Menu Tips

Planning a meal for an event can be one of the most difficult aspects of the entire occasion, whether it's for an architect finishing a new home with an innovative two-storey house design or a small wedding in an Oshawa home. There are a lot of things to consider when you are going over a menu, whether you are doing your own catering or if you are taking a look at it with a Toronto caterer, for instance. In this article, we will go over some tips to keep in mind as you plan out the menu for an event.

Be allergy aware! These days, anyone who serves the public, even at a private function, has to be aware of the severity of some people's allergies. Whatever the underlying cause, more people are severely allergic to food items than ever before. While you might think it is the person with the allergy who is responsible for their own health, the truth is having a reaction triggered at an event you planned will leave you feeling quite badly. Find out if there are allergies among the guests, and be prepared to offer special dishes that work around their concerns.

Have at least two types of meat available. The unfortunate part about any meal is that people are picky. Fortunately, no one hates everything, so if you go for at least two different types of meat that are quite different (chicken breasts and roast beef, for example), odds are that you will satisfy everyone.

Know who is coming to dinner! In order to really pull off an event, you need to know who is going to be attending. This means knowing not only how many people will be there, but the demographics of those people as well. For example, you can have a barbecue meal, maybe as a block event to get to know your neighbours after purchasing a house for sale in Mississauga, and if there are kids present hot dogs and hamburgers will be a big hit. This type of food won't fly with everyone though; you might want steaks or fish nearby for those with more discriminating tastes.

Have a good mix. The basic rule is to make sure that there are meats, starches (pasta and/or potatoes) and salads, in as much variety as seems reasonable. Caesar and tossed salad are the popular options and tend to satisfy everyone.

Include dessert! You have probably noticed that hardly anyone orders dessert out at a restaurant, but don't let that affect your menu planning for an event. Everyone at a catered meal expects to be served some kind of dessert, and more than that, most people want coffee or tea to wash it down.

Have a theme. A lot of the stress of planning a menu can be taken away by limiting your options, and planning the meal around a theme can certainly help with this.

Match the food to the occasion. Along the same lines, make sure that the food you offer is in keeping with the mood of the occasion. If it's a small black tie affair, then you will want to serve appropriately expensive food. If you're adding food to a showing in Parkdale condos you'll want foods people can eat on their feet.

Start out with a dollar figure in mind. Never go into menu planning without first knowing how much you can afford to spend. It is amazing how quickly menu items start to add up, and you want to know where your limit is (because there is always more to add!) Every good event catering company will be able to draw up estimates for you of what you can get for your chosen dollar value. Without first mapping out a food budget, you could spend more on your wedding meal than you do on the downpayment for your first Mississauga condo!

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