How to Cater a Corporate Christmas Party

Companies are notorious for having annual holiday bashes for their employees and their spouses. The celebrations are typically full of mingling, live entertainment, and of course, food. Cater a corporate Christmas party that will end with guests still talking about the great food that was served.

Instructions

1. Work with the corporate client to determine the style of the event. Knowing the location and time of day can greatly help in understanding the atmosphere and expectation of the guests. Will the event be formal, and adults only, or a casual afternoon event where employees are encouraged to bring kids to meet Santa? The food you serve for each of these will be very different.

2. Know how many guests are anticipated, and how many courses will be expected for them. This includes a cocktail hour, snacks and appetizers, main meal or entree, and desserts. Ask if you'll need to have special offerings for the little ones.

3. Clearly understand the budget and outline what you will be able to provide for that amount. You can discuss budget as a lump sum, or a per-person amount once the guest list is determined. Either way, you need to have an estimate of how many individuals you'll be catering to.

4. Create a menu for the corporate Christmas party. Work with your client to determine the climate of the event, and the type of foods they'd like to have served. Maybe they want a tradional surf n'turf dinner, or maybe the preference is to have lots of heavy hors d'oeurves in lieu of a heavy, time-consuming sit-down meal.

5. Write out all items, and the quantity of each, for every item on your menu. Order any items as needed, and prepare to go grocery shopping one week prior to the event.

6. Test out any new recipes you'll be trying for the first time before the event. You'll want to make sure you are making something enjoyable for the guests, and if the new recipe pans out, you'll have a great new addition to your menu. If it's not so hot, you can replace it on your menu with something tried and true.

7. Plan set up time long before the banquet is set to begin. Make sure tables are set up appropriately. Bring all necessary equipment, linens, etc. and familiarize yourself with the banquet or event space if it's new to you.

8. Prepare and serve the food to guests. Clean up and enjoy a job well done.