Are you looking to create a catering business for big-time events such as weddings and corporate events? Do you want to create an all-in service that your clients can depend on for all their catering needs? If so, then there are several catering supplies you’ll need to stock up on right away.
Doing so can help you provide a memorable experience for your clients. They’ll have everything set up the way they want it, which can help them impress the guests they invite.
See below for an in-depth article listing all of the essential catering supplies that you should have before your next big event.
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Serving Items
If you’re leaving your waiters and waitresses to carry three or four different dishes at once, you’re just asking for a disaster. The same can be said if you don’t provide them with aprons and uniforms (and have extra pairs for them to change into).
Remember, your catering business is all about brand image. To ensure the best image possible, you have to think about your customer’s experience, who will primarily be interacting with your staff.
Make sure that you have all of the serving equipment that you need. Here is a list of what we consider to be must-have serving items for your staff.
- Aprons for the staff to wear as they serve food
- Serving trays for cocktail hours, delivering entree dishes to/from the table, etc.
- Tray stands to ensure safe and error-free delivery of the guest’s order from kitchen to table
- Serving utensils such as spatulas, tongs, and so on
The quantities of these items will vary by the size of the event. You’ll also want to ensure that you have uniforms for everyone to wear. Your entire staff should be dressed the same (or close to it) so that guests can easily distinguish who to request help from if the need arises.
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Luxury Tableware
Put yourself in the shoes of your client for a second: when you hire a catering service for your big event (such as a wedding), what do you expect to see when you walk into the event space? More than likely, you expect tables with elegant tablecloths on them, nice silverware, glass plates, and so forth.
Believe us, you’ll want to live up to that expectation. Even if your client isn’t expecting that, it’s best to overwhelm them (in a good way) than underwhelm them.
Make sure that your catering company has the following:
- Flatware
- Dinnerware
- Firm Tables (some event spaces will provide these automatically, but don’t depend on that)
- Luxurious-looking tablecloths
- Glassware
- Cloth napkins
- Placemats
By investing in all of these items, you’re ensuring that your catering company is set up for any type of catering your guests might request. Whether it’s a happy hour cocktail party or a full-fledged, three-course meal dinner, you’ll be equal to the task.
Remember, these catering supplies are an investment. Your company will use them for event after event. Make sure to find supplies that fit your budget, but also realize the importance of durability and a higher return on your investment, not just finding the cheapest supplies available.
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Disposable Supplies
…Then again, not everything should be permanent. Trust us, there will be certain supplies that you don’t want back after the guests have been using them all night.
Not to mention that you might not have access to a way to clean things like utensils and drinkware when you’re first starting up. For that reason, we recommend investing in disposable supplies, especially for events such as cocktail parties or corporate holiday parties.
To ensure your guests have everything they need but avoid having to clean utensils well into the night, we recommend purchasing disposable items such as:
- Picks for finger foods
- Food pans
- Steam tables to keep the food warm
- Disposable cutlery
- Small disposable plates for cocktail hour
You can purchase disposable items on an event-by-event basis to ensure that you’re staying within budget.
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Kitchen Supplies
Of course, no catering business would be complete without investing in the equipment that makes the product you sell: the food.
When it comes to a catering standpoint, the name of the game is finding high-quality equipment that’s portable. What equipment is easiest to transport from event to event while still meeting your needs.
Make sure you have things like portable freezers, portable fridges, benchtop equipment, cooking equipment, and beverage equipment. You can visit this page for more info on how to get top-tier cooking equipment at a cost-efficient price. Better yet, it will stand the test of time!
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Cleaning Supplies
You do not want to find yourself in a situation where your catering company lacks cleaning equipment after a long event.
There are times where the event space will provide their cleanup crew after the event, but again, you never want to assume that. Be sure to ask that question ahead of the event and always have cleanup supplies ready to be used.
Make sure you have trash cans, hand sanitizing stations (especially important these days), cleaning towels to wipe down tables, and disposable gloves for your staff to wear as they serve the food.
Invest in These Catering Supplies for Your Catering Company Today
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on the must-have catering supplies that you need to purchase right away, be sure to use that information to your advantage.
Take the time to browse our website for more articles on catering supplies, as well as many other topics that you will find helpful.
