In Western countries, what catering is known for a long time. Every citizen has heard this word, moreover, the overwhelming majority of people use this service. It is time for us to find out why catering is so attractive to foreigners. What is it in simple words and how does it work? We will deal in order.
Interpretation of the term and translation
So, the word catering comes from the English cater, which translates as pleasing, delivering or delivering food. It so happened that in the United States and Europe, this term has taken root well in the food sector. It was often used when it came to serving banquets, weddings and other events. Gradually, the final definition of what catering was formed. This is a catering service in the field of food.
The organization of a specific event takes place at a specific remote location specified by the customer. Moreover, catering services include not only cooking, but also its delivery, table setting, as well as guest service and the event itself.
Good example
Catering - what is it in simple words? Let's look at an example of a wedding, which takes place in a country mansion. In order to provide guests with food and drinks, as well as decent service and attendants, who will look after everyone, it is necessary to conclude a contract with a restaurant or a specialized company. We are talking about a catering company - there are a lot of these in our time. Unlike the restaurant, they do not have a lounge for guests, their job is only to draw up a menu, deliver everything they need and serve. So, choosing one of the two options, you enter into a contract that indicates the following points:
- Kind of celebration.
- Number of guests.
- Menu.
- Bar and drinks.
- Time and place of the celebration.
- The duration of the celebration.
Depending on the case, catering services include additional items to clarify all points and leave the customer satisfied. On the appointed day and at the indicated place, the “kitchen” team arrives: cooks and their assistants, waiters, cleaners, etc. They either bring half-finished food that is placed on tables and served with appliances, or prepare all the dishes on site (if there is a kitchen). Throughout the event in the mansion, these people make sure that all guests of the wedding are fed and watered in accordance with the contract, and also monitor the cleanliness. So we answered the question about what is catering.
Benefits & Features
Why has this type of restaurant service become so popular lately? Perhaps the secret lies in his mobility. Quickly and without loss of quality, the catering company or restaurant workers are transferred to the point you specify and provide you with all the services that are available on their price list. Also, the chip of this system is that you do not have to meet strangers during a feast, catch their eyes on yourself or unwittingly observe strangers yourself. You invite only those whom you want to see, and organize a holiday where you want. And the professionals you hire will take care of the rest.
Since we finally figured out what catering is and what advantages it implies, we propose to consider the main classification of this phenomenon.
Restaurant service on site
This service is very convenient if the number of guests exceeds 300, and it will be extremely difficult to accommodate everyone in a regular room. Therefore, attendants, cooks and guests move to a country house, to a summer house or other similar place, and a holiday is held there. As a rule, food is prepared in advance in the restaurant, and on site all the staff only serves a table and is engaged in cleaning. There are also numerous types of catering services, and here are some of them:
- Reception - guests are not seated at the tables. Only hot and cold snacks, fruits and drinks are served. All this is convenient to eat standing.
- The buffet differs from the buffet in that the guests are given cutlery. Everyone chooses a dish for himself, imposes and sits down at one of the many tables.
- A cocktail is usually a party during which guests do not sit at tables. Waiters walk around the hall and carry alcoholic drinks and cold snacks.
- Coffee break - an analogue of the buffet table. However, in this case, coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches or desserts are served.
- Barbecue - in our opinion simply “kebabs”, cooking meat dishes on the fire. Tables are served at the request of the customer.
- An outdoor banquet is an analogue of a traditional banquet, but outside the restaurant hall.
Delivery to the office
Not in all state organizations, and even more so in private firms, this service is common. Well, those bosses who care about the quality of food of their own employees often order catering on an ongoing basis. What does this event look like? Most often, workers are fed only lunches, there may be “bonuses” in the form of desserts that can be left for later. There are three ways to deliver food to the office:
- The restaurant produces semi-finished products that are delivered to the office. There they are brought to a state of readiness and served on the table.
- The second method is the preparation of all dishes directly in the client’s kitchen.
- Well, the third way is to prepare the entire menu in the restaurant and deliver food to the office in disposable dishes.
Social format
The essence of this catering is that all services are provided on the territory of the client using his equipment and even utensils. The staff does only work: it serves the tables, prepares food, takes care of the guests. At the end of the event, the staff cleans the room and takes out the garbage. Most often, this type of catering is used in case of family holidays. They can take place in the country, in a rented villa or just in the customer’s apartment.
Away bar
The name of this service speaks for itself. Here we are not talking about foods, soft drinks, snacks and table setting. The whole essence of such catering lies in the installation of a mobile bar counter, as well as in the delivery of all the necessary drinks and ingredients that will be needed to create cocktails. The number of service personnel here also differs from all previous options - this is only a bartender. Moreover, bar catering does not provide for further cleaning of the premises.
Hookah
This is a new type of catering that has nothing to do with restaurant services. To thoroughly understand it, let's first imagine that you are sitting in a bar or in a cozy lounge cafe. As a rule, in such institutions there is a separate hookah menu and a specialist who deals with this issue. Similarly, the system works on the road. If you organize a buffet reception at a distant point or a cocktail party, you can additionally order catering with a hookah. The amount of equipment and tobacco are indicated in the contract, all this is delivered to the place you specify along with the hookahman (there may be several). Hookah catering, like bar catering, also does not imply cleaning the room and table setting.
Catering Utensils
Table setting is a separate topic, which is always clearly specified in the contract.Definitely, you should not worry that you will have to try expensive dishes from plastic plates with disposable forks. But this option is not excluded, if you yourself do not ask. In other words, everything here is purely individual. It happens that people agree on a full range of services from a catering company, but at the same time they themselves provide dishes for table setting.
The second option is the standard plates and forks from the restaurant. Budget events are really served with disposable tableware (this also applies to food delivery to the office). Here, as they say, at the will of the client.
Epilogue
Exit restaurant service is an industry that is still only developing in our country. Such services are much more expensive than a standard trip to a restaurant, but they have many positive aspects that make people fork out a bit, but still create a holiday of their dreams that all guests will remember for a very long time.