A large catering business will have a lot in terms of facilities and staff. Therefore, they can offer services on a much broader scale. They may cater for several different events one day in a variety of locations. In these sorts of companies it is likely there would some sort of customer service/satisfaction facility. The key still remains that customers will need to be satisfied 100% of the time if they are to renew their contracts and so there does need to be a dedicated team for the larger companies to make sure they are always achieving this. Some caterers, especially larger ones, may wish to be able to serve alcohol. If this is the case they will need to obtain an alcohol license.

A catering company could be made up of one person working as a sole trader or it could be a company that employs thousands of people. Just as the two types of catering company are different so too is the type of customer they are looking for. Typically a sole trading caterer would be booked by a person to cater for a small/medium sized function, eg: christening party or small wedding. On the other hand the larger companies would be looking for contracts with places such as hospitals and/or schools. A sole trader would possibly work from home or a small rented kitchen whereas a large catering company would have industrial sized facilities in huge premises.

These days the tendency towards food that is organic has risen sharply as we all become more aware of what we eat. In line with this trend, caterers now offer services where all food that is served is organic. There are also options of having a completely vegetarian food service or the possibility of a wheat/gluten free option. Caterers understand the more options there are available to the potential customers the more chance there is they will get that booking and so constantly changing what they offer in line with demand is important. A good caterer will work closely with the client to make sure there are no allergies that need to be avoided when deciding what should be included on the menu. Preparation is the absolute key in becoming a success in the catering industry.

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 on how the food looks. A catering company will charge more for a full service aside from increased profit they also have the advantage of making sure the food they have provided is presented in the best way possible. Every event a catering company provides food for could have potential future customers there – it is vital that the service is always the very best. At a very professionally catered event the caterer would be charging the client a lot of money and this would have to be reflected in the food. Food would have to have exactly the right flavors and would also have to be cooked to perfection.

If a caterer has agreed to provide decorating services they will have to do so in the specification of the client. It is likely there will some sort of theme or color scheme to adhere to, this is especially likely in the case of a wedding.

An event caterer will also provide waiting staff at any event they are providing their services to. The waiting staff do not have any responsibility in relation to the preparation of food but they are usually heavily involved in the decoration of the venue. They will wait on tables and serve food and drink. It is the caterer who is responsible for the preparation of food. Food may be prepared at the event or before hand with finishing touches being done on arrival. Preparing food at the event will depend on whether there are facilities available to do this. A caterer will either charge a client based on a per person rate or a flat charge for the whole service. This usually depends on what type of food service it is. For instance it would make sense to charge a client a flat rate for a buffet type service and a per person rate for a three course sit down meal.

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 business that provides food. This food is provided to a client to their specification. The client and caterer would have to agree on what would be supplied in line with what the caterer has to offer and the clients requirements. Some caterers specialize in certain types of food. Caterers also come in the form of food outlets, theses are usually restaurants. Caterers, in the form of food outlets have a menu of set food and this is not changed depending on what the customer wants. There are many types of food outlet available, a customer will usually visit the one that is providing the variety they want.

The caterer, if being hired for an event would usually be assigned to work at a designated location. This could be a hotel or church hall, anywhere that can be hired out by members of the public. So catering is the process of providing food to a client within your abilities yet meeting their requirements. Before the catering can actually happens there is usually in depth discussion between the client and caterer about exactly what the outcome should be. This could be anything from a cold buffet to specialist foods from all over the world. This may involve taster sessions, especially if the client is not entirely sure what they want but have some ideas. The length of time dedicated to preparation would vary depending on how big the event was.

There is also such thing as a mobile caterer. You would expect to find this type of caterer at events such as concerts, fun-fairs or local community events. This type of caterer is nearly always found outdoors. They have far more limited means of preparing food and the variety of food is much smaller than that found at a restaurant or from a big catering company. The food served from this type of caterer would most probably fall into the category of ‘fast food’.