Why You Shouldn’t DIY Catering At Your Own Event
If you’re looking for the perfect opportunity to celebrate the joys of life, like a birthday, anniversary, or large family reunion, there’s nothing better than hosting a get together with food and drinks. Food is one of the critical elements for a successful event. So, if your menu is on point and food is delicious, your guests are more likely to enjoy themselves and rave about your event for a long time.
However, if you’re thinking about catering your own event to either save money or take pride in your celebration, you may want to reconsider your decision. DIY or do-it-yourself catering often leads to an irreversible mess that’s embarrassing for you or hurtful for your guests. To give you an idea of what could go wrong without proper training or complete knowledge of the job, the experts at Carolyn’s Creole Kitchen have listed a few reasons to showcase why you shouldn’t DIY catering at your own event.
1. Underestimating your guest count
One of the biggest mistakes you can make while handling your event catering yourself is not paying attention to your guest count. Knowing exactly how many people are attending your occasion will give you an idea of how much of food you require. Without this information, you’re most likely to prepare too much or too little food
2. Not purchasing enough food
Another challenge you may encounter with DIY catering is purchasing insufficient food. You are most likely to buy less food for your event when you are unaware of average portion sizes or are not up to date with your guest list. Whatever the reason may be for this unfortunate outcome, it is eventually extremely mortifying for you and unsatisfying for your guests.
3. Not considering the possibility of exhaustion
If you decide to take on your event catering, organizing, and hosting, there are very high chances that you will tire out quickly. When you have too many things to do, you will be exhausted before, during, and even after the event. This will prevent you from ensuring everything goes according to plan. At the same time, you will not be able to enjoy the festivities as you will be too tired or busy.
4. Overspending
Unlike professional caterers, when you go out to purchase groceries for your event menu, you will not get a significant discount. This may be because you do not have a business relationship with your vendors or are purchasing from retailers instead of the farmers’ markets or wholesalers. If you overspend on food, you won’t have much of your budget left to acquire decorations, valet services, waiters, or other requirements for your occasion.
5. Not obtaining what’s required
Without the expertise of a caterer, the chances of forgetting essential elements to prepare your dishes and cater to your event are very high. In case you do forget to buy a few essential items or supplies, either you or someone else will need to run back and forth to the store. This will result in you spending more money than you initially determined.
Do things right - Hire a professional
To avoid the inconveniences that we’ve elaborated above, it’s essential that you enlist the services of a reliable caterer. That way, you can reduce your stress before your occasion and enjoy yourself along with your guests during the celebration.
If you do plan to handle your own catering, you need to possess the expertise of a caterer or have some experience in cooking and serving large crowds. In case you don’t have any experience in these areas, you must hire a professional catering company.
To ensure that you choose the right caterers for your needs, the first step is to look for a professional with a catering license. While it does sound odd, a catering license ensures that the professional abides by the relevant health codes regarding food quality and cleanliness. Next, you need to determine a solid number of guests to verify the amount of food you’ll need. Accordingly, you can check if your caterers can meet these portion requirements. Also, see if they can help you clean up after the event and pack leftovers for you and yours, which is sometimes the best part of hosting an event.
If you’re wondering how much it will cost to hire caterers, know that it will depend on various factors. This includes the number of items you select, the number of guests to be served, and if you want staffing to serve and clean up as well.
For registered catering services in Oakland, CA, reach out to the experts at Carolyn’s Creole Kitchen. We provide you with delicious appetizers and meals as well as great staffing to handle your serving needs. With our well thought out services, you also get to relax a little and focus on other aspects of your celebration. That way, your event is an all-around success that your guests will fondly talk about for a long time.
To learn more about our services, please click here or get in touch with our team by clicking here.