What Does Full Service Catering Include?

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A professional caterer takes the stress out of the food aspect of your event by providing delicious meals and drinks to your guests. There are several forms of catering, including drop-off and full service catering.

Drop-off involves just the food planning, preparation, and delivery, while full service is all-inclusive and includes additional services like setting up the venue, serving food, and cleaning up.

Here’s what a full service caterer can do for you:

Your full service catering company will shop for the freshest ingredients and carefully prepare everything according to your specifications. You can choose what you’d like from these menus, and they handle the rest. Other caterers may work with you to create a custom menu for your event.

They consider dietary restrictions, cultural backgrounds, event themes, and budgets to help create a custom menu everyone can enjoy.

Leading full service catering companies also offer expertise in the latest food trends and recommendations on various dishes that can add to the experience.

2. Food Preparation and Delivery

Your full service catering company will shop for the freshest ingredients and carefully prepare everything according to your specifications. Each dish will be artistically plated and presented to enhance the food’s appearance.

If the cooking is happening off-site, they’ll deliver freshly cooked meals to your event, ready to serve. Since many events follow strict timelines, you can expect a trustworthy caterer to deliver your food at the agreed-upon time.

3. Venue Setup

While drop-off catering may end after the food is delivered, a full service caterer will help set up your venue for the event. They’ll arrange tables and chairs as specified, dress the tables with linens and centerpieces, provide chafing dishes for hot food, set up bar areas, and more.

They may also decorate the venue with flowers, banners, and lighting to create a beautiful atmosphere. The caterer can combine their brand style with your needs and preferences to dress up the venue and achieve the desired ambiance.

4. Food Service

Your full service caterer will provide experienced staff to serve you and your guests. Food service may involve buffet-style or plated meals depending on the event type. The servers will set up and replenish the buffet as needed or serve plated meals to guests at their tables.

You can also expect them to handle the food in a way that meets all necessary health and safety standards.

Servers will be available throughout the event to clear plates, refill drinks, and provide additional service as needed. If you’re providing alcohol, a caterer can also offer bartending services with trained staff.

5. Cleanup

Many events create messes, including food crumbs and spills on the tables and floors, requiring additional time and effort for cleaning. A full service caterer remains available to help clean and remove various items from the area.

They will clear the tables, remove the decorations, pack any leftovers, and leave your venue looking as good as before. You can relax and enjoy the rest of your day without worrying about the mess.

If there’s trash, they’ll dispose of it for you. A reputable caterer takes pride in their work and won’t leave the venue until it’s in excellent condition.

Benefits of Full Service Catering

One of the biggest advantages of full service catering is that it saves time and energy. Delicious food alone isn’t enough to create a memorable guest experience. You also need to decorate your venue and hire trained staff to serve the carefully curated food and drinks.

Enlisting professional help can remove some of your stress and responsibility when planning a catered event. A full service caterer will prepare delicious food and perform additional duties like serving and cleanup.

This allows you to focus on socializing and enjoying the event. While full service may cost more than a drop-off, the extra help is often worth the investment.

Consider Full Service Catering For Your Next Event

If you’re hosting an event, a full service caterer can help make it more enjoyable and less stressful by taking the food and setup aspects off your shoulders.

Their expertise in menu planning, food preparation and delivery, venue setup, food service, and cleanup can help you provide an excellent dining experience for your guests. Find a reputable full service catering company and start planning your next event.

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