It’s perfectly alright to have specific food preferences; everyone, from toddlers to the elderly, does. And it’s in fact encouraged and so making sure that you get what you want for not just yourself but for your guests from a catering service is essential to any event.
But how do you effectively communicate this with a catering service? Here are some tips for you.
Ask for Tasting Sessions
You want to know what you’re getting firsthand and asking for a tasting session is the way to do it. Do the flavors meet your expectations? Is the overall quality spot on?
Let’s say you’re planning a wedding, and you’ve chosen a catering service that can whip up various cuisines. Having a tasting session means you get to make sure that the vegetarian dishes are just as delicious as the non-vegetarian ones. This way, you know that every guest, no matter their dietary preferences, is in for a real treat.
Let them know you want to schedule a tasting session. During the session, chat about your dietary preferences and expectations, sample different menu items, and share your thoughts. It’s a friendly way to work together and make sure the final menu not only meets dietary needs but also knocks it out of the park taste-wise.
Open Communication
If you don’t want to deal with last-minute surprises, open communication is your best friend. It allows for adjustments on the fly, making sure changes in dietary needs or guest numbers are handled smoothly.
Say you initially said there were five gluten-sensitive guests, but closer to the event, you find out there are two more. Openly chatting with the catering service means you can quickly pass on this info. That way, each gluten-free dish is prepped in the right quantity, avoiding any last-minute stress.
Keep the lines of communication open with the catering team. Give them regular updates on the guest list and any changes in dietary requirements. Whether it’s a quick call or a friendly email, set up a system for easy communication.
Request Menu Customization
Why not make things even easier and ask for menu customization? It means the catering service can tweak its offerings to meet specific needs, giving your guests a more personalized feast.
Say you’re hosting a corporate shindig, and a few folks are all spicy food. Menu customization lets the catering service whip up a special menu or tweak existing dishes so that everyone has lots of options.
Bring up the possibility of tweaking recipes or coming up with custom dishes with your caterers. Give them as much information as possible on the kind of customization you’re after; maybe you want sweet and savory dishes to feature heavily, or perhaps a number of your guests have mentioned a love of garlic.
Really, having the food that you envision at your event is very possible. Follow these tips!
