5 Characteristics of an Excellent Caterer

There has never been any doubt that while wedding planning can be enjoyable, it can also be stressful.

You have quite a lot of plan and whatever plan you come up has to match your budget. One of the elements that would take up a huge chunk of your budget apart from the wedding venue is your caterer. After all, feeding a battalion of people would not be an easy feat; so no doubt, you are going to be dedicating a significant portion of your budget for your wedding caterer. In this regard, you have to be a little thorough and meticulous when it comes to choosing the caterer who would provide for your event. Take note, if there is anything the guests would most probably remember; it is the quality and presentation of food. With this in mind, you should choose one that would likely impress not only you and your spouse-to-be, but your guests as well.

As you also have a projected budget in mind, it is best if you reconciled it with the best catering packages they have for a wedding. A good caterer would always have something to offer for any budget but you also need to take into consideration what kind of food is being served and at what price. In any case, here are some of the qualities you should look for when it comes to the selection of your caterer:

Cooking

Excellent cooking and food preparation skills would make the solid foundation of any good caterer. After all, catering is all about food, so a good set of cooking and food preparation skills would be an integral factor in determining whether a caterer is good or not. Look for a caterer who has enough cooking experience to plan menus, safely prepare, make recipe substitutions, reheat and transport large amounts of food.

Food safety

Food safety cannot be stressed enough. You would not want your wedding guests leaving your venue with an upset stomach as a souvenir and have that as the highlight of your wedding. When it comes to any caterer, food safety is paramount and it should be taken into good consideration. This means being aware and complying with the food safety laws. To ensure that your prospective caterers would handle food safely, research if they have an accreditation by the Food and Drug Administration.

Customer Service

You and your caterer should work together to create a wedding menu. With this in consideration, you can likely expect to have lengthy conversations with them and you will likely meet them more often than you think. Good caterers should be courteous, diplomatic when necessary and tactful. Diplomacy is imperative as there instances wherein they might need to substitute an ingredient or change a dish without turning you off. Possessing a set of good communication skills is also recommended when it comes to a good caterer. In any case, check for reviews and look for referrals and see if your potential caterer was up to speed in satisfying his previous clients.

Flexibility and Creativity

There is a likely chance that some recipes would need to be altered to accommodate food allergies and preferences. With this in mind, cooking techniques and methods might have to be changed and a good caterer should be adaptable to these. Select a caterer who is imaginative and flexible and would be able to get through these challenges just fine. Look for the caterer who instills confidence in their clients that even presented with a challenge, they would be able to take it confidently.

Leadership and motivation

Your caterer would have an army of chefs and staffs to help them prepare for your big day. As a good caterer, he or she should be able to manage all of them while ensuring that every single one of them is aware of their schedules, food safety, serving customs and place settings. Furthermore, good caterers should also be enthusiastic and proactive. They should be motivated so that they can instill the very same confidence, not only in their team, but in their clients as well.