Information
about careers
By Dinesh Kamath
Caterer
Caterer
is also known as Chef or Cook.
Introduction
Chefs/cooks
oversee the preparation and cooking of food and meals for organisations such as
hotels, restaurants, canteens or hospitals. Specific job descriptions will vary
depending on the size of the kitchen. In large restaurants, chefs are organised
into teams with different responsibilities. In smaller ones you may work alone.
Catering
is the business of providing food service at a remote site or a site such as a
hotel, public house (pub), or other location.
Mobile catering
A
mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle, cart or truck which is
designed for the purpose. Mobile catering is common at outdoor events (such as
concerts), workplaces, and downtown business districts.
Event catering
With
such a large variety of catering available it is difficult to decide on which
is the best for your guests.
Events
range from cheese lunch drop-off to full-service catering. Caterers and their
staff are part of the foodservice industry. Catering services provided vary
depending on the event and can include: cooking and delivering food to an
outside location; cooking, delivering and serving food; and full-service
(preparing food, providing service staff, decoration of event location, prep
and clean-up). In some cases of full-service catering, the caterer is called an
event managing company.
When
most people refer to a "caterer", they are referring to an event caterer
who serves food with waiting staff at dining tables or sets up a self-serve
buffet. The food may be prepared on site, i.e., made completely at the event,
or the caterer may choose to bring prepared food and put the finishing touches
on once it arrives.
The
event caterer staff are not responsible for preparing the food but often help
set up the dining area. This service is typically provided at banquets,
conventions, and weddings. Any event where all who attend are provided with
food and drinks or sometimes only hors d'oeuvres is often called a catered
event.
Many
events require working with an entire theme or color scheme. A catering company
or specialist is expected to know how to prepare food and to make it
attractive. As such, certain catering companies have moved toward a
full-service business model commonly associated with event planners. They take
charge of not only food preparation but also decorations, such as table
settings and lighting.
The
trend is towards satisfying all the clients senses with food as a focal point.
With the correct atmosphere, professional event caterers with experience can
make an event special and memorable.
Beautifully
prepared food alone can appeal to the senses of taste, smell, and sight -
perhaps even touch, but the decorations and ambiance can play a significant
part in a successfully catered event.
Catering
is often sold on a per-person basis, meaning that there is a flat price for
each additional person. However, things like lighting and fire permits are not
scaled with the guest count, so per-person pricing is not always appropriate.
It is necessary to keep the cost of the food and supplies below a price margin
in order to make a profit on the catering.
As
many others in the food service industry, caterers and their staff work long
hours. It is not uncommon for them to work on holidays or 7 days a week during
holiday event seasons.
A
comprehensive, formal full-service catering proposal is likely to include the
following time-line matters:
Rental
arrival time
Staff
arrival time
Bar
open time
Meal
serve time
Bar
close time
Rental
pickup
Out-of-venue
time
Each
of these factors affects the catering price.
For
example, a rental quote for an "anytime" weekday delivery is usually
much more economical than an "exact-time" delivery.
General menu considerations: Clients may have specific dietary or religious needs
to consider. these include Halal, Kosher, Vegetarian, Vegan and food allergy
requests. Increasingly, clients are interested in food sustainability and food
safety.
Hors d'oeuvres: it should be clear if these are passed or stationary.
Most caterers agree that three or four passed items are appropriate for the
one-hour period prior to a meal.
Meal Rentals: May include tables, chairs, dance floor, plants,
tabletop (china, flatware, glassware, linens, chargers), bar glassware, serving
equipment, salt/peppers, etc. It should be clear whether table and chair setup
and take-down is included. Most rental companies do not automatically include
setup and take-down in the rental charges.
Labor: varies from caterer to caterer, but generally speaking, an event will
have a Lead/Captain/Event Manager, a Chef, perhaps a Sous Chef or Kitchen
Assistant, Wait staff and Bartenders. The labor on a plated dinner is generally
much higher than the labor on a buffet, because a plated dinner involves double
the china, and usually a minimum of three served courses, plus served coffee.
Simply put, there's a lot more to do. To do it properly requires roughly 10 to
50% more staff. On a large event, this can be substantial, especially if
overtime or doubletime applies.
Service Charge: Sales Tax, Some quotes will include lighting, liquor
permit, fire permits, draping, florals, valet and coat check. Many venues
discreetly get a "cut" of the catering bill. Caterers are
contractually committed to not disclose this fee specifically in their
contracts with the clients. Therefore, catering will sometimes cost
substantially more at one venue versus another. Also, caterers must compete
with illegal operators. A legitimate caterer will have a business license and a
health permit both showing the address of the place from which they do
business.
In
addition, many caterers will provide partial catering services in addition to
full-service. Partial catering can include cooking and delivery of prepared
foods, pre-cooked dishes for pickup at the caterer's location, and cooking,
delivery and setup without service. In many cases partial catering can be an
excellent and economical option to full-service catering.
Increasingly,
restaurants are providing catering menus and services in addition to their
regular menus. Restaurant catering can be either on-site or off-site, depending
on the services offered.
Boxed lunch catering
A
box lunch is typically prepared by a caterer and dropped off to a location for
a client’s dining needs. Box lunches are used primarily in the corporate arena
for working lunches when they do not have time to take a break from their
meeting yet still need to eat. A box lunch order is placed with a caterer a
couple of days before the delivery date and is a cheaper way to go instead of a
full sit-down lunch. The box lunch option is strictly a drop-off service and
does not offer any type of wait staff or cleanup. The caterer’s only job is to
prepare and deliver the food. In some cases, the caterer can set up the food,
which means placing the individual cartons on a table or another area that is
easily accessible to the clients. A box lunch is prepared for each person, so
that they have all of their food in one container. This makes for very quick
efficient service. Caterers can offer a variety of sandwiches.
The
idea is for the clients to be able to grab their box and a drink and go. The
boxes or bags should be visibly marked with the type of sandwich included or
grouped together for easy identification. The individual bags and boxes allow
guests to dispose of their trash at their leisure and keep everything neat and
clean. For example, if a company is holding their lunch meeting in a conference
room, it is necessary that they can clean up easily. Every individual can
simply place all of their trash back into the box or bag to clean up.
Catering Officers on ships
Merchant
ships often carry Catering Officers - especially ferries, cruise liners and
large cargo ships. In fact, the term "catering" was in use in the
world of the merchant marine long before it became established as a land-bound
business.
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