Home Catering & Celebrations
Growing up in a big family meant that there were many mouths to feed, particularly on birthdays where everyone would congregate at a family member’s or my parents’ home to eat, drink and get merry.
Mum wasn’t a particularly good cook whereas Dad was, but he wasn’t particularly keen on slaving away in the kitchen for most the most part in 31 degree heat complimented by 90% humidity. It was a ‘battle’ that doesn’t take much convincing to walk away from. This is when we got into the routine of hiring home caterers for parties. I remember very fondly of the times when I would be eagerly anticipating the next birthday in the family (particularly mine!). Whenever home catering was organised, it would feel like a mini food fest at home.
Whomever it was who conjured up the concept of catering deserves a noble prize. Home catering not only takes away the stresses of grocery shopping, prep and cooking, it also allows the host or hostess to mix and match various types of cuisine. Most importantly, it leaves you to bask in the joy of entertaining amongst great company sans the hard work that comes with it.
With a great home caterer taking care of the hard work from prep to cleaning up, all you need to do decide on hiring just the right caterer to suit your needs.
We’re spoilt for choice these days with so many amazing home catering businesses out there. If you’re new to home catering, I have some great tips and suggestions for you below. You can thank my family after for being able to share my experience with home catering!
Image courtesy of Gathar
So what exactly is home catering?
Just as the name suggests, it’s a caterer that comes to your home, or location of your event and caters it there. It means that you can choose to have your event at home or at a location that is inexpensive and still have beautifully delicious food prepared for you and your guests.
A home caterer would have a selection of menus to suit different budgets and some would have themed menus if you’re looking for something more exquisite. Most would have the food cooked prior and brought to you in hot boxes, whilst fresh foods like salads will be put together and tossed at your event. Some caterers such as personal chefs would cook in your home so you’re bringing the luxury of restaurant dining right into your own home with setting up and cleaning up after. There are so many options to choose from so it all comes down to what you’re looking for.
Jodie Mlikota, CEO of Gathar says, “The best part of home catering is that the hard work is all taken care of. This means you can focus on all the fun things that you usually don’t get a chance to think about when you’re stuck in the kitchen. Have fun picking out a playlist, planning your outfit and most importantly enjoying the company of your guests. It also gives you the opportunity to try new foods from different cultures such as Persian tapas. It’s a huge win-win!”
Image courtesy of Gathar
The Ever Popular Grazing Table
Grazing tables and buffet style catering options are becoming very popular for all sorts of occasions. Grazing tables provide yours guests with the opportunity to sample a variety of different foods. A well-thought out grazing platter is usually set up to be the highlight of the party, and an unforgettable visual feast.
Grazing tables are like blank canvases to an artist, and a great and experienced caterer can simply let their creativity flow into putting together a stunningly delectable table.
Speak with a few different catering companies to see what options they have and whether they are able to work with the vision that you have.
Each caterer will have a distinct method of how they like to set up their tables, and can provide you with examples of their previous work.
Sebastian from TLC Catering explains how he likes to set up his grazing tables:
“I like to start with larger foods such as meats, cheeses, crudites and antipasto and play with an assortment of shapes and sizes. I also like to be creative in how I present my cold meats (rolling or folding into quarters looks great!) and the way I cut any vegetables I use. I use a variety of colours – for example, a few different dip flavours. And add lots of texture through other elements – like crackers, nuts and fruit.”
Image courtesy of TLC Catering Sydney