Planning a group meal or event is stressful. In a lot of ways, planning the evening revolves around the one thing people love most: food. Catering a meal for a large group is tough, ranging from picking food to knowing which company to hire for catering services. If an event coming up is causing some stress, have no fear! Planning the perfectly catered meal is as easy as following these need-to-know tips!

Understand the Event

There are plenty of foods that pair well with certain events. In contrast, many food options may work horribly for a particular gathering. If people are going to be seated, it’s completely natural to serve something that may require silverware or a plate. You likely would not put sirloin steaks or lasagna on the menu at an art gallery opening. Finger food and hors d’oeuvres work much better in these standing settings. Likewise, think of things that are going to be at the same level of formality. That means no pizza at the black-tie gala unless you’re really trying to shake things up.

Know the Guests

An event can bring a variety of people together. That’s wonderful for networking and diversity, but not always wonderful for picking food. Depending on the group, you may want to consider options for taste preference and flavor. No matter what, always consider the dietary restrictions that many work under, including peanut allergies, gluten intolerance, and others. This can also tie back into the formality and reputation influences mentioned above. Wealthy attendees of a gala might not be too happy to find that you are serving burgers and fries. It’s tough to balance and prepare for, but it can really put a damper on the evening.

Provide Options

As with dietary restrictions, you can’t assume everyone wants the same thing. For that reason, many decide to offer options before or at the event. If you have the budget, a spread of options can be quite impressive. Otherwise, send out a questionnaire with the RSVP for your event to see what people would like. The latter offers you the ability to only get enough food for whoever is going to eat it.

Call Boston’s Italian catering experts today!

Viga Catering specializes in catering for any important event or get-together; this includes but is not limited to catering for fundraising events, special events, corporate events, parties, and drop-off catering throughout the Greater Boston Area. For more information, please contact us at 617-482-1112 to see how we can best serve your next business lunch or corporate event!