Finding the Catering Style That Is Right for Your Event
When you think of party catering, you think of a long table piled high with hot chafing dishes filled with meats, bowls of cold sides, and maybe trays of desserts. While that is certainly a true visual of what catering is, there is more than one style of catering. You can even order just about anything from a fast food chain or restaurant as part of a catering order. If you want to know more about catering styles in order to find the presentation that is right for your event, the following guide may help.
Casual Sandwiches and the "Box Lunch" Style
With this catering style, a sandwich, a snack bag of chips, a piece of fruit and/or a cookie, and a soft drink are provided, often boxed together to create a portable lunch. It is very casual and meant to be simple. You can order a few mix-and-match items off the menu provided by the catering service to create the different box lunches.
When it is a private caterer and not a fast food caterer, you can also customize the sandwich orders and the side items that go into each box. If you opt to use a fast food restaurant's catering service, you may not get the option of sandwiches without mustard, mayo, or some other condiment, and all sandwiches are usually served with veggies that not everyone wants. This style of catering is apropos for informal business lunches, half-day conventions, and similar events.
Casual Family Buffet Style
Family- and kid-friendly food options are typically served in a sort of potlatch fashion. The caterer offers a couple of meat or protein options with about three hot and cold side options; dessert trays may be optional. All of the food is prepared in advance, often with the exception of the protein/meat options so that the main part of the meal is fresh and hot at the time it is served. Everyone is free to get up and eat as much as they want until the food is gone. This may be ideal for daytime weddings, anniversary parties, holiday parties, and other big gatherings.
Very Formal Style
This style means that the caterer cooks everything at the venue, and =everything is plated and served to guests in a formal fashion. The menu is often exclusive, serving options that are classy and adult-oriented, such as steak, pheasant under glass, roast suckling pig, etc. Desserts are likewise fancy, and they may sit on their own separate table at your event. Formal parties, childless evening weddings, and Sweet 16 parties might hire this kind of catering service. A catering company like Marians Island Wide Catering can help answer all your questions about the right service for your event.
