What party would be complete without delicious food? It’s the secret ingredient that keeps your guests dancing and having fun well into the small hours – so it’s important your caterer serves up a feast everyone can enjoy.
At Bark, we’re proud to be helping people throughout the UK find great local catering companies. But before we start putting you in touch with caterers in your area, you need to know what you’re looking for.
To help you choose the right pro for you, we created this easy guide to hiring a great caterer for your next event or party.
Know your guest profile
While it might be relatively easy to create a menu your closest friends will enjoy, when planning larger events you’ll often need to cater for a range of tastes and eating requirements.
For example, older attendees may prefer a milder, less adventurous menu to younger guests. Meanwhile, guests concerned with health and fitness may prefer more seafood or vegetarian options.
Considering your guests’ preferences in this way should help you arrive at a much clearer idea about what sort of caterer you’re looking for.
Plan your menu
Once you know what sorts of guest you’re expecting, it’s time to start planning your menu.
With Bark, this is easy. Simply indicate what sorts of cuisine you’ll consider when placing your Bark and ask the pros who respond to your request to propose a menu tailored to suit your tastes.
Make sure you know whether you’ll need to provide vegetarian or gluten-free options so your caterer can make sure there’s something for everyone.
Do you want any additional services?
Some caterers are more “full service” than others – and the level of service that’s right for you will depend on the kind of event you’re planning.
If you’re planning a birthday garden party, you might be happy with a simple buffet service. But for a larger event like a wedding, you’ll likely need cutlery, table linens, a full waiter service and more.
Simply select the level of service you’re looking for from our checklist when placing your Bark to help us find local caterers who meet your requirements.
Sample the food in advance
It’s often a good idea to sample a few different caterers’ food before you hire someone. This gives you a chance to check the quality of their cooking and to experience how the food will be presented.
It’s also a great opportunity to meet the chef and determine how flexible they are. Many caterers will be happy to adjust their dishes to your tastes – so don’t be afraid to make your feedback heard.
Click the link below to now place your Bark we’ll do all the legwork to get you multiple quotes from local caterers fast and free.
You stated that while it might be relatively easy to create a menu your closest friends will enjoy, when planning larger events you’ll often need to cater for a range of tastes and eating requirements. Do most catering companies offer different themes or menu items depending on the event you are hosting? My friend is finally getting married to his girlfriend of 6 years and they put me in charge of the food. Finding an experienced catering service might be our best option.
Hi Derek,
Many certainly will! Although, not necessarily all.
In our experience, the best thing to do is to explain that you’re looking for a caterer for your friend’s wedding when you submit your Bark.
Specify you’d like to hear back from caterers who can create a menu to match whatever theme the happy couple have chosen, and you should start to hear back from relevant catering companies in no time.
All the best,
The Bark Team
That’s a great idea you mentioned about sampling a few different caterers’ food before you hire someone. I’ve heard that some catering companies will be able to provide at least 4 or 5 different types of food at a single event. That could be useful if the people you are throwing the party for are picky eaters! I’ll have to keep this info in mind as we look for the perfect caterer for our event!
These are great tips for hiring a great caterer! I like your advice about sampling the food in advance. I think its important to taste the food that you would be serving your guest to make sure everything is how you like it. Thanks for sharing.
That’s a great tip to make sure you select a catering service according to who is attending your event. I hadn’t thought about how older people might have different tastes in food than younger people would. I am planning a large event where there will be a lot of young people, so I will keep that in mind and find a service that has a lot of fresh, tasty options available.
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Many thanks for sharing some top tips for hiring the best caterer for an event. Your suggestions are too good and hopefully people would find great information from this post.
My husband and I are throwing a big dinner party, and we are wanting to have it catered. It’s good to know that one thing we need to consider when trying to find one is who are guests will be. That way we can find one that will be able to work with all of our friend’s tastes and eating requirements.
Thanks for sharing some top tips for choosing the right caterer, I’m looking to read more blogs from you.
There are best events are prepared by the corporate companies.In which most of the foods are prepared by the catering service only
This summer, my husband and I are planning a luau in our backyard. We want to make sure we choose the right caterer for this large event. As you mentioned, consider the type of guests that will be attending can help us decide on the menu and give us a clearer idea of what sort of caterer we need. Thanks for sharing!
I never knew how important it is to sample the food in advance to ensure the chef is flexible and can accommodate different tastes. My sister is getting married soon. Hopefully, this info can help her find a catering service that can help her guests have a great time at her reception.
These are great tips for anyone looking to hire a caterer for their next party or event. There are so many benefits to catering events – lower prices, food sampling, less guesswork when it comes to food amounts, and you get to enjoy the food alongside your guests. If you are looking to hire a caterer for your next party of meeting, consider trying Mediterranean cuisine. With so many options available accommodating dietary needs of all kinds, not to mention the fresh, flavorful, and healthy taste of every dish, your guests will not be disappointed with your unique catering choice.
It’s good to know that you can actually sample food from a caterer before hiring them for your big day. I’m looking at hiring a caterer for my daughter’s wedding, so this is good to know. I’ll make sure she samples the food to ensure it’s exactly what she wants for her wedding dinner.
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