Country Charm Cuisine
Catering Sydney, Sydney Catering, Catering Sutherland Shire
 
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Creating a successful event needs a basic plan

Questions that need answering are:

How many guests are invited?

Have I the room to sit them down or will they be required to stand?

Do I want a casual informal occasion or formal?

Do I want the guests mingling and chatting and having a relaxed time?

What is my budget?

How much work do I want to undertake?

What is the easiest way possible to cater this event so I can enjoy the occasion?

What is the most costly way possible – am I prepared to pay for this?

Brief outline of the different options of catering:

Fingerfoods/Brunches/Afternoon Tea

Fingerfoods are great when you do not have the room for all the guests to be seated.

It is a great option for allowing guests to mingle and chat and catch up with one another.

Fingerfoods allows you to have a great variety of foods that are as substantial enough as a main meal.

It is cost effective without the additional charges of hiring tables, chairs, linen, cutlery, plates etc.

Fingerfoods do not require as many staff as other forms of catering.

Fingerfoods by far are the easiest form of catering.

Fingerfoods can range from informal to formal depending on how you present it and what items you select.

Lavish Buffet/Carvery/BBQ

Buffets are a great option for a number of occasions. They can range from informal to formal depending on they style of food selections you choose.

Guests enjoy helping them selves so they are able to select what they like.

Buffets cater to a variety of foods and are a great way to accomodate different seasonal changes cold & hot.

Buffets are a quick way to serve guests and do not require as many staff as formal sit down ocassions.

Buffets can incorporate fingerfoods and fork food so it is not necessary for all guests to be seated.

Buffets allow guests to eat and then mingle and chat to one another. It allows conversation.

Sit Down - Formal Dining

Formal dining (a la carte) usually 3 course meal is by far the most costly food service.

It requires more staff than other forms of dining. Ratio of waitering staff is usually 1 food waiter to 25 guests.

Formal dining requires the most equipment to run a sucessful occasion. ie tables, chairs, china, cutlery, table clothes, glass ware, decorations,etc

formal dining in a home environment needs space to work (bench space- table space) as you are plating the meals individually and require room to be able to decorate the plates and present them with 1st class presentation.

Formal dining looks classy and elegant and keeps a function organised and orderly.

Picnic Baskets

Picnic Baskets are served either in cane baskets or packaged in a nice box or carry bag depending what theme or occasion. They are great for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, christmas parties.

Picnic Baskets can vary with gourmet cold foods and incorporate nice bottle of champagne or wine

They can be utilized individually or as family baskets or couples baskets to guests.

They present exceptionally stunning and guests enjoy them as its their own personal hamper.

When choosing a menu keep in mind some principals:

Choose items that are enjoyed by the majority of guests.

Cater with vegetarian items as well. Most people enjoy vegetarian.

Consider the ratio of men and women.

Keep in mind the age group and cater for all ages.
E.g. elderly like simple classic foods
where as the younger generation like modern contemporary dishes.

Keep in mind the different cultures and traditions.
Keep the menu varied.
Have a balanced menu with color, textures and flavors.

Many people make the mistake of wanting a menu that is going to be heavy and fill the guests so they pick all heavy pastry items. This isn’t balanced and does not present well (look appetizing) Also they choose what they like forgetting that not everybody likes what you like.

Pick a menu that is suitable for the time of day or evening.

Portioning. It goes without saying, you don't want to run out of food! Portioning can be tricky but by taking into account the profile of your guests and the duration of your event, your caterer will help you determine sufficient food quantities.

A good, experienced caterer will be able to work with any budget to come up with a quality and inspirational menu. It is better to have good quality and well presented smaller portions than large amounts of low quality food. Listen to your caterer's advice and ideas if budget becomes an issue. They are experts in planning parties and will be able to offer guidance so that you get the most bang for your buck, and still throw a fabulous party!

People organizing weddings and special occasions for friends and family or themselves:

We at Country Charm Cuisine – catering Sydney take this opportunity to encourage anyone who may be in a position of organizing their wedding or an event and feel overwhelmed. We know that it a special event and everybody wants the ocasion to be perfect. As you start planning and making enquiries and obtaining quote the expenses may seem never ending and seem a burden.

I have personally witnessed some of the most beautiful memorable elegant weddings and ocasions that our clients had and it is very much possible to do it with a reasonable budget. You definitely do not have to spend extravagant to have a beautiful wedding or occasion.

Feel free to contact us for any information or ideas that we could help you with. I would be more than happy to help.

Elisha

 

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