Catering Melbourne Blog

10 Tips to Getting Great Deals on Catering

by:Mike Lindsey

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, don’t 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

Circulated by Weddings Direct

How To Cut Your Wedding Catering Bill Cost

by: Michael Ferrell
Maybe you’ve got the details of the actual wedding ceremony worked out, but what about the reception? One of the major costs of the wedding reception will definitely be the food, so you’ll want to make sure you’ll have enough food for everyone without spending too much money. Here are some top ways to cut on your catering bill that will ensure that your guests enjoy your reception—and you save money.

Don’t order more food than you need.

Most couples want to order an extra tray or two of hors d’oeuvres in case extra guests show up. This is fine (and usually a smart idea), but you should still make sure that you’re not order more appetizers than you actually need; use your discretion based on the guest list. For instance, if you know a number of your guests are vegetarian, you may not need to order as many appetizers with meat. Also, ordering two or three types of hors d’oeuvres will help to reduce your catering bill. If you buy more of the same dish, you can usually save money with most catering companies—different kinds of foods will increase the bill, so it’s important to keep it classy but simple at the wedding—even when it comes to food.

Caterers will also try to encourage you to spend more than you may need to on the actual meal as well. You may not need a five course meal if you’ve already purchased three types of appetizers and a salad, or three extra desserts if you already have a pretty large wedding cake. The time of day that you hold your wedding will give you a good indication of how much food to serve; if you’re having the ceremony in the afternoon or early evening, you may want to serve more food.

Pay attention to the types of foods you order.

There are some foods that are always going to be expensive, even if you only order small amounts. So, since you have to order a considerable amount of food, ordering dishes that aren’t so costly will help you to keep your catering bill reasonable. Certain seafood, like shrimp, lobster and salmon will definitely make your catering bill higher, so if you have to have them, try to use them as only one of the course choices for dinner, or purchase these foods as appetizers to save on costs.

Have food stations.

Food stations are a unique way to serve a variety of foods at your wedding reception, and you can be sure that everyone will find something they like to eat. This way, you won’t have to worry about people changing their minds about their meal choices once they arrive at the reception. A food station with different types of pasta is usually a hit with most guests, and can be very economical. You can also include food stations with other types of the ethnic foods, such as Mexican or Indian fare, to celebrate the cultures of the people who will be attending your wedding, or to acknowledge your backgrounds.

You may also be able to cut your catering bill by not requesting an elaborate setup for your food stations and tables. Using a single color for tablecloths, usually white, will cut down on labor costs. To add more color to your reception decorations, you may want to add elaborate centerpieces, so that you can spend as much as you need to on the meals for the reception. To get menu ideas and more pricing information, log on to sites like www.weddingsutra.com and www.foreverwed.com.

About the author:
Michelle Ferrell is the author of “How To Plan Your Dream Wedding On A Limited Budget” - Discover other creative ways you can save thousands on your wedding at www.bridebargains.com

Circulated by Weddings Direct

Keeping the Costs of Wedding Cakes Down

by: Mike Lindsey

A special part of any reception or wedding is the wedding cake. Wedding cakes come in many sizes and shapes and can be designed to accommodate any taste or budget.

Wedding cakes are a necessary part of the festivities and require much thought and consideration to your theme. Traditionally, people often think of the tiered cakes when they think of weddings, but there are many ways that you can accommodate your own creativity into making your cake stand out on its own.

Here are some tips to keeping your cake costs down:

· Make your own wedding cake creations

· Serve cupcakes and a smaller cake for the cake toppers

· Ask a guest with a baking passion to make the cake for you instead of giving you a gift. Just remember to buy the ingredients and toppers yourself.

· Have a baker make the cake but you can put it together yourself

· Buy your own cake toppers and other decorative additions

· Pick up the cake rather than have it delivered.

· Use your own decorations like flowers, autumn leaves as accents rather than theirs etc.

· Use extra candies and Hershey’s kisses as accents

Extra cake accents and dividers that can be made at home for your wedding cake can be done by you and your wedding party.

Nice homemade dividers are:

Oversized Brandy Glasses: you can accent these with ribbons tied around the bottom flute of the glass and flip the glasses upside down in order to allow room for the cake sections.

The glass bottoms will also make a nice sturdy separator for the cake layers to sit on. The best part about this decoration is that you can also place candles or other nice things inside of the flipped upside down glass as an added accent. Aside from the ribbons, you can also use rhinestones or anything else that you might think would make your cake stand out. It’s beautiful, it elegant, and the decoration can be re-used later.

When ordering your cake from a professional, you should be sure to do the following to make sure that you have the smoothest transition possible. Here are the best tips to get you the right cake at the right time, without any hassles:

· Order your cake at least 6-8 weeks ahead of time

· Be prepared to leave a deposit when you place your order

· If you don’t know much about the cake that you want be ready to make an appointment for a taste test of different samples. If this is required, you might need to give yourself a larger amount of time for the cake like 6 months or more

· Know that you will be paying for the decorator’s time as well as the baker’s and the reserved time for your cake

· Think seasonal when it comes to your cake, for example, you can’t get a mousse cake in the summer months because it will go bad

· Remember that the simpler your cake design is the cheaper it will be · If you are planning an outdoor wedding, remember that the heat will melt the icing, flies loves sweet stuff etc. think of this before choosing your cake

· Have a big enough cake to serve all of your guests

· Try to be mindful of allergies and tastes of your guests when choosing your cake

· Choose ornaments that are not misplaced on your cake or too heavy etc.

· Don’t forget to confirm later

· If you have to cancel the cake, do it sooner rather than later or you might get stuck with the bill anyway.

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

Circulated by Weddings Direct

by: Mike Lindsey
When you are planning a budgeted menu, you must first know what your exact budget is when it comes to the food and drink specifically. Some people keep the food and drinks separate, but on average, the food and drink are a part of the same bill.

If you can afford the more expensive catering services, then by all means enjoy. However, if you are like most of us, you will likely need a little bit of help in creating a menu that is fitting to your budget.

If you are hosting an indoor reception in a hall and plan to have a dinner option, you have to make sure that you accommodate the needs of all of your guests which include vegetarians. You should request that the guests RSVP beforehand so that you can get the right amount of vegetarian plates.

The way that you choose to serve the dinners can vary. Here are some tips on how you can choose to serve the guests to make it a bit cheaper for you.

· You can serve the meals buffet style, with this option you have people forego wedding gifts in favor of bringing a dish

· You can offer vegetable, fruit an meat platters with dips and crackers instead of foods

· You can ask each guest to contribute a small amount of money to the reception or to make donations toward the reception rather than buying a gift.

· You can offer a soup and salad menu rather than a full blown entrée

· Offer a limited bar which means that you offer an open bar only at certain times such as after dinner and during toasting etc. that way your guests aren’t paying and you won’t go broke, the rest of the time offer a cash bar

· Offer around the world appetizers instead of a meal. This will give you the opportunity to offer fill ups such as crab, shrimp. Etc. as well as casual appetizers like cheese sticks, chicken wings, and mushroom caps etc. the around the world motif will also provide your party with a variety of different tastes.

· Request that each immediate family member create a dish instead of a present

· Do not pay for extras like servers, bartenders etc. asking a friend or family member to do it instead as a wedding gift to you

Outdoor receptions give you much freedom when choosing your menu because you can serve anything that you want including barbecue, long group submarine sandwiches or pizza.

As long as you offer foods that will accommodate both carnivores and vegetarians, you will be fine. You can always find items to suit all of your needs and every budget as long as your budget is reasonable for the amount of people that you are planning to serve. If it doesn’t fit, you may have to trim the invite list.

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

Oron

Fantastic food and fantastic ladies who work with you

thanks so much - it was a great night

we will be using you again

cheers Janie

The best and affordable BBQ catering in Melbourne for Xmas (BBQ catering Melbourne, meats and salads, outdoor catering on the move)

There is nothing as exciting as the Christmas time. The Christmas parties, the thanksgiving get together; social get-togethers etc fill our days and sometimes even night time. If you are in Melbourne and are looking for a catering service to help you with the BBQ catering, then find the right catering on the move. You definitely don’t want anything less of quality when it comes to BBQ’s, don’t you? Then it is best to hire BBQ catering in Melbourne.

Christmas time comes only once in a year and you definitely want to meet all your friends and relax with them. These family get-togethers are rare at other times when you are always busy and running monotonously to make money and provide for your family. Your hard work all around the year needs to be rewarded during Christmas time. The New Year is just round the corner and there is so much you missed the past year. Hire the best caterers who can manage the whole evening feasting while you can just rewind and relax with your friends.

If you are a lover of BBQ and want to treat your friends with the best home made BBQ’s find the right caterers who can make the exotic BBQ’s you and your friends will relish even after the party is over. The taste will linger in your taste buds long after the party and you will ask for more if in case the caterers are still around. Out door catering services don’t just serve BBQ’s. Meat and salads are also served as per individual preferences.

All you need to do is to select the right BBQ Caterer in Melbourne. If you are little concerned about the rates and if you want to function on a limited budget then check out their rates before hiring. Ask the caterers to check your outdoor space if that is where you wish to have your next BBQ party. The caterers can plan their setting according much in advance after seeing the space. Also ask them to bring their own supplies if you don’t want them messing round your kitchen. BBQ parties can be fun especially if you have people of all ages. Lots of laughter, fun, games and of course mouth watering BBQ’s can definitely make your Christmas the most memorable one.

Salad Bar – A New Hit In Catering In Melbourne
People are getting bored of the regular non-vegetarian menus at parties and events. If you are looking forward to host an event in Melbourne and want it to be fresh and healthy try going in for a Salad Bar theme. It happens sometimes that you just want to munch on something fresh and healthy when you attend parties. Catering on the Move knows the importance of fresh vegetables and fruits for a healthy mind and body. Catering on the Move provides you with fresh and healthy salad menus for your events and meetings.
Catering on the Move Gourmet Salad Bar services will surely leave your guests impressed. Catering on the Move offers 18 varieties of premium salads, made from fresh fruits, vegetables, lamb, chicken and beef. All the ingredients that go into the salads are bought from local farms and vendors. This not only results in fresh and delectable salads but also helps the local vendors and farmers in their business. Catering on the Move’s Salad bar menu is the perfect menu for a summer party.
You can either select a complete salad menu for your party or you can combine your choice of salads with other food menus and buffets. Salad bar is presented to the guest in buffet style. With buffet style salad bar guests can select their own salad platter and can also mix and match to create unique salads. Catering on the Move provides professional staffs that take care of all the salad bar arrangements including serving of customers.
Salad Bar package at Catering on the Move includes 8 types of salads, rolls breads and butter. The package also includes disposable crockery and cutlery, tables, linens and required service equipments. The salads are made with fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and seafood. Catering on the Move gives you an option to customize your salad bar package by selecting 8 different types of salad from 18 varieties of salads. The vegetarian salads include 14 salad options: Gourmet Tomato with Balsamic, Sweet Potato Pinenut, Moroccan Couscous, Baby Potato and Basil, Italian Penne, Classic Caesar Salad, Greek Salad, Summer Beetroot, Gourmet Thai Noodles, Indian Rice, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, Classic Waldorf Salad, Potato Sour Cream & Herb Salad and Fettuccine Basil Mayonnaise.
Non vegetarian and seafood salads include Seafood Coriander Pasta Salad, Chicken Mustard Pasta Salad, Peking Duck Noodles, Kasoundi Rice with Tandoori Chicken and Seafood Salad with Wasabi Mayonnaise.
With wonderful salads for your salad bar party, make sure you only contact Melbourne’s famous catering service providers - Catering on the Move.

Catering on the Move supply all equipment needed for your function
If you are thinking of organizing a catered event, make sure that the catering service is equipped well with the necessary equipments. ‘Catering on the Move’ is the best way to get your event catered. What does this mean? Simply, Catering on the Move will provide all the necessary equipments that you require for your function. Read on to know about the features of this special type of catering service in Melbourne so that it will help you more to choose the best among the alternatives.
The best thing about this service is that it strictly follows the health rules and regulations and provides equipments that are of higher degree compared to any other service. Everything is ready-made here, right from the equipments to the food; you do not have to worry about what to order and what not. The caterers will you help you to choose among the variety of dishes, depending on the type of event.
As they have had a lot of experience in the catering service, they are prepared to tackle even an emergency situation. Tackling the emergencies in the best way will determine the success of any event. This service is aware of this fact very well and provides the best emergency solutions to make your event more special. As they can provide a number of backups during an unforeseen situation, the failure of event, when catered by Catering on the Move, is a near impossibility. Their experience has taught them about the possible areas and incidents that can create errors and thereby lead to an emergency. Hence, they can either proactively prevent the emergency from arising at all or they can effectively deal with the emergency so that you and your guests do not have to bother to move your fingers.
They evaluate all that is required for the event. In other words, they help you in planning the event. They are always prepared to provide catering for even great events. In short, your mind can be stress-free and you can spend your full time attending to your guests.
Doesn’t it sound like the easiest way to get your event catered? Yeah. But it doesn’t stop here. There are many other wonderful features of Catering on the Move that you can understand only when you actually receive its service. Contact Catering on the Move today and get catered by the best catering service.

Catering on the move introduced a new online ordering system for corporate customers
Catering on the move continues to do wonders for its customers, especially those in the corporate sector! Starting with exclusive catering services for corporate alone, now they have introduced a new Online ordering system for corporate customers! Catering on the move is now using the state of the art technology to serve its customers. This interactive and user-friendly website can be a boon to the corporate customers as you do not have to waste your time any more in making in-person discussions with the caterer for ordering a menu. Instead, all that you have to do is to simply log on to the website and order your menu from the wide range of lists that pop up in front of you.
As the system is made dynamic, you can get to know about the latest dish that is on their charts. The menu will be periodically updated and you can make the orders at your convenience. Now, how to choose the best online food ordering system? Look for a system that supplements or fulfills your corporate business catering needs. The system should also be strictly within your budgetary requirements. The system should be a perfect blend of a healthy food and a robust website infrastructure so that you don’t have to face database errors, at least not frequently.
Catering on the move is an embodiment of all these above mentioned features of an online catering system. The payment can be made through credit cards and you can maintain an account so as to avoid frequent payments. There are neither any hidden costs nor any installation costs to tax your account. The system is associated with a number of payment gateways making your payment options wider and easier.
The software that works behind the system is the CaterXpress software created by a team of experts. There is one other software created by this team called CaterXpress Aged Care that tends to the senescent population in Melbourne.
Corporate catering is made very easy by the excellent services offered by Catering on the Move. The testimonials and the feedbacks have shown that Catering on the Move always understands and caters to the needs of the customers in the best way.
Have an upcoming event at your office that has to be catered? What are you waiting for? Visit www.cateringonthemove.com and organize the catering for your event at the minimum budget and time with maximum satisfaction!

The wedding plan is a huge responsibility and there needs a lot to be done once the date has been finalized. Everyone wants their wedding to be a grand event and wish it to become a memorable experience for the guests. One of the major things to decide is to choose the best caterer for your wedding.
The menu and the food at the wedding can either make or break your event. It can be remembered as a terrific event if the food is delicious, and the menu is interesting along with top notch service. The way it is served and presented can also make a huge impression. There are certain tips that you should follow in order to choose the perfect caterer for your wedding.
Reference can get you the real deal…
When looking for the reputable caterer, you should first refer to your friends and relative for some references of caterers. If you remember some occasion where the catering service was recommendable then you should contact them right away. The recently married relatives, photographers, wedding consultants, and bridal shops can always recommend you some nice catering services with personal experiences.
Attend some Bridal shows…
If you can take out some time out and visit some bridal shows going on in your area, you may be able to get across some nice caterers. It is a nice change to get and meet a lot of vendors at the same time and get acquainted to their prices and menus. If you want some specific style of food at your wedding then it is essential that you look for those specialized caterers.
Internet on your tips…
You can also check out the websites of the possible catering vendors and their services in your area. Some of them even have their own websites and have testimonials posted by their previous clients. You can at least get an overview of the type of service they offer.
Heavy on your bills
Your budget is of course one of the key elements which sums it up. You must calculate a certain budget for the catering expenditure and then make appointment with those who can work within your budget. It is not necessary that if you have got a mediocre budget then you can’t enjoy a high quality catering service. Look for all the options that can possibly work for you.
Once you have short listed all the catering vendors then you should compare them with each other. You need to analyze them on the basis of quality services; items included in their menus and of course their price. You would be able to get to the right and perfect caterer once you have all the important details.

Oron Raviv is head chef at Catering on the Move and Catering Melbourne. Catering on the Move offers affordable corporate catering and finger food for any function, with a wide range of menus and a full set of services.