Did you know that the average person pays twice more than necessary when catering food for a private event? Yes, most of the food that you order will go to waste while your wallet will be left with a big hole. After years in the catering business, we are confident in saying that consumers such as yourself could drastically reduce cost of food for events. Why is this so?

In this article, we will give tips for paying a fair price for catered food while still getting great quality in return.

The Consumer Mindset – Why You Almost Always Overpay

In order to understand why many consumers overpay, we first need to look at your needs. For most consumers, their main concerns will be:

  • Having food in sufficient quantity as running out of food is indicative of poor planning and stinginess of the host
  • The price should be as low as possible, that is quantity is prioritised over quality

In addition, you will be juggling these aims with two other factors:

  • The number of expected guests for the event
  • The variety of dishes and delicacies to be ordered

Given these aims, it is easy to see why food is always over ordered, resulting in food wastage and overspending. As such, we have crafted the following tips for catering food?

Not Confirming The Number Of Guests

Often times, we see that event hosts do not actually confirm the number of attending guests ahead of time. Instead, they rely on overly vague estimated numbers while always building in excess buffer. While we understand that it is important to not lose face over not having enough food, not confirming the number of guests is just poor planning.

We recommend informing guests that only those who RSVP will be given priority for food. For guests who have failed to RSVP, they would have to settle for buffer amounts that you have graciously ordered. This helps you to have a more precise estimate of the number of attending guests and the quantity of food needed to satisfy them.

Understanding the Eating Behaviour of Your Guests

Not all guests are equal when it comes to catering. Some guests eat more, some pile on more food while others are less inclined to fill their plate. Understanding the differences between demographics is the key here.

For starters, children typically eat much less than adults. A common mistake in estimating food required is then made when we treat children as adults. As a rule of thumb, we recommend that you treat a child as half an adult, that is saying that a child will only eat half the portion that an average adult will have.

Secondly, the elderly also usually eat at a slower pace while taking less on their plate per round. Effectively, this leads to a lower consumption of staples such as rice or noodles, with mains being the focus. If you are hosting a group of elderly guests, then be prepared to order more mains such as chicken and fish rather than rice.

Consider Mini Buffet Catering

Mini buffet catering is fast becoming an alternative to full banquet setups. Rather than having to setup long tables with chafing dishes, disposable containers are used to hold ready to eat food. With a simpler setup, mini buffet catering suppliers often charge cheaper prices.