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Choosing the Right Catering Company for Your Dinner Party

CaigerandCo • Nov 12, 2018

When you throw a dinner party, you want to be the host with the most. But who can really be the perfect host if they’re too busy cooking? By hiring a caterer for your party, you can be sure that you’ll have fantastic food and still have plenty of time to spend with your guests. If you’ve decided to use a catering company for your dinner party, you need to choose the right one. A dinner party in your home is an intimate affair, whether you’re hosting your best friends or courting some possible business partners. You want to make the right impression, so you need to use the right criteria to choose your caterer.

The Food

Clearly, the most important factor for any caterer is whether they can make food that you’re happy with. Firstly, you need them to offer a menu that will work for your party and secondly, the quality needs to be up to your standards. You can start by taking a look at the sample menus that a caterer offers. This will give you an idea of what sort of cuisine they prepare, the influences that inspire their menus, and the ingredients they use. When you have a shortlist of potential cateries, arranging for tasting sessions will give you the opportunity to judge the quality of the food.

Budget

While the quality and the theme of the food for your dinner party are both essential things to think about, your chosen catering company needs to be within your budget. First, you should decide how much you’re willing and able to spend. Once you have a figure, not just for the catering but for your whole dinner party, you can look for some suitable options. Most catering companies won’t have exact prices on their website, especially if you’re looking for a bespoke menu. Some might give you an idea of general prices, but you usually will need to get in touch for a quote or to discuss what they can do with your budget.

Availability

Of course, the catering company you choose will need to be available for the date of your dinner party, and for dinner parties in general. They will also need to be able to travel to your home (or wherever else you might decide to host your party). This is one of the first things that you will need to check, perhaps before you even ask about pricing. Much of the time, you will want to find a caterer who can fit around you. However, if you find someone that you really want to use, you might decide to fit your plans around their availability instead.

Reputation

The reputation of the caterer you choose is worth examining too. Checking testimonials and reviews can help to give you an initial impression of how others have felt about the service that they received. Even better, asking for references from past clients can help you to get a more accurate and in-depth view of the company and whether they’re right for you.

Find the perfect caterer by writing down your criteria before you start looking. It’s best to define what you need before you see what’s out there.

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