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Starting a catering business
Starting a catering business would be hard yet the rewards would be fantastic. If you feel it is something you would like to pursue then visiting ‘The Nationwide Caterers Associations’ web site would be a good place to start. There is lots of advice on where to start and tips on making sure your business [...]
Food Shopping
Cooking from scratch or ready meals?
As anyone who has a family to cook for will know, making quick meals is often the priority. With a million and one other jobs to do around the house, any busy mum or dad will wants to be able to whip up something tasty and nutritious without slaving over a hot stove for hours on end.
And of course it’s not just parents; for busy working men and women, time is also often of the essence, and many of us simply don’t have the time to spend hours in the kitchen making a gourmet meal for one.
So does this mean we have to resort to a constant diet of ready meals? Not necessarily. You can whip up some delicious and nourishing meals in a short amount of time without always relying on the microwave. It’s just about learning a few quick cooking cheats and preparing in advance.
So, for example, if you find that you have an hour or two spare on a lazy Sunday, you could put some music on and take your time to cook up a healthy stew or pasta dish; it doesn’t have to be stressful. Then simply freeze and you can heat up a tasty meal in minutes throughout the week. You’ve basically got your own homemade ready meals! Half the price and you can control exactly what goes into them; perfect!
And cooking from scratch needn’t mean buying a hundred weird and wonderful ingredients either. A simple baked potato popped in the oven for a couple of hours while you get on with something else makes a healthy and very tasty meal, served with baked beans, cheese or just butter – whatever takes your fancy.
Of course, every now and again, there is nothing wrong with buying the odd microwave meal. They can be expensive for what you get however, so make sure you use Printable Coupons to make the most of your money.
Make sure bread’s on your shopping list
If you are looking for ideas for tasty and nutritious snacks but are pushed for time and money, then do not overlook the humble loaf! Bread is a relatively cheap and filling food product that can be used in many more ways than you might think.
For breakfasts, there is nothing quite like the simple pleasure of buttered white toast or soft boiled eggs with toasted soldiers for dipping.
Of course, the one thing we most often associate this sometimes under-rated food with is the ever-popular sandwich. Ever since polite society started enjoying it as a late-night snack to accompany gambling and drinking nights in the 18th century, the sandwich has been one of our most popular light meals or filling snacks.
And it’s no wonder, when you can ring the changes so easily! If you are catering for fussy kids, for example, a jam sandwich in white bread usually goes down a treat, or a ham and tomato sandwich in wholemeal bread makes a nutritious and filling savoury option.
Don’t forget about hot sandwiches either! A cheese and tomato toastie or a chicken and ham panini melt make a wonderfully warming snack if you’re short on time
As well as making a never-ending variety of tasty hot and cold sandwiches and quick and easy breakfasts, bread can be used as an ingredient in other dishes too. If your bread has started to go slightly stale (although not mouldy) it can be used to make a fabulous bread and butter pudding, for example, and there are many other recipes that involve using breadcrumbs. So you need never let that loaf go to waste.
And if you really can’t use it all up in time, the birds will be grateful for you sharing the leftovers with them!
When is a diet not a diet but an easy way of life?
I want to go on a diet, but I really want a diet that’s not like a diet! Does that make sense? I want to be able to lead a normal life, eating meals that are sensible, not over doing it on the calories and not struggling with that packet of biscuits I know is at the back of the cupboard. [Read More...]
Setting Up A Business In Catering
Becoming a caterer
As a hard and fast rule you do not need any particular qualifications to become a caterer. A real interest in food and the presentation of it is a must whether qualified or not. Usually experience will teach you a lot when working in the food service industry but qualifications always help so if you [...]
Opening a Catering Business Hints and Tips
To open a catering business you need to have certain attributes as an individual. Time management is very important in any food service business. Having food prepared and leave the kitchen in a timely manner is a must. This type of service must be consistent. Therefore you should be a very organized person to become [...]
All About Catering
Catering Part One
It is estimated that around 20,000 catering companies open in the UK every year. So what is catering? What is it to be a caterer? I think the two most common words you would find in answers from people asked this question would be ‘food’ and ‘event’. This would be true, a caterer is a [...]
Catering Part Two
At a professionally catered party you would expect the food to be a focal point of the event. It is not unusual for a catering company to also have been responsible for the arrangement of tables and decorations. A catering company understands that the way tables are arranged and/or decorated can have a dramatic effect [...]
Event Catering
A DIY party? You’ll be rewarded in heaven.
With the festive season well and truly upon us, it’s time to par-TEE! For some of us that means thinking up new excuses for avoiding the “office party” or it means throwing yourself whole heartedly into the whole sparkly experience. If you’re of the mind to throw a party for family and friends yourself, then you’re in for some hard work that will be amply rewarded by a place in heaven.
If you have booked that “local hall”, it’s probably too late or too small an event to justify the booking one of the many Catering shipping companies to transport your buffet, drinks, cutlery and decorations. If it’s too late to unbook the hall, you’ll suddenly realise that you have to transport everything to the hall. You’re probably looking at a fleet of cars – or possibly up to twenty trips in your own car. It is do-able, I’ve done it, but not advisable. [Read More...]
Types of Event Catering Part Two
There are other types of catering service aside from corporate and social catering. Cold service catering involves a caterer delivering cold snacks to a home or work place. More recently some caterers have been working with nutritionists to provide cold catering services which involve delivering three meals a day to people hoping to lose weight. The three meals delivered would be nutritionally balanced and be within a certain amount of calories. This is a more modern type of food service. A traditional cold food service would involve a catering company delivering a freshly prepared selection of cold snacks. This kind of food is appealing to most people and can be delivered on a bicycle to offices, private homes and just about anywhere within the local proximity. [Read More...]
Social Catering
Social Catering
Social catering covers a range of events from cooking in a families’ home on a fairly regular basis to a wedding. Depending on the clients specifications the caterer may prepare a buffet or a full five course sit down meal. During social catering there is more of an opportunity to be creative. A lot of [...]