered area if there is thunder or rain.
- Opting for a perfect menu complementing the setting and season
The menu of the outdoor catering should be season-appropriate. When it is hot people love to eat light food like salads, grilled vegetables or meat, and in summary fresh drinks like a mint margarita.
A caterer should keep in mind the requirements of the client and the nature of the event for example if it’s a family get-together you need to take note of the cuisines or names of the dishes they would like to eat. A great idea is to add summer season fruits and vegetables as they are light and people enjoy light meals in summer. Fruit drinks like smoothies and different types of milkshakes can make a beautiful drinks corner.
When selecting food always keep in mind to manage the temperature of the food. Foods like salads and fruits need to be preserved in refrigerators so the hot temperature can not disrupt their natural taste. Fish, meat, and chicken need to be stored in refrigerators before cooking them so their taste is good when they are cooked. Grilled food like hibachi and teppanyaki dishes like grilled shrimp, fried noodles, and a variety of meat can make the best main course dishes.
Cheeseburgers, potato salads, and pizzas can be a great idea for a birthday party. An ice-cream corner in an outdoor setting can just enhance the menu as it is the best dessert in summer.
- Comfort of the Guests should be your Priority
From selecting the venue to the menu always put the comfort of your guests at the top priority. A business needs to take into consideration the need and demands of its clients to run properly and generate great revenue.
A caterer should keep in mind that in high temperatures your venue should have a proper cooling system like fans or air conditioning systems, that are specially designed for outdoor settings to save the guests from the heat of summer.
Guests will enjoy the food later but firstly their sitting arrangement should be comfortable. Always arrange soft and comfy sofas and chairs on which guests can enjoy their time. The catering team should consider having a baby chair and special chairs for specially-abled people or the elderly.
Train the staff to behave nicely with the guests and politely answer their needs. The event organizer and the host of the event should communicate well before the event about the priorities, needs, and demands. An open discussion will help to stage an amazing event.
- Setting up all the cooking utensils and Furniture at the venue
Outdoor events require a specific type of furniture like beautiful plastic chairs or outdoor chairs and table sets need to be selected. Grills or stoves need to be placed in a corner so that heat from the cooking can not disturb your guests, but they can also enjoy seeing their food cooking.
Different cooking style instruments like hibachi and teppanyaki are an amazing idea for outdoor catering. In these styles of cooking, chefs display some amazing tricks and tips like drumming with knives and forks, tossing the food, and catching the shrimp in their pockets. These culinary scenes can be enjoyed by the guests in an outdoor setting.
- Arrangement of the Decorations
As per the theme decided by the host, a caterer should add some beautiful decorations to the outdoor setup. This makes the culinary setup look aesthetically pleasing.
Depending on the theme flowers, backdrops, or birthday or anniversary wishes can be set up on the menu. In an official outdoor meeting, a formal theme in black or white color with minimal decorations on the serving table will look good.
- Supervision of the catering team
Always remember it’s the team who makes you win. So, always provide comfort and ease to your team. Team in an outdoor event includes the setting up team which sets the equipment and decoration, the chefs who cook the food, and the waiters who serve the food to the guests.
Make sure to make all the members of the team comfortable so they can develop a cordial working environment for themselves and their team members. A team lead should be selected to supervise all the members and helps them sort the managerial issues. The team lead can play a vital role in managing the event and smoothly completing the outdoor party.
- Ice and water are always a good idea to beat the heat
When outdoor catering is planned it is very necessary to have an ice and water plan. Ice will help you preserve your food along with it will be helpful to keep the drinks and beverages cold. Water is the most important drink when it comes to summers so you should always have a large quantity of bottled mineral water for your clients.
Water will also help in case of if any clients suffer dehydration during the event due to the heat. So a caterer should keep in mind to carry a lot of ice and water in the refrigerators to make the summary outdoor event a success.