Although most people associate catering with things like weddings, the truth is that no matter what kind of event you’re organizing, you can use the services of caterers, as there are several different types of catering, all suitable for different occasions.
So, what are those types of services? And how do they differ from each other? We will be talking all about it below.
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Wedding Catering
Of course, we couldn’t not open our list with wedding catering. Since a wedding is an event that for most people happens once in a lifetime, it’s important that everything goes as smoothly as possible, which requires attention to detail, as well as the ability to effectively communicate with other members of the wedding party and staff, including the bride and groom, the photographer and videographer, the DJ, and so on.
Wedding catering is most often full-service catering, although there are couples who decide on doing something less traditional on their special day, opting for a buffet-style catering or even food trucks.
Additionally, in many cases, the wedding caterer will take care of more than just delivering food, often taking care of the table arrangements and plating, although that is something that should be discussed with the couple-to-be as they might already have someone taking care of that.
Corporate Catering
Corporate catering focuses on business functions of all kinds of sizes, from small office gatherings, to large conferences with thousands of attendees.
As a corporate catering company typically has years of experience in serving this specific type of event, they’ll be able to suggest the best food options depending on the atmosphere you want to create at the event. For example, if your aim is to have a very laid-back gathering that will serve as an opportunity for your employees to get to know each other and you, there’s no need for a full-course meal – some light snacks and sandwiches will definitely make them feel more comfortable and might encourage conversations.
Restaurant Catering
Restaurant catering is a specific type of catering, as all of the celebrations take place on the premises of the catering business rather than at the location chosen by the customer.
The definite advantage of choosing this type of catering rather than others is that the customer doesn’t have to worry about the decoration part, as in many cases, the restaurant will be able to adapt the decor of the dining room so that it fits the occasion perfectly. Of course, they can also bring things of their own, such as balloons specific to the function taking place, but the rest will be taken care of by the caterer.
Restaurant catering can be a good choice for a wide selection of social events, both more family-oriented ones like birthday parties and retirement celebrations, and business ones like company dinners.
Concession Catering
Concession catering services are mostly directed towards mass events such as major sports competitions and live concerts. It differs from other types of catering in that the main focus here is not on providing a plethora of different food options but rather on choosing the most popular ones among the public. The speed of service is also significant, as these events are typically attended by thousands of people.
Other Types of Catering
Social Event Catering
Companies offering social event catering services usually take care of functions such as birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, housewarming parties, retirement celebrations, and so on.
Office Delivery Catering
With this type of catering, the food is prepared by the caterer at their location (it could be a restaurant or a kitchen somewhere). Once the dishes are prepared, they are packed in disposable containers, and delivered straight to your office. The most common situation in which this type of catering is used is for lunch meetings.
The Bottom Line
Although it might seem like no matter what catering service you decide to go with, it will be perfectly suitable for your event, the truth is slightly different. There are a few different types of catering services so, depending on your event, it might be best to work with someone who already has experience in organizing them. For example, if you’re planning a wedding, choosing a wedding catering service might prove to be more fruitful than choosing a caterer that mainly serves big social events such as concerts.
So, next time you’re organizing an event requiring a caterer, whatever that event might be, pay special attention to what kinds of occasions the catering service you’re thinking about choosing serves. You might not think so, but trust us when we say that it can make quite a difference in how your event goes.
