7 Things to Look for in a Catering Service

A free article on Food and Beverage

By: realart

When it comes to catering services, things used to be a lot simpler. food choices were not much more than a chicken or beef dish with your choice of vegetables. additional services might include suggestions for companies where you could rent some folding tables and chairs. that was it – fairly simple. but, when it comes to catering services, simpler is definitely not better. fortunately, most local toronto catering services realize this and we are blessed with a variety of good catering services throughout the city and the gta.

that’s good news for anyone who needs catering services. unfortunately, having a number of good catering services in and around toronto creates another problem. how do you find the right catering service for your needs? by taking a deliberate approach and following a few guidelines, you will increase your chances of finding the best caterer for your needs and have the most successful event possible.

1. healthy, delicious, high quality food
if you’re looking for catering services, food must be your number one concern. regardless of all the other services, the prices or added benefits, if the food isn’t good, your event could be ruined.
it’s important to find out if the catering service does their own food preparation or if they use prepared dishes from another service.

make sure you ask about ingredients and how the food is prepared. also, if the food is transported, find out what measures are taken to make sure the food is served hot and fresh.

2. testimonials
the best way to find the right catering service is to listen to what their customers say. if a catering service has satisfied customers, the chances are better that you will be satisfied too. you should not consider using any catering service that does not at least list testimonials on their web site or printed materials.

however, to really get a feel for a catering service, it would be best to actually talk to their customers. don’t be afraid to ask a catering services for a list of clients to whom you may speak about their service. if the service hesitates or refuses, move on.

you can also talk to friends and family who have used catering services recently. if they haven’t, ask if they know anyone who has.

3. menu variety
this might not seem important when all you likely need is one or two main dishes, appetizers and desserts. but, the gta is a very cosmopolitan place with food influences from around the world. you need to find a catering company that offers options that are suitable for different cultures, religions and lifestyles. even if all you need are straightforward traditional dishes, you will likely have some guests who need options, like a vegetarian dish.

4. experience
even if you find a catering service with solid testimonials and a variety of great dishes, if they have not catered an event like yours, you might be asking for trouble. different sorts of events have different requirements and, if a catering service hasn’t done a particular sort of event they might not understand everything that is required. look for a catering service that has lots of experience in events similar to yours.

5. extra services
make sure your caterer is ready and able to help you with every aspect of your event, from the numbers of guests to the decorations, there’s no need for you to spend time looking all over town for a different supplier for everything

6. free samples and estimates
you don’t buy clothes without trying them on and you don’t buy a car without test driving it first, so you shouldn’t hire a catering service without trying their food first.

if a catering service hesitates to give a free estimate, look for another one.

7. online menus and prices
a lot of shopping is done online and catering services are no exception. you can easily create a shortlist of candidate services just by browsing their web sites and seeing what they have to offer and for how much. if a catering service does not have a fairly comprehensive web site, including a variety of menus and prices, they are probably trying to get you to call – again, you don’t need it, move on.

ida’s kitchen is a full service catering company that prepares a variety of fresh, delicious and healthy menus for all private and corporate occasions.