How to Design a Kitchen for Catered Entertaining
If you know you want to entertain in your new kitchen, but don't plan to do the cooking yourself very often, you can design a "caterer-friendly" kitchen from the start to make the staging of feasts and parties easier. Kitchens that work well for catered events have a few special features that even a casual home chef will find handy. Design such a kitchen and you'll quickly become a favorite client among local caterers. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Prepare plenty of spacious "landing pads" for caterers. Caterers normally bring many bulky pieces of equipment to cater an event or party, especially thermal food transport boxes and crates of supplies and utensils. You can make loading the kitchen easier by designing your kitchen to feature wide clear paths from the kitchen entrance to the outdoors, and making a few open spaces (about the width and depth of a refrigerator) at the ends of counters and islands.
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Plan for an equipment storage closet or "butler's pantry." After the caterer unpacks the equipment boxes, it is good to have a place nearby where this equipment can be stored for an hour or two out of sight. A butler's pantry, just off the kitchen, is ideal.
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Design wide "prep" counters. Caterers must often assemble or finish dishes before presenting them to your guests. Provide a long open counter space for this finishing work. Avoid cluttering this counter with decorations or appliances that won't be used very frequently.
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Accommodate the need to refrigerate some beverages and wines. Refrigerators with very generous icemakers are available for home installation. Installing wine and beverage reach-in coolers at the ends of counters and islands is also handy.
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Instruct your kitchen design contractor not to hang cabinets over the prep counter too low on the wall. The caterers should be able to work comfortably along the prep counter without having to duck under low cabinets.
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Light the prep counters and areas very well to prevent casting shadows while working on something at the counter. Make sure there are also plenty of electrical outlets installed in the back splash behind the counter too.
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Include a generous pull-out garbage receptacle in your counter space plans; one with a self-closing drawer is especially nice, and safer, in a busy kitchen during prep work.
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Provide a spacious and broad serving area nearby. A large kitchen counter at table or counter height should ideally be at least six to eight feet in length. It must not be "bar" height as it will be difficult to serve food from a surface that is this tall. Serving from buffet spaces shorter than six feet will make it difficult to lay out dishes, utensils, and food serving trays in one continuous line up. It is best if the food prep area is located well away from the buffet serving area or is at least somewhat concealed from the actual serving space.
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Design an accessible clean-up center or closet near the kitchen, with space to house a broom and dustpan, basic cleaning supplies, and an automatic wet mop or small hard-floor vacuum cleaner. A professional catering company will always clean up the kitchen space after an event is "struck," and locating equipment nearby for this chore is always appreciated.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Beautiful and new kitchen furniture on modern kitchen image by terex from Fotolia.com
