TIPS FOR HOW TO KEEP COST OF CATERING DOWN

Whether it’s a corporate event, wedding or any social gathering, one thing that everyone awaits is the good food. So, having the best menu is certainly needed to impress your guests and keep them talking positively about your even for the next few days. 

But there is no need to put a hole in your wallet for good food. You can always hire an affordable catering company to serve your guests with the food of your choice. Here are some smart ways to keep your catering cost low at your next event:

1. Shop Around:

You might be relying on a particular caterer for years but do you know there are many budget-friendly catering companies in Melbourne serving high-quality delicacies? Yes, all you need to do is look around, ask for references from your friends or venue managers. You can consult different catering companies and choose the one that meets all your standards and requirements the best. For instance, if the corporate or family event has some sort of theme that needs a specific type of food, such as barbecue or canape, you need caterers who specialize in serving BBQ or canapé delicacies. 

2. Negotiate Catering Costs:

Even catering business sees the price rise in the busy season, such as a wedding or holiday season. But you can surely negotiate costs with caterers during the off-season. When negotiating, you need to be more aware of your event. This will put you in a better position for negotiation. You can make negotiations or get good discounts by committing the catering company to offer multi-event or multi-year contract. 

3. Choose to Buy your own Stuff and use your Own Staff:

Some catering services do offer you to bring their special wines, beers or spirits. You may agree on that thinking your job of buying drinks will be done at once. But this is your biggest mistake. These catering companies offer their liquor with the highest markup and more of your money will be wasted on catering itself. Instead of paying such huge markups, you can look for stores that offer good discounts on buying spirits in bulk. This will save your money to some extent. 

Another good way to cut down your catering costs is by asking the companies to work with your staff. Use your staff for bartending or helping caterers. This means you’d have to pay low amounts to the catering firms. Especially, when you are only serving beer or wine, you don’t require professional cocktail makers. Anyone could pour a beer or wine for themselves or your guests. Hiring professionals for this job will only increase your budget. 

4. Time it Right:

You need to understand that not every event requires including full-fledged dinner for guests. For small events, light snacks and drinks are enough for serving your guests. You can even control the duration of your event and this will ultimately cut down the catering cost. Some caterers charge you on an hourly basis. This means the more hours they spend on the venue, more charges will be included in the bill. If possible, reduce the duration of the event to decrease catering chargers. For instance, you can make only two to three hours of happy hour, rather than making a full five-hour event. In short, event guests are happy to munch on appetizers and some drinks. Finger foods are loved by many, anyway. 

5. A Buffet is Best

Compared to seated meal arrangements, caterers charge you less for a buffet that too without compromising with the quality of food. Another advantage of the buffet is that people can take their meal portions as per their own needs, as everyone has a different appetite. This way you will be able to prevent food wastage. 

It even allows everyone to mingle while enjoying their food. You can choose the best inexpensive buffet menu that your guests will enjoy. It even lets them make their own concoctions while chatting with their friends. Be it a bowl of salad or tacos fixings, your guests will be happy to mix their food the way they like. This way they will have more fun while your catering costs remain within your budget.