10 Cost Saving and Effective Tips for Event Catering
If there is an event, there has to be food and beverages. It can easily be said that without proper food, an event can never be complete. Events mean a large number of people and a lengthy catering bill. Thankfully, there are ways to keep the bill short and well within your budget.
Cost Saving Tips for Event Catering
Here are 10 cost saving and effective tips for shortening the event catering bill according to a top private chef.
- Cut The Time Short: If the duration of an event can be reduced significantly, the total costs can also be brought down effectively. It is very important for hosts to keep an eye on the timeline.
- Theme Based Promotions: You may also consider theme based promotions in which local restaurants can participate. Provide them with individual stations to serve their special dishes. Such restaurants will participate for free, and they will only charge for the cost of their products along with the time they spend at the event serving guests.
- Get Rid Of Labor Costs: Small boardroom meetings or executive dinners, where costs play a major role, can easily be organized without the use of labor. Food will be prepared and made available in different containers. People can take their favorite dishes on their own.
- Limited Bar Offerings: During an event, bar costs can easily be brought down by limiting offerings to beer, wine, and a specialty drink. This can also be made interesting with proper planning.
- Avoid Special Glassware: It is better to stick to an all-purpose glass instead of opting for special glassware for different drinks. An all-purpose glass for different types of drinks will cut down your bar rental costs.
- Control Portions: Sit-down meals are comparatively pricey and buffets will mean a loss in individual portions. The best solution to this problem is passed appetizers often prove to be budget-friendly than buffets.
- Accept Paella And Avoid Filet Mignon: Traditional cuts of any type of meat can often prove to be costly. Instead of opting for a standard dish of steak, you can go for more ethnic and unique menus involving stews, vegetables, and curries.
- Get Rid Of Areas That Nobody Will Notice: Cut down on the coffee and tea services. Better serve it at the bar. This will help save on various items such as creamers and sugar. There will also be many people who have neither coffee nor tea.
- Choose A Venue Wisely: Always choose the venue of an event wisely which will also help lower the rental bill. It should come with a pre-existing kitchen along with flexible load-out and load-in times. The lesser the number of kitchen equipment at a site, the more will be the rental bill.
- Keep It Relaxed and Simple: If the event demands a simple setup, then better keep it that way. When it comes to corporate picnics, better include DIY bar service. This will help reduce the cost of staffing. You may also include an old weathered door as a buffet table.
About Christian Reynolds
Christian is the chief reporter, editor, and webmaster at Cleveland Leader. An aspiring news anchor, his hobbies outside of investigative reporting are golf, martinis, and adventure travel. If you have a scoop on any developing story, please contact him on this page.
