Catering Melbourne Blog

It can be overwhelming when you begin to plan any large event. How can you feed so many people? It will be a nightmare. Luckily there are people who will happily feed your crowd. Some will also happily take all your money and deliver less then desirable results.Word of mouth is the best way to find a good caterer. Start with your friends and family, look up someone who recently got married. Find out if they had a good caterer. If that doesn’t work you can ask at your company, someone may be able to give you recommendations. You can also ask some related businesses ie. florists, DJ’s or the equipment rental shop. Your scheduled venue may also be able to recommend someone good.

Ask anyone who has been to a catered event recently.

Next hit the phone book or internet for local caterers and check them out. Give them a call and ask some questions to get a feel for the company. Narrow down the results and then ask a few of them for estimates.

Compare the estimates and make sure they are detailed enough to give you a good idea of the total expense. You will want to discuss what exactly you want and an initial budget number. Just like mechanics, they will spend it all if you let them.

There are several types of meals you may want to consider:

Luncheons - simple food with a limited selection

Gourmet - More specialized/custom food options with creativity and a choice of cocktail, buffet or table service. More catering staff.

Full Service - Planning, decor, food and services with additional catering staff.

Your contact with the service will typically be through your caterer consultant. Be sure they listen to your ideas and know exactly what you expect for your money.

Once your event is booked you often will be entitled to a tasting of the scheduled menu. It is meant to be a final step before the event goes on. Not all caterers will offer this, it is expensive and will be figured into your bill.

Be sure and listen to your caterer, they do this full time and have a lot of experience with catering large events. They can assist you in putting on a great event. It is not all about the food, but excellent food service can really make your event something to remember.

About the author: M Johnsona operates the www.cateringtipscentral.com website

Your source for Catering Tips online.

One of the most important things you’ll need to remember when you plan your special day is the caterer. This is because the food you serve will be one of the most memorable parts of the reception for your guests. Caterers can be booked up to a year in advance, so it is wise to search one out early. A simple time line for finding a caterer is to start looking for one at 10 months before the wedding, make sure you have booked the caterer by 8 months, and decide on a menu by 6 months.

A good caterer does more than one might think. They are well trained in food selection and preparation, reception staging, serving and clean up. Some go as far as to decorate for you, hire bartenders, and provide the wedding cake. Others may only prepare and serve the food and then clean up.

When looking for a caterer, keep in mind these things:

- Find a caterer with a good reputation whose food you can sample before signing a contract.

- Make appointments and interview many different caterers to find the right one for you. Some caterers may even give you phone numbers of past customers who were pleased with the caterer’s work.

- Many reception sites have their own catering services, so when you’re looking for a hall, decide if it has what you want in both catering and atmosphere.

- Check to see what services the caterers will provide other than just the meal (electricity, lighting, tents, tables, linens, chairs, etc).

If you feel like you have found the right caterer, wait to sign a contract until the caterer understands your expectations and you understand the terms of agreement. Keep in mind questions such as: will the cost be a flat rate or a per-person fee? Are gratuities automatically added? Are you going to have a sit-down dinner or a buffet? Will drinks be included in the price?

Catering is one of the most expensive parts of the wedding, so when it comes to cost, it is up to you whether you want to spend any amount or keep costs down. There are different ways serve food at your wedding that will vary the price. Some tips to keep in mind are:

- Most caterers will charge per-person, which means the cost will depend on the number of guests that you expect to come.

- American food will cost much less to serve than an exotic or international dish such as French, Mediterranean, Thai or Indian.

- Cost will increase if you decide to have the caterer take care of the wine and the wedding cake instead of doing that yourself.

- Buffet-style catering will cost less than if waiters serve your guests, yet it is also less elegant.

- Most caterers include set up and clean up in per-person cost; if they do not, that will increase the cost.

- Most caterers have special rates for children, so be sure to ask about that.

- Overtime costs, gratuities or taxes will all affect the final cost of your caterer.

Many people forget about the cost of drinks when planning for a caterer. This can really rack up the price depending on what you want to serve for beverages:

- The least expensive option is to not serve any alcohol, and instead have a cash bar where guests can buy their own drinks. If you decide to do this, inform your guests so they know to bring their own money.

- A nicer option, but more expensive, is to serve only beer and wine. You can buy the beer and wine yourself or have the caterer provide them (this will be a little more expensive than buying it yourself).

- The most expensive option will be to have an open bar with free drinks. Your guests will love this and you won’t have to worry about providing drinks yourself. Remember to include champagne for the wedding toast.

Because the food and drink at your wedding will be one of the most memorable parts for the guests and for you, be sure you are happy with your choice of a caterer. Remember these tips when selecting a caterer, and make sure they have what you want.

Planning a bridal shower can be frustrating, especially if you are planning on catering the event yourself. When you are getting ready to host a shower, it is important to take some time for planning and relax. Bridal showers should be a fun time to socialize with friends and family and should not cause stress. Here are ten easy tips to keep you sane when you host and cater a bridal shower.

Number of guests: When you get ready to host a bridal shower, the guest list will determine just about everything about the bridal shower. Work with the bride, or if you are planning on a co-ed shower, talk with the couple. Find out ahead of time, before you begin planning, how many guests they want to invite. The number of guests will tell you where you can have the shower and how many you need to plan for. You might find it necessary to rent tables, chairs and serving platters or plates depending on the number of guests.

Time of day: Another tip for catering a bridal shower by yourself is to determine what time of the day the shower will be held. This can be a huge help when you are planning for food. For example, a brunch will be easier to plan than a shower that is held late in the evening when a dinner is expected. In addition, if you hold a shower in the late afternoon, you will not be expected to cater a large meal. You can plan for simple fare, such as fruit and finger sandwiches. Decide in advance what time of day the shower will be held and it will help keep you sane during the planning process.

Budget: Before sending out any invitations, know your budget. If you are on a limited budget, know what you can spend and stick to it. It will not be fun if you overspend and are left with a huge credit card bill after the shower. Let your bride know your budget and work together to plan a shower. It is possible to plan an elegant shower without spending a lot of money.

Plan ahead and ask the bride: Planning well in advance is the key in hosting a bridal shower. After you have talked with the bride and set a date, you can begin making preparations. If you plan on catering the event, never wait until the last minute. Delaying can cause a lot of stress. Instead, use an event planner or a notebook to record all the of the bridal shower details. Remember that a shower usually takes at least eight weeks to plan, so give yourself plenty of time to make necessary preparations. When you cater the event, know beforehand how many guests you will serve and if there are food allergies or other preferences, such as the bride being a vegetarian. Make detailed shopping lists and know what you will need to buy before going to the grocery store.

Make ahead and get help: Catering a bridal shower can be easier if you know what you are serving in advance and prepare dishes ahead of time. If you are serving casserole dishes, look into making them a couple of weeks before the party and then freezing the items. You can also do this for certain desserts and appetizers. The night before the party is a great time to cut fruits and vegetables, decorate a cake and make finger foods. Making food ahead of time will help cut down on the amount of stress on the day of the bridal shower. Also, consider getting help from others when you plan to cater a shower. It is perfectly acceptable to host a potluck style buffet where everyone brings their favorite dish. You can also enlist help from close friends or family members to help you cook and prepare dishes.

Theme: If you have a theme for the shower, such as brunch, co-ed barbeque or girls day at the spa, you can prepare dishes to fit the theme. This will make planning easier and everyone will know what to expect. Having a theme can also help you choose decorations and tableware with ease.

Keep it simple and relax: These are two tips you should remember when planning a bridal shower. Most guests will not remember the lavish dishes it took you all day to prepare. Instead, they will remember the time they spent visiting with the bride. Keep the menu simple and everyone will enjoy the shower and you will not become stressed. Last of all, remember to relax. Take a deep breath and have fun. Do not ruin the shower by obsessing over every last detail. Have a good time and your guests will, too.

About the Author:

Nicole Owczarczak is owner of http://Dress-My-Wedding.com. Now offering beautiful, high quality bridesmaids dresses at wholesale prices. (http://www.dress-my-wedding.com/bridesmaids-dresses

Dealing with catering service providers is part of most brides wedding planning strategy. A caterer normally provides food and beverages and they have an important role in your wedding. If you have experience with caterers, you are in luck. But if you have never hired a caterer before, don’t worry.

If the wedding reception venue offers this service, it is also possible that you don’t need to worry about hiring a third party caterer. Even if catering is not provided by the reception venue, they may be able to recommend some to you. If your reception site manager, recommends a caterer you should still do your homework. Just like any other vendor, a caterer should be able to provide you with several references. You should always contact the references.

You should ask about reliability, trustworthiness, quality, and related issues. Never assume that a caterer recommended by someone if surely the best possible solution for your event. One caterer may work great for one event, but be insufficient for others. A caterer may be experienced in smaller events, but not experienced with events with two hundred invited guests.

There are two different styles of catering:

Seated Dinner - Seated dinner setting will normally require more staff than a buffet. Serving the food requires more severs. With a seated dinner, you will need more tables and chairs because most of the guests will eat at the same time. A seated dinner offers less flexibility for your guests, because they usually have a couple of options to choose from. To simplify the process, menu options should be included with the wedding invitations so your guests can choose which selection they prefer. The pre-selection process enables you to work with your caterer on the final count.

Buffet - You may be able to get away with less chairs and tables with a buffet dinner. Buffet gives your guests more flexibility, and they don’t all have to eat at the same time. A buffet dinner also gives your guests more options to customize their food selection. The buffet requires fewer servers and less staff. Guests can pick and choose what they like. In addition to the obvious advantage of a more flexible dinner, your guest can go back for seconds. Because buffet dinners require minimal service staff, you may be able to save more with this option.

About the author:

Wedding Favors Wedding favors, personalized wedding favors and bridal shower gifts.

Dealing with catering service providers is part of planning a successful party. A caterer normally provides food and beverages and they have an important role in your party. If you have experience with caterers, you are in luck. But if you have never hired a caterer before, dont worry.

If the party venue offers this service, it is also possible that you dont need to worry about hiring a third party caterer. Even if catering is not provided by the party location, they may be able to recommend some to you. If your party site manager, recommends a caterer you should still do your homework. Just like any other vendor, a caterer should be able to provide you with several references. You should always contact the references.

You should ask about reliability, trustworthiness, quality, and related issues. Never assume that a caterer recommended by someone if surely the best possible solution for your event. One caterer may work great for one event, but be insufficient for others. A caterer may be experienced in smaller parties, but not experienced with parties with two hundred invited guests.

There are two different styles of catering:
Seated Dinner - Seated dinner setting will normally require more staff than a buffet. Serving the food requires more severs. With a seated dinner, you will need more tables and chairs because most of the guests will eat at the same time. A seated dinner offers less flexibility for your guests, because they usually have a couple of options to choose from. To simplify the process, menu options should be included with the party invitations so your guests can choose which selection they prefer. The pre-selection process enables you to work with your caterer on the final count.

Buffet You may be able to get away with less chairs and tables with a buffet dinner. Buffet gives your party guests more flexibility, and they dont all have to eat at the same time. A buffet dinner also gives your party guests more options to customize their food selection. The buffet requires fewer servers and less staff. Guests can pick and choose what they like. In addition to the obvious advantage of a more flexible dinner, your guest can go back for seconds. Because buffet dinners require minimal service staff, you may even be able to save money with this option.

About the Author:

Party Favors Chocolate party favors for birthday, graduation, birth announcement, baby shower, weddings and more.

Hiring a catering service provider is part of your wedding planning strategy. A caterer generally provides food and beverages and they have a significant role in your wedding. If you have experience with caterers, you are at an advantage. But if you have never taken a caterer into service before, dont worry.

Often the wedding reception venue offers catering service, so you may not need to worry about hiring a caterer. Even if catering is not offered by the reception venue, they may be able to suggest one to you. Even if your reception site manager, recommends a catering service you should still do your homework. Just like any other wedding vendor, a caterer has to be able to provide you professional references. Part of your job is to always contact the references.

Because so much rides on the caterer, make sure the business is: experienced, reliable, trustworthy, and they provide a quality product and service. Dont think that a caterer recommended by someone if the best possible solution for your wedding. One caterer may work great for one event, but be insufficient for others. A caterer may be experienced in smaller events, but not experienced with events with two hundred invited guests. One may be experienced with weddings and another with conventions.

There are two different styles of catering:
Seated Dinner - Seated dinner setting will usually require more servers than a buffet dinner. Serving the food requires more staff. With a seated dinner, you need more tables and chairs for most of the guests will eat at the same time. A seated dinner offers less flexibility for your guests, because they usually have a couple of options to choose from. To make it easier on you and your caterer, menu options ought to be included with the wedding invitations so your guests can choose which selection they prefer. The pre-selection process enables you to work with your caterer on the final count.

Buffet With this option, you may be able to get away with less chairs and tables. Buffet gives your guests more options, and they dont all have to eat at the same time. A buffet dinner gives your wedding reception guests more alternatives to customize their food selection. The buffet requires a smaller staff, and your guests can pick and choose what they like. In addition to the clear advantage of a more flexible buffet dinner, your hungrier guests can go back for seconds. Because buffet dinners require minimal service staff, you should be able to save money with this option.

About the Author:

Wedding Favors Wedding reception favors personalized, wedding candles, favor bags.

Source: www.isnare.com

For many who plan to host a New Years Eve party, hosting the party in a catering hall is a very popular option. There is certainly an increased expense associated with this option and more advanced planning required but many hosts enjoy this option because it greatly reduces the amount of work required by the host and also greatly reduces the responsibilities of the hosts on the evening of the party. In fact in most cases, the hosts only responsibilities during the party are to greet the guests, have a good time and thank the guests for coming at the conclusion of the party. This is appealing to many and is one of the major reasons why many party hosts opt to plan their New Years Eve party in a catering hall. This article will examine some of the logistics involved in hosting a New Years Eve party in a catering hall and will also explain how this option can make a party run very smoothly.

Two of the biggest concerns associated with planning a New Years Eve party in a catering hall are the costs associated with the party and the advance planning required to host the party. Any party which is hosted in a catering hall is likely to be significantly more expensive than a party hosted in the individuals home because there is a fee for the use of the facility and the assistance of the staff. Additionally, the host is also often required to use the catering services for providing food and beverages for the guests. All of this can be especially expensive when hosting a New Years Eve party because of the popularity of the holiday. Catering halls are in high demand during this night and therefore most catering halls will charge a premium for their space and services on this particular night.

Advance planning is also very important when planning a New Years Eve party in a catering hall. New Years Eve is an incredibly popular holiday and many catering halls are booked a year or even longer in advance. This means you have to plan well ahead if you wish to host a New Years Eve party in a particular location. If you have a particular catering hall in mind, it is a good idea to give them a call at least a year before you want to host the party and inquire about their availability. If they are not available for the following New Years Eve, you will have to decide if you want to wait until the next available New Years Eve to host your party or if you want to look at other locations.

When planning a New Years Eve party in a catering hall, it is important to work closely with the staff of the catering hall to plan your entertainment. If you plan to hire a band or a DJ, you should consult the catering hall staff before making arrangements. They might have restrictions on entertainment and it is important to understand these restrictions before planning your entertainment. Restrictions may limit the noise level of the entertainment or may even limit the professional entertainers to a list of approved performers. Understanding these restrictions ahead of time will prevent problems on the day of the party which may occur if the entertainment violates any of the policies of the catering hall.

The food is also a very important consideration in planning a New Years Eve party in a catering hall. In most cases, the catering hall will require you to use their catering services for the food and beverages. They will likely have set menus you can choose from but they may also be willing to work with you to create a customized menu specifically for your New Years Eve party. Most catering halls also usually offer the host of the party the opportunity to taste several of the food options to make it easier to select a menu for the event. You may have the option of choosing a sit down dinner, a buffet, appetizers and desserts for your party.

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Article Source: Catering Guide

When it comes to your catering services for your wedding, there are options to make it more affordable. Generally for larger receptions, catering companies will offer discounts on their own.

Saving money on your food and drink can be very easy, but it really depends on how large your reception party will be and what you are planning to serve. I will explain how you can save some money on the catering for your party.

1. You can serve basic entrees where the meals are all inclusive and forego the extras like salads, soups and breads and bring these items yourself.

2. You can choose to go with appetizers instead of full entrees. Many catering companies will offer a variety of appetizers at a special cost.

3. Skip out on the extra services that many catering companies offer such as place settings or servers.

4. Avoid going to a professional caterer and opt instead to use a small restaurants catering services instead.

5. Picking up the food for your reception instead of letting the catering company deliver it can save you a great deal of money.

6. You can always make the food yourself and experiment with many different tastes or prepare all of your best dishes.

7. Tips are generally included in catering packages so you do not have to provide extra tips during the reception unless someone goes out of their way and/or far over the duties

8. Plan your wedding yourself instead of using a wedding planner

9. Limit your transportation costs by booking the services on off seasons or shopping around for the cheapest costs

10. The very last thing that you can do is elope!

These tips can save you a lot of money on catering because when you skip the extras and forego the delivery charges and set up etc. catering companies will give you good prices.

Of course, you can also opt out of full entrees and serve something altogether different. It can be very easy to get good prices on catering services. Perhaps the best way to do this is to simply limit the guests at your reception that you have to serve.

By turning your full reception into a private and intimate celebration, you can limit the amount of guests without offending anyone. Unless you can afford to invite all of your co-workers that you get along with, dont invite any. It is just good etiquette.

About the author:
For more tips and ideas on planning your wedding, check out The Ultimate Online Guide to Wedding Planning

The next time you have a party, save yourself the time and trouble of agonizing over appetizers by buying all your hors d’oeuvres online. Theyll think you hired an expensive caterer or spent weeks slaving over a hot stove!

Your munchies can make or break your party so you want to be sure that you have fabulous tasting foods. You can order sumptuous appetizers such as stuffed mushrooms, egg rolls, scallops in bacon, salmon pinwheels, coconut shrimp, artichoke and spinach tarts and more - all prepared by wonderful gourmet chefs. Theyll arrive pre-cooked so all you have to do is pop them in the oven and cook. And the best part - you can get all this for around $5.00 per guest!

Of course, ordering online can be a disaster if you dont know what to look for. Some tips for ordering food online include checking out the site credentials and making sure you know how to prepare the foods after they arrive.

When using an online food catering service, make sure their plant is USDA approved. This ensures that the meats are inspected by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and are up to federal standards. Also, make sure they use grade A meats. You should be able to find this information on an “About Us” page or query them via email.

Youll also want to order foods to arrive on the right day. It wont do much good to have 200 appetizers arrive the day after the party! Most online food catering services ship overnight so make sure you plan properly. Most appetizers will arrive frozen so you want to make sure that you are home to accept delivery so that you can get them into the freezer for proper storage before they thaw out.

Make sure you know how to properly prepare the appetizers so that you can plan your day appropriately. Since the food will be frozen be sure you read the instructions to know if and how they need to be thawed. In addition to thawing, you will get instructions on how to cook the appetizers and make sure you follow these precisely since if you dont your fabulous hors d’oeuvres could end up tasting like mush!

About the Author

Lee Dobbins is a contributing writer for http://www.online-gourmet-foods.com where you can find more information on gourmet foods and gifts.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s finest red wine grapes. From Bordeaux to California and increasingly in Italy and even Chile, Cabernet makes great red wines. Australia is no exception making great Cabernet in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and the Hunter Valley.

Cabernet grapes tend to be thick skinned with bunches of small berries, and also only give moderate sized crops in general. This means that wines made from these grapes will have plenty of skins from which to get colour, flavour and tannin, and have plenty of flavour as a finished wine.

Cabernet based wines can tend to be quite tannic when they’re young, but age very gracefully with a softening of the tannin and the slow development of complexity, cedar and cigar box aromas. In regions where the grapes do not quite ripen there can be a ‘capsicum’ or ‘green bean’ character. This can add complexity to the wine, but if more than a trace it tends to distract from the experience and be a fault. Very ripe Cabernets from warm climates tend to be less distinctively Cabernet, and develop chocolate and richer flavours, and while delicious young, do not cellar as well. The flavour profile in Cabernets tends to be black and red currant, blackberry, and cassis, with occasional hints of mint, chocolate and even regional earthiness.

Regional versions of this wine can be noticed and I will mention these below along with some recommended wines to try from each region.

Coonawarra
Consistently Australia’s best Cabernets are made in the Coonawarra region of South Australia. This is a small cigar shaped region with red ‘Terra Rossa’ soils over limestone, free draining and with a cool climate. The wines from here tend to be well balanced with a very good cellar potential

Wynns John Riddoch
Lindemans St George
Bowen Estate
Majella
Gartner Estates
Zema Estate

Barossa Valley
The warm climate here tends to produce richer dark and fleshy wines with typical chocolate hints. Blackberry more than blackcurrant is often the dominant fruit flavour.

Penfolds Bin 707 (although very much a multi region blend these days)
Charles Melton
Elderton
Grant Burge
Wolf Blass

Victoria
In Central Victoria there is often a mint/eucalyptus hint to these wines over classic cassis and blackcurrant.

Balgownie
Mitchelton
Taltarni
Mount Mary
Oakridge Estate

Margaret River
Very good region indeed for Cabernet wines, slight gravelly hints with red berry fruit and usually great length and cellaring ability.

Moss Wood
Leeuwin Estate
Pierro
Cape Mentelle
Chateau Xanadu
Cullens

Great Southern
Alkoomi
Howard Park
Plantagenet

Hunter Valley
Very regional as all their reds seem to be, earthy style whose regional nature continues as they age.

Lakes Folly
Brokenwood
Rosemount

Gavin is the manager of the Australian Wine Centre (a large collection of affordable, rare and cult Australian wines) and hosts the very popular Auswine Forum (An online discussion forum about Australian wine). You may reprint this article either on a website or in print but you must maintain this resource section naming the author. Please email the author with details on where you intend to use it. You can obtain the latest version of this article and more free wine content for your website from www.freesticky.com