How To Come Up With An Amazing Catering Menu

By Author: Stephen John
Total Articles: 65
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Any new catering business owner knows that the food they serve is one of the main things that will make their business an unqualified success. The menu they serve for any and every occasion is what will make them memorable to their customers and help them make a name for themselves in the catering industry.

In order to determine what your potential clients will like as far as their catering needs are concerned, you must do market research and update yourself on all the latest food trends that you can introduce to the parties you cater to, enabling you to stand out from the competition. However, you need to consider several factors to make sure you come up with the perfect menu that will satisfy your clients and enhance your reputation. You can check for Special Menu Catering samples online to give you ideas on your own special menus.

The first thing you need to think about is concept. Consistency is the key to a successful business so make sure your concept lines up with the feel of your business and with what you know. If you specialize in Cajun cuisines for example, you need to think of menus around that concept ...
... and keep to it, especially if it works out good for you.

The next thing you need to think about are your resources. Of course, when you have more than enough resources, you can basically serve up anything and everything your client wants without any worries. If you have all the kitchen equipment you need, the best staff to work with and all the ingredients you need to come up with excellent food you won’t have a problem pleasing your clients.

Time is also one important resource on which you need to base your menus on. If your client requires food that can be prepared in advance or can be prepared within a minimal amount of time, you need to have a special menu on that as well. Examples would be having a salad or pasta menu that your client can choose from if these are what they prefer. For more about the different small course menus you can come up with, you can check sites like iconeventcatering.com.au for samples.

Sometimes, you will also be required to cater off-site and will need to transport food. You will need to come up with a menu of foods that can hold up well during transit or can stand being in a chafing bowl or dish for a while without compromising its taste and presentation. Steer clear of food that will spoil or become overcooked when left in a chafing dish for a time, as well as food that will dry out when reheated like pasta. You should also avoid having fried foods since these can become soggy when they become cold.

These are the things you need to consider when coming up with Special Event Menu here in the catering business because in addition to taste, quality and presentation also rates high with clients, both existing and new. Of course, don’t forget about the cost of your ingredients as this will dictate how much you will charge your clients for services rendered. The more expensive ingredients you incorporate in your menu, the higher the rates will be for your catering services.

What else makes a catering menu exciting more than variety? In the catering industry, there is such a thing called the “rubber chicken circuit” which is how clients describe a series of events they’ve been to that served the same kind of food. The last thing any caterer wants is to be part of the rubber chicken circuit which is why you need to come up with something different every time and anytime to keep everything fresh and new.

You can consider serving a variety of ingredients that are a mixture of well-known and new ingredients, as well as prepare food in different ways, from poached to grilled to please a whole range of tastes. When creating your menus, you also need to take into consideration the times when you will be required to serve your food and be ready for a lot of options that your clients can choose from, whether they prefer to do brunch or late dinners.

You must also take into consideration special preferences due to medical conditions or diet regimens your clients must be on so make sure you include vegan and kosher dishes, as well as food that are fit for diabetics, etc. You can check the Icon Event Catering website for samples of special event menus that are all about variety and choices.

And last but not the least, you must tailor your menus to include seasonal or holiday dishes, which are the times when catering services are highly required and frequently hired. During the summer for example, it is important you incorporate foods that are refreshing to the palate and allows you customers to beat the heat. Shakes made out of the fruits in season or salads with fresh vegetables and fruits in season are a must. For the Christmas holidays, you must have a variety of meat and fish dishes as well as a lot of dessert options, both healthy and indulgent for the guests to partake of.

In the catering business, taste is the one thing that will set you apart from the rest, in addition to the quality and presentation of your food. A menu that offers a lot of variety and choices that are customer-centered and guaranteed to please will always be one that customers will remember and look forward to when planning for any type of event. For more great menu ideas, you can visit Iconeventcatering.com.au and see just what a great menu concept does for a business.