The Pros of Hiring a Planner with F&B Experience
Food and beverage can make or break an event, and in the special events industry you only get one chance to wow clients and guests. Hiring a planner with a strong catering background is your best bet for making sure the food, drinks and service are delightful and memorable. As the owner of Gather Together, my years of experience in restaurants and catering make me focus on excellent food and beverage when planning client events. Our sister company, Carolina Food Design, based in Charleston, SC has the same philosophy. For more on why it's important for a planner to have food and beverage experience, here's Ali Fisher, CFD's owner:
The food & beverage aspect of any event is vital. As a planner with a strong background in Catering and Banquet Management, I have seen the vast difference between adequate service and exceptional service. Since the catering and bar service staff will be the face of your wedding reception, it is important that they understand, and are able to execute, certain standards of service. Here are a few things to look for:
Preparedness - The food and venue should be ready ahead of guest arrival with time to spare. Quantities for buffet items should be estimated at 1.5 portions per person so that foor and beverege do not EVER run out.
Staffing Knowledge - Your caterer should know the number of staff members it takes to execute your event. This will affect waiting time, hot and cold food delivery, food running, dish clearing and more. Don't let your caterer cut costs by cutting down on staff.
Professionalism - Uniforms should be clean and staff should have knowledge of the basic standards of service. They should also know, down to the main ingredients, what they are serving.
Don't forget that your caterer should also be helpful in your menu choices. They should know what foods and ingredients are in season. This not only provides a fresh meal, but should also help you stay within your budget.
We couldn't agree more! A planner that has experience on the food and beverage side of the industry will ensure none of these details are overlooked.
Carolina Food Design, like Gather Together, carefully selects only the best catering and bar teams that the East Coast has to offer. Take a look at some of their vendors' work:
Chef Eric Gaffin, owner of New Dream Catering, carefully inspects the quality of each course as it is prepared and served.
Newton Farms Catering takes special care to place the first course in accordance to the planner's timeline as seen at this wedding. Not to early, not too late! Photo credit: King Street Studios
Tapas-style meals are a great way to provide a quality meal while also keeping within one's budget. This delicious Asian noodle and melon soup duo was a great alternative for wedding guests at the Thomas Bennett House, as seen here by New Dream Catering. Photo credit: ESG Photography.
Gather Together works with only the best caterers to ensure delicious, memorable meals for clients. Contact us today to begin working on your next event!