Organiser's Guide - Catering

Venue Review of Organiser's Guide - Catering

Your event will sink or swim on the food and drink. Don’t take risks: get the best caterers you can afford – and brief them well.

Food and drink, it’s fair to say, have a claim to be the most important elements of an event. The venue, the entertainment, the AV, even the guests, can all be below par, and no one will mind too much so long as there’s a good atmosphere. But serve up a howler of a meal, inedible canapés or paint-stripper cocktails and it’ll be Tweeted all over town – and beyond – within seconds.

If your venue doesn’t have its own in-house team or list of preferred caterers, you’ll have to do some research (you’ll find plenty of recommendations in these pages). There is no shortage of first-rate outfits, so think carefully about the aim of event and what you wish to convey, then make up a shortlist of caterers who fit the bill (old-school, modern, ethical, experimental…). If you’re set on a specific venue but don’t want to use its preferred caterers, it’s usually possible to ‘buy’ the kitchen for the night (at a hefty price). Though remember: it might well make for a smoother event if you have a caterer who knows the venue inside out.

The big decision is whether you opt for a sit-down meal or stand-up event. This will usually be dictated by numbers – if you’re entertaining a relatively small group, a sit-down meal makes most sense. You can search for restaurants with private dining rooms on our website, squaremeal.co.uk. Once you have pinned down your numbers, drawn up a budget per head and made the sit-down/stand-up decision, it’s time to talk to your shortlisted caterers to see what they can offer. Remember, it’s tough out there right now, so don’t feel scared to approach caterers who seem too pricey at first glance – they might well cut a deal. Spell out precisely what you want from the event and what sort of guest you’re expecting. The more information you give them the better.

The price per head will be determined by the quality of the ingredients, and the complexity of the menu you choose. Fiddly canapés featuring delights such as foie gras will obviously be more expensive than a simple three-course meal or buffet. Bowl food is a popular way to cut costs. A seasonal risotto is filling, delicious and, most important, cheap (it will soak up the alcohol too). Can you get away with cold food only? If so, why not arrange a plated delivery service, so you don’t have to pay for staff to do the prep on-site. Expect a tasting as a matter of course. If you’re not offered one, don’t use that caterer. And a word to the wise: when you try finger food, do it with a wine glass in one hand. You don’t want to end up ordering canapés that are messy to eat one-handed. Your caterer will be able to give you a good idea of suitable quantities. For instance, five canapés roughly equates to one starter, and 15 canapés should see most empty-stomached guests through an evening event that lasts a few hours. But play to your audience – if it’s an event for a rugby association, you might want to up the quantities (and make sure there’s a meat-on-a-stick option).

As important as getting the quantities correct is the delivery. At a stand-up event, you don’t want guests foraging for food and hunting for waiters (or worse, congregating around the kitchen door), so good staff are invaluable. Well-trained waiters will seek out hungry guests (and hopefully find more than one door to emerge from with the food). Think about a variety of offerings – such as canapés circulating on trays, cold bowl food on tables, and food stations, such as an oyster bar, charcuterie or cheese counter. As well as keeping your guests’ stomachs full, a set up like this will keep them circulating. Make sure you spell out in advance what sort of food is going to be served. If there’s going to be tons of hearty fare, let people know – they’ll turn up with healthy appetites. Equally, if you’ve blown the budget on a couple of ludicrously expensive canapés, hint that the event’s not about the food. At least they’ll be able to factor in a visit to Pret en route.

Getting the food right is only half the battle. The quality of the drinks you serve sends a big message about your event. This is particularly true for a sit-down dinner, where people will be paying close attention to the wines. At a stand-up affair, you can sneak more budget-friendly options in under the radar. First things first: when your guests arrive they’ll want to be greeted with a drink. Cheap Champagne is a no-no (if you can’t afford the good stuff, go for an up-market prosecco instead). Cava does well in blind tastings, but when people are told what they’ve been drinking they’re less keen. Assuming you’re serving good Champagne, make sure the labels are visible so your guests can see what they’re getting. There’s no point spending the extra money if guests don’t know about it. A ‘clean’ aperitif should be on offer too – gin and tonic is always a fine choice. Cocktails look good, but have wine as an option as not everyone likes to drink liquids of unknown provenance. Beer lowers the tone, but you’ll need some in reserve as guests are bound to ask for it. And, of course, have mineral water – still and sparkling – ready too. Punches are cost-effective (particularly when there’s a rum base) and fashionable.

There are countless recipes which can be tailored to your event, and they also look great if served from an eccentric receptacle (an old gramophone speaker, for example). In winter, consider hot whisky toddies. Cocktails can be a bugbear, as long, thirsty queues can form while your bar staff mix them (particularly annoying for guests who want to grab something straightforward, like beer or wine). Don’t give your guests lots of options; instead provide a few choices that can be made in bulk and served from a jug by circulating waiting staff. And make sure they’re not too sweet – the first one goes down a treat but the third (and fourth…) can be a real struggle. The same goes for your non-alcoholic choices.

Cloying mocktails might have novelty value, but they won’t last the distance. Have refreshing long drinks available, such as good-quality ginger beer or one of the many resurgent old-school English cordials, again served with a choice of still or sparkling water. Then there’s the ice issue. If there’s not space in the venue’s fridges to store your white, you’ll need plenty of ice to cool it (wine takes 15-20 minutes from room temperature, in a mix of ice and cold water). Asking how much ice you’ll need is like asking ‘how long is a piece of string?’ It depends on the duration of event, the venue’s fridge space, the drinks you’re serving and the guests you’re serving them to. Take advice from your ice supplier. Finally, there’s the vexed question of a cash bar. In a word: don’t. Times are tough, but if you can’t treat your guests to a few drinks you shouldn’t be throwing the party in the first place. Compromise on the venue or shorten the event, but never ask your guests to put their hands in their pockets. It’s just bad form.