Catering for a corporate event can be difficult, especially for catering businesses and companies that have had little experience in this field before. Corporate event catering is completely different from ordinary events. Everyday events, such as birthdays or school functions are much easier to cater to. These functions aren’t exactly formal events, and guests are not required to follow strict corporate etiquettes. This makes it easier for a caterer’s waiters and waitresses to loosen up a bit, and not worry about small mistakes that may be noticed by the guests.
There are numerous catering companies in the UK that have made a name for themselves for their corporate catering events. These businesses cater to some of the world’s biggest companies that often hold massive corporate functions, with important guests from all over the globe. Obviously, the waiters and waitresses at these types of events are specially trained to observe strict professional behaviour. World-class catering companies, such as Stalbridge, have built their reputation on providing unparalleled catering services to corporate clients. In the next few paragraphs, Stalbridge discusses how to excel at corporate catering:
Keep it Simple
The first rule of corporate catering is to keep everything simple. Most clients generally have special and specific instructions for the catering company. This includes changes to the décor, the use of particular colours, adding balloons or other extra features to the event, and designing a custom menu. However, when it comes to catering for a corporate event, the most important piece of advice that you need to keep in mind is to keep it simple.
Most of the attendees at corporate events are very wealthy people. They don’t care much about shiny crockery, colourful table linens, or decorative art pieces on the walls. They certainly don’t care about balloons or ornamental decorations that might be hung around the room. One of the key secrets of corporate catering is to keep everything as simple as can be. There’s a certain class in minimalism that you can’t achieve by overstating everything.
Use simple table linens and try to minimise your design touches across the venue in order to make the guests as comfortable as possible. It is important for you to keep everything simple at the event in order to avoid raising dubious eyebrows from confused guests.
In their desire to leave a unique touch, many catering companies often make the foolish mistake of overspending at the entrance to the event. There is absolutely no need to roll out a red carpet at a corporate event, unless it is specifically requested. Most guests do not want all of the attention to themselves, so there is absolutely no need to design a grand entrance. Just try and keep the whole thing as simple as possible in order to achieve the desired effect on the guests.
The Service
One of the most important aspects of any event is the service. Before any corporate catering event begins you should call in your catering team for a brief meeting, including the cooks, the waiters, and the waitresses, and remind them of the magnitude of the event. Many corporate clients often end up noticing very small details from the waiters and waitresses that are serving them. They might even launch a complaint with their senior management if something isn’t up to the mark.
Therefore, you need to make sure that the service at the event is as good as it can possibly be. If your corporate clients are spending large amounts of money on the event, the service needs to reflect that. Make sure that your employees serve everything on time, with a great attitude, and are well trained on how to address guests.
Timely response is essential at corporate events. Many clients expect timely service from their catering company, so you should make sure you have an ample number of waiters and waitresses at the event. Be sure there is always staff looking over the tables, so the client can justify the steep costs that they paid for the event. Ensure that your staff is always available at the beck and call of the guests. The service needs to be top of the line. There should be absolutely no delays in providing whatever the guests want. As a rule, you choose your team of waiters and waitresses who will attend the event well beforehand. Make sure your chosen team is well trained on the etiquette of the corporate event. If you feel that one of the waiters or waitresses isn’t performing to the level of service that you require, it might be a wise idea to replace them for the event and put them through remedial training to refresh their skills.
The Food
Corporate events are all about the food. Apart from the presentations and speeches on stage, food plays the largest role in determining whether or not your event will be a success. Ideally, your client will provide recommendations in regards to the menu. You will have to serve appetizers and other food items throughout the course of the event, so make sure that everything is served piping hot to the guests. Complaints regarding the food can put a damper on the whole event. It is imperative that you or a trusted staff member tastes the food items before service in order to ensure that everything tastes delicious before being served to the guests. Timely serving is also very important. Discuss the serving times with your client so that they are able to dictate the course of proceedings at the event according to their needs.
Attention to Detail
One of the biggest mistakes that many catering companies make is that they do not pay attention to the small details with all of the equipment that they use and the service that they offer. Most corporate guests at your event will expect nothing but the very best, and anything less than that will stick out in their memory for a long time to come. Make sure you pay attention to all of the minute details throughout the event so as to make the whole event go as smoothly as possible. Corporate catering is all about maintaining your focus and a strict business etiquette throughout the event!