Introduction
More and more people nowadays are paying for outside caterers to provide their food and beverages. It was not too long ago that a Perth catering company would only be used for a wedding or a birthday or office Christmas party. Nowadays, however, caterers are kept busy almost 24 hours a day and the increase in their business has meant that they have had to improve on the variety of their menus. In this article we set out some of the different types of catering menu and the type of foods that you are likely to find in them.
Breakfast Catering
The corporate breakfast is an ever-increasing source of business for external caterers. As everyone seems to spend more and more time at work, there seems to be less time to eat at home. Breakfast business meetings are commonplace and the menu for these meetings will usually consist of foods ranging from Danish pastries & croissants, toast, butter and preserves through cooked eggs, bacon, breakfast sausages, tomato and mushrooms. The food is likely to be served with a selection of fruit juices, teas and coffees.
Morning and Afternoon Teas
Many small group meetings and organisations ask for external caterers to serve morning and afternoon refreshments during their meetings. The menu will include a wide selection of coffees, teas, biscuits and a variety of sandwiches.
Plated Dinners
This type of catering service is likely to be sought for a retirement party, a birthday dinner, an important business meeting or an annIversary celebration. They key to the menu for this type of occasion is variety in all aspects of the meal, from the starter to the dessert. More than one meat course should be offered and there should always be the availability of fish rather than meat and a vegetarian option.
Party Catering
This type of catering tends to be dominated by convenience foods. Buffet and finger food menus are likely to contain foods such as pies and patties, sausage rolls, pizza, fries, spring rolls, goujons, sandwiches and quiche. Not necessarily the cordon blue aspect of external catering but it is still important that the food is of the highest quality and the menu is varied. Wines, spirits and beer should be added, unless the party is being held in licensed premises that will provide the liquid refreshments.
Barbecue Catering
This is another area that is becoming increasingly popular. Apart from the staple of burgers and sausages, the accomplished barbecue caterer’s menu might include steak chicken breast, king prawns and fish. This should be rounded off with vegetables like peppers, courgettes and aubergines. Cold beer should certainly appear on the beverage menu!
Wedding Catering
Probably the most sensitive of catering disciplines, wedding catering must be planned meticulously. It is difficult to be too prescriptive about the typical menu, as this should be planned well in advance in conjunction with the hosts. The key is to provide quality food and beverages. Nothing else will suffice if the wedding is to be a day to remember -for the right reasons!
Christmas Party Catering
One of the busiest days of the year for an external caterer, the traditional Christmas menu is one that we are all familiar with and will include roast turkey and stuffing, cranberry sauce, a wide range vegetables, a fish option, a vegetarian option, traditional Christmas pudding and cheese and biscuits. A selection of whisky, brandy, port and sherry digestives should help to round off a great Christmas dinner party.
Summary
As will be clear from this brief journey into the life of a caterer, external catering now involves much more than throwing the occasional party.
It is very much a full-time business, requiring a great deal of care and attention to each individual menu to make sure it suits the occasion.
