Food is a crucial entity in any event. Without proper food handling, not only will you leave guests disgruntled, but you also stand a chance to expose the food to allergens. Therefore, it is imperative to handle food in the right way, especially during events. Most people opt to use catering services, but you can equally handle the entire process on your own. Here are some tips you need to employ before and during the event when it comes to food management:
Before the event
Before the event commences, there are certain routine practices that you need to do. Of course, you will have to get the food ready. Depending on what type of guests are attending the event, you can prepare different types of food.
Of greater importance is the method you use to present the food to the guests. In other words, how you transport the food items to the venue. Luckily, the world has become more straightforward in different operations. For instance, all you need to do is to use take out food boxes for packaging all sorts of food before carrying them to their destination. With different types of food, you will have different kinds of containers, such as candied cherry containers, pineapple tart containers and more. This will ensure that you hygienically protect the food from pathogens and microorganisms, while still maintaining a decent presentation at the venue.
You will need to package the food alongside other necessities such as utensils and tablecloths. In case you are cooking the food at the venue instead of transporting already cooked food, you will still need to use plastic containers to serve takeaways to your guests. Also, you will need to properly plan and devise the right menu that will fit into everyone’s desires. You don’t want to have a meal plan that only favours a few, at the expense of other guests – everyone should be able to enjoy their meals.
As you package all your stuff, make sure that you use a convenient and systematic order. In essence, you need to have the things you will need first at the top and the others below. This will give you a comfortable time once you arrive at the venue so that you don’t have to dig deep, looking for different stuff.
During the event
Make sure that everything is ready at the serving and dining tables. This includes toothpicks, salt, napkins, pepper shakers, and other miscellaneous items that people need when dining. The simplest discrepancies in the arrangement and presence of such elements can spell a disaster for your event. Remember, different types of guests will grace the occasion, and you don’t want them leaving unhappy and disappointed.
In case you have cooked food and feel that it is cold after transportation, you can plan to preheat. Chilled food can lead to abdominal discomfort, and you don’t want that to happen to your guests. If you had already packaged the food, then you can use a microwave or use individual heating devices that warm up food in bulk. As the event goes on, look out for the food type that is being consumed the most and make sure that you add more of it.
With these tips, you too can make sure that your food is properly handled and ready to be served in the best way possible! Here’s to making your next event a success!