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April 12, 2019 by Guest Leave a Comment

7 Wedding Catering Options That Will Save You Money

Weddings tend to be one of the most expensive events that people put on in their lifetime. With the average wedding costing over $35,000, it’s not all too surprising that many brides and grooms-to-be are on the constant lookout for money saving techniques and options.

One area where average costs can be significantly reduced tends to be catering. Sure, you have to feed your guests throughout the day and food can be an extremely exciting area of the wedding to get involved in. But you don’t have to fork out a fortune for something memorable!

Here are our 7 top catering options that will help to save you money in the lead up to your big day!

Research your caterer – if you’re going to put your trust in a caterer to provide the food for your big day, you want to be sure that your food is going to be in good hands. You want your guests to be satisfied and you want the food to look good in your wedding photography and pictures. So, take a look at their portfolio and read up on recommendations from previous clients. This should give you a good idea of their capabilities and performance. Having to find someone else if you are let last minute can be extremely costly.

Go buffet-style – it costs a whole lot more to have individual meals plated up and served to your guests. You can save a lot by going buffet style. This will see food served up in huge trays, which your guests can then take from themselves. This also gives your guests a lot more freedom in choosing what they want – they can taste different things depending on how they’re feeling on the day, rather than having to place down order months in advance.

Try food trucks – food trucks are rapidly growing in popularity, with events springing up left, right and center that bring food vans together for people to pick and choose from. Food trucks tend to be a lot cheaper than other forms of catering at weddings. Plus, there’s just something cute and unique about them that will leave a lasting impression in your guests’ memories. They’re a real novelty!

Serve Up Pasta – pasta is one of the cheapest forms of cuisine around. It can be purchased in bulk loads and turned into delicious dishes with just a few natural ingredients added in the form of a sauce. So, why not consider it for your big day? This is a particularly good option for bigger weddings where you have a lot of people to feed.

BBQ – if your wedding is in the summer months, a BBQ could be a good option. Not only will this get everyone outside in the good weather, but it’ll create an intimate and personal atmosphere, bringing garden parties and relaxed summer afternoons to mind. Plus, BBQ foods tend to be cheap. Burgers, hotdogs and buns are all relatively low cost. Just make sure you cater to all of your guests’ dietary needs. You might find that you need to purchase some vegetarian and vegan alternatives too – and you may need more than one grill so there isn’t cross contamination.

Burritos and Tacos – another food tends to be burritos and tacos. Shells and wraps are extremely cheap and you can fill them up with all sorts of wholesome ingredients. Make sure you have plenty of salsa, guacamole, and salad to add into the mix. Again, make sure that you cater to all of your guests’ dietary needs. A salad wrap or taco really doesn’t sound all too appealing!

Fondues and Fountains – when it comes to dessert, hiring a chocolate fondue or fountain can significantly cut costs in comparison to individually served desserts. Offer a variety of different things for your guests to dip in. Strawberries and marshmallows tend to go down a treat, but you could get a little more creative if you like.

Sure, catering at your wedding is going to be somewhat expensive, especially if you have a lot of guests. But there are ways that you can save a whole lot of money in this area of your day. This surplus could be saved or put towards making a different area of your big day a little more lavish!

If you overspend on your catering, make sure to capture the delicious overpriced food with some good wedding photography. A good photo will make it all worth it later on when you look back into that magical day.

April 12, 2019 by Guest Leave a Comment

Things To Keep In Mind Before Planning An Outdoor Wedding Catering

Is your wedding on the cards? And are you planning to make it grand by employing the best resources? Do not forget to hire the services of a professional wedding caterer especially when the wedding is outdoors. People love the idea of live food stations and hot piping food at a wedding. The best option to provide your guests this experience is to hire a professional wedding catering company and mesmerize your guests. There are a lot of wedding caterers in the industry, thus it is important to hire the services of a professional caterer who understands your needs and curates the best menu that leaves your guests impressed, and the event worth remembering.

There are a number of challenges associated with organizing a wedding, that too outdoors. Outdoor weddings can be the most memorable moment of one’s life, provided necessary steps have been taken to make it grand and lavish. The best solution to make the experience unforgettable, is to appoint the services of a professional and experienced wedding caterer. An outdoor wedding is inexpressibly unique and a worthwhile event. Imagine yourself marrying the love of your life in the beautiful location of the serene oceans, a romantic botanical setting, or in your own lavish backyard. As spellbinding as the experience sounds, it also involves equal amount of efforts and hardwork to make amends for all arrangements.

You have to think about the decor that will match with location, the lighting, the outfits, hote arrangements, and most importantly the food menu. You do not want to leave your guests disappointed as this is going to be one of the most memorable moments of your life. Therefore, it is essential to make prior arrangements and choose the best wedding caterer to take care of the catering at your wedding.

Below Mentioned Are The Things To Keep In Mind Before Planning An Outdoor Wedding Catering

Take into consideration the prevailing weather conditions

The weather conditions are unpredictable. Many people forget to notice the weather conditions and make arrangements for an outdoor wedding only to ruin it later. The occurrence of rain, storms, and other climatic disturbances cannot be ascertained. It is therefore important to keep a check on the weather forecast and then take proper steps to make arrangements for the outdoor wedding. Climatic conditions also have a considerable amount of impact on the catering arrangements. Your caterers will require a backup plan to keep the guests fed and the event going. Make sure the venue that you select for your outdoor wedding has alternative spaces for such situations and a separate arrangement for caterers.

Give Your Wedding Caterer Indoor Access

The venue at which you are hosting your wedding ceremony might not have appropriate arrangements for your catering company to lay their setup. You might even face power fluctuations at the chosen venue. If you wish for the caterers to still continue doing their job, provide them indoor access. The least that can be done is to arrange a tent for them where they can cook, plate, and serve. You can also consult your wedding caterers about the possible options and let them work according to their convenience. This is an important consideration as the wedding caterers will have a lot of stuff that they will cook with. Therefore, they require a place to stock everything and begin the preparation.

Plan The Menu As Per The Location, Weather, And Tastes

This is the most important thing that is ignored. Taking a note of the weather conditions is of utmost importance as it will help you taking the necessary precautions against these weather calamities. If you choose a location that is far off, your caterer will have to go through plenty of logistical issues already. The catering company should be eligible enough to find a way to cook and serve the guests in every condition. Plan your menu according to the weather conditions, the location, and preferences. If you are unable to decide the menu, let your caterer decide the menu for you. You can tell the caterer about your preferred dishes and the caterer can then curate the perfect menu to serve to the guests attending your wedding.

April 3, 2019 by Guest Leave a Comment

What Types of Food You Can Cook With Sous Vide?

When sous vide cooking was introduced in modern kitchens, most people thought it was a high-tech cooking method. However, it is just a technique you can use to effortlessly cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well.

Sous vide cooking does not allow moisture to escape the food and that’s why most people think that it is meant for cooking chicken and steak only. But sous vide can be used to cook a variety of dishes such as the foods we are about to share below.

What Does Sous Vide Cooking Look Like?

Sous vide cooking involves vacuum sealing food in airtight containers and then submerging it in a circulating water bath that is then heated up to certain temperatures consistently.

To cook sous vide, you will need to buy some equipment such as a vacuum sealer and the sous vide machine itself (immersion circulator). In fact, the immersion circulator is the best dining appliance used in most top restaurants since it ensures the food is consistently cooked.

The good thing about sous vide cooking is that you do not need to supervise the cooking process. It’s a set-and-forget method of cooking.

Back to our topic and below are the types of food you can cook with sous vide.

Eggs

There are a couple of reasons eggs are the popular foods to cook with sous vide. Since they are required to be cooked under controlled temperatures sous vide is the best method of cooking for that matter.

Sous vide cooking also allows you to make a scrambled and poached egg at the same time in your dinner. In fact, the simplest way to cook an egg is sous vide cooking. Here, you just drop a few eggs at the right temperature and then wait for some minutes. Remember to check the required temperature for your egg before you sous vide.

Steaks

Using the traditional method of cooking to cook steak can be a hit-or-miss situation, especially if you are using a grill that does not heat evenly or if you are making different cuts of steak.

Cooking sous vide ensures you get your steaks cooked at the perfect temperature without having to worry about overcooking or undercooking the steak and the good thing is that you do not need to be a sous vide wizard to cook steak. You only need to set the right temperature to doneness and that’s it. Wait for the immersion circulator to do its work as you do other things.

Yogurt

To create sous vide yogurt is easy. You just need a few ingredients and customize your yogurt as you wish. So, if you love to have a bunch of healthy yogurt on hand, grab your sous vide equipment and make it at home when you need it.

Pork

Pork is known as the drier meat out there. When you cook pork traditionally, it will lose a lot of fats and juices. However, a sous vide pork retains all the fats transforming them into flavors.

Lamb

When not cooked properly, especially with traditional methods of cooking, lamb can be chewy or tough. Sometimes you can even undercook lamb.Sous vide removes all the guesswork and ensures you eat restaurant-quality lamb meat.

Salmon

Another tricky food that most chefs end up undercooking is salmon. Sous vide get rids of all the worries of undercooking and delivers a perfectly juicy salmon that retains its color even after cooking. The fact that moisture does not escape from the food keeps your salmon in the same size.

Take Home Message

Sous vide equipment is a bit costly than traditional cooking equipment. However, the results it delivers are worth it. Sous vide cooking delivers moist dishes. Another great thing about sous vide is that it’s a set-and-forget method of cooking which means you get the time to focus on other kitchen tasks.

Also, whether you are a professional cook or you are just starting out, this method of cooking won’t disappoint you at all.

March 20, 2019 by Guest Leave a Comment

Your Event Deserves Perfect Catering

It should not be surprising that every host would want their event to be a success which leaves the guests feeling happy and satisfied, especially with the food.

“What” is the very first thought that will come to your mind when you sit to decide on the menu choices for the event. You have to first consider the answer to some very important questions in order to weigh your options. Here is a list of suggestions that will guide you to make the right choices for your next event:

Timing and duration: The very first thing to think about when deciding on what to serve is the timing of your event and the approximate duration it will run for.

The timing and duration are the two factors which will determine the type and quantity of food that should be offered to the guests. You ought to provide a full meal in case the event runs into dinner time. In case it runs quite late, it is best to provide a dessert in the end or adding a few more courses to the meal you will serve.

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Go seasonal: It is imperative to consider what’s in the season before you select the menu items as the ingredients for the options you choose need to be available in the market to be served to your guests. It is also necessary to think about some dishes that will be more appropriate for the season when you are planning the event to take place.

For example, cold items like shakes and sundaes make an excellent choice for Summer and Spring months whereas chowders and soup are appropriate for an event taking place in Fall and Winter months. When it comes to catering services, companies usually provide a list of seasonal delicacies you can choose from.

Guest Expectations: Nothing can be more disappointing than finding that the food you planned to impress your guests with does not meet your expectation.

You may expect one thing but get something entirely different. Your guests will come expecting to have a good time and great food, make sure you are prepared to meet their expectations.

It helps to schedule a prior tasting with the catering company in order to understand what you can expect on the day of the main event.

Dietary restrictions: It is quite easy to forget the requirements of people with special dietary needs. You absolutely must find out who among your guests has what kind of dietary restrictions.

Once you know what sort of special arrangements will need to be made you can ask the caterer to suggest options in keeping with your requirement. You can also choose to serve separate meals to a specific group of people while you plan a whole different menu for people without any restrictions.

As dietary restrictions necessitate that you also check with your catering supplies in Melbourne – they can help take special care with food preparation.

Serve it immediately: It definitely matters how you choose to serve your food. There are several options like plated meals, buffet or passed plates. If you are opting for plated meals then your guests will be served carefully crafted meals by the wait staff members.

It is a formal serving option where the guests remain seated and with minimal distraction, it is ideal for small corporate events. The buffet is the best choice when catering for a large group or where guests arrive sporadically, like in wedding receptions.

It is possible to widen the variety of dishes in case of a buffet. The passed plates format require the wait staff to carry trays of food and walk among guests so that they can add it to their plates. This is a great way to create room for the guests to mingle and socialize.