5 Ways to Get Creative with Your Catering Menu
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It’s time to get creative with your catering menu! Gone are the days of using boring, go-to dishes for events. Surprise and engage guests with creative, unique menu offerings. Today’s post shares 5 Ways to Get Creative with Your Catering Menu. Check out our easy to follow steps below!
Cater to Attendees Taste Buds. Get creative with how you offer menus to guests. Instead of selecting prescribed dishes for the event, give your guests the power to choose the menu. When a guest RSVP’s for the event offer additional menu survey’s to track the type of dishes and flavors your guests like. Or offer a narrowed down menu selection and let guests pick their favorite dish from the available options. This information will give you an idea of the types of food each specific guest prefers and it will give you an overall picture of guest food preferences for the event as a whole. The data collected can also be used to help plan successful menu’s for future events! It’s a win-win.
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Choose Chat-Worthy Dishes. Want to make a lasting impression with your guests? Then get creative with the food! Instead of selecting the same boring menu items, choose dishes that are fun, creative, unique, and ‘chat-worthy’. Offering standout menu items will encourage conversation and discussion between guests and help create a buzz around your event. If you tie in unique menu items to the theme or reason for your event it’ll help encourage guests to remember why they’re at the event. For example, if your company is hosting a fundraiser dinner try offering menu items that tie in with the theme and are also interesting and noteworthy. Doing so will help steer conversations to the reason for the event!
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Connect the Food with the Event. Event planners know how important it is to choose a theme for an event. Themes help create cohesion to an event; everything from the invitations to the decor to the venue to the food should be centered around the central theme. As caterers we care about how your food relates to the theme. Our Fresh From the Kitchen staff has created menus for thousands of events, the most successful events are ones that created a distinct connection between the event theme and the food. For example, if your upcoming event is in October and has a Halloween-vibe, our FFTK team can create spooky food dishes to tie in with the event. Get creative with your menu ideas and remember to connect the food with the event!
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Mix in the Unexpected. To get creative with your catering choices consider mixing in unexpected food elements at your event. For example, mix up your menu by choosing dishes that are typically not offered at parties. Serve guests your favorite type of gourmet french fries or offer glasses of milk with a cookie station or offer your favorite mix of dishes from around the world. The key is to create an unexpected element to your menu. If you’re hosting a fancy, formal dinner your guests may expect food like lobster or fillet mignon. Instead offer guests equally high-quality food that’s more unexpected like braised beef brisket or high-end fish dishes. For weddings consider offering personalized food that are favorites with the bride and groom. Mix in unexpected food dishes but make sure they enhance and underscore the event theme. Food can be part of telling your event story!
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It’s All in the Details and Presentation. It’s true! Making a successful event come to fruition is all about successfully managing the details. No matter what dishes you decided to serve, be sure to craft the perfect presentation. Beautify your serving stations, arrange dishes thoughtfully, and create accessible, logical access to food. No matter what type of food you offer, you can always dress it up. We’ve created food stations for bar and bat mitzvahs that included simple food for young taste buds. The key is presenting the food in a glamorized way. In this example, we put candy on platters and filled champagne glasses with it. These seemingly small details make all the difference in successful events.
Lastly, it’s important to remember no matter what food you serve if it doesn’t taste fantastic, your guests will not be impressed. Let Fresh From the Kitchen handle your food. We will create unique creative menu items that also taste incredible.
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Looking for help planning your next event? Let the Fresh From the Kitchen team help you create a unique and buzz-worthy event. For more information, please contact info@freshfromthekitchenllc.com, (602) 694-1197.
Fresh From The Kitchen is a catering and event planning company based in Phoenix, Arizona. Under the direction of Chef Noelle Townsley, Fresh From The Kitchen has won numerous awards including the industry’s highest achievement, The Bride’s Choice award. Other achievements include being named the 2013 and 2015 Best Event Caterer by Arizona Foothills Magazine and catering the 2015 Maxim Magazine featuring Nick Cannon Super Bowl Party.