Creating a Menu

[Cover Image via Terje Sollie from Pexels]

One of the most important parts of catering an event is putting together a menu. The menu sets the tone of the event and it is important that your menu is well crafted. That’s why this blog post is all about what you should think about when creating a menu.

When it comes to catering a wedding or other special event, let the customer do most of the leg work. They know what they like and what others attending their event will like. Offer a few dishes that were well received from past events as suggestions, but let the customer make the ultimate decision. Not only will this ensure that your customer will be delighted during the event, it cultivates a unique experience that other companies may not provide.

If your client is one that’s more likely to let you take the reins, focus on your bestsellers and items that can be transported easily. With your bestsellers, you’re almost guaranteeing you’ll have something your client will like. This also makes things easier on you and your chef as your bestseller will be a dish you are experienced in preparing and transporting.

Another good tip is to create bundled menu packages. This makes things easier on you and your customers. This way you have several price points for customers that have different budgets. Moreover, packaging things together allows you to charge a higher price for the items. Thus, because it looks like an excess of items, the customer will be happy with paying a higher price.

One last tip is creating menus based on the season. Each season comes with different ingredients that are fresh. Try building a menu around some of these fresh ingredients. This can also be done with a feeling. If Valentine’s Day is coming up, focus on dishes that elicit romance. Or if the Fourth of July is close by create a menu using fresh fruits, barbecue, and other summer ingredients.

In short, when creating a menu take the time and season into consideration. You can build a delicious menu based on the feeling of the season. This can be something fun and creative to draw in clients. However, be sure you always take your clients ideas first. They are the ones consuming the food, so they should have the most say.