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catering serving style
Understanding and Choosing the Best Catering Service Style for Your Next Catered Event
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ACTION STATION
BUFFET
HAND PASSED HORS D'OEUVRES
Action Stations are quite similar to Buffet Style Caterings. However Action Stations are more lively and interesting than a standard buffet because guests get the opportunity to watch chefs prepare and serve their meals right in front of them. Some foods work better at Action Stations than others including carving stations Grilling Stations, various bars (Potato bar, Burger bar Pasta bar), Fried noodles (Kuey Tiow/Mee Goreng Mamak, Laksa and etc) Fajitas, Crepes and Omelets, Sushi, and drinks, etc.
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In Buffet Style Catering Service the food is arranged on tables. Guests visit the buffet line and self-serve. When guests are finished filling their plates they return to their tables to enjoy their meals. To enhance this service you could have waitstaff serve salads, beverages or desserts to the guests. Another way to enhance a Buffet Catering Service is to have waitstaff deliver guests' plates to tables once they are finished filling them.
Hors D'oeuvres Service- wait staff places finger foods/canapes on fancy trays in the preparation area or kitchen and then brought out to guests into social areas. Guests then help themselves, often using small plates or cocktail napkins. You will often see this service in upscale receptions and events, especially business oriented.
COURSE BY COURSE
INDIVIDUAL PLATED
CAFETERIA BUFFET
This is a another style of Buffet because guests stand in food lines, however they do not serve themselves. Instead chefs or servers will assist them from behind the buffet line. Cafeteria Style Buffets are perfect for controlling costs due to the fact that you can control portion size (to a large degree). You can also do a hybrid of this style by letting guests self-serve less expensive items (soups, salads, veggies) while servers attend to the more expensive items such as meats. Cafeteria Style Buffets offer you the opportunity to add several Action Stations into the mix.
Course by Course style is a meal featuring multiple courses. The basic full course meal consists of three or four courses. They normally begin with Starter & Appetizers, followed by the Main Course(s), and they are finished off with Cold Beverages, Desserts, Coffee, and Tea.
Guests can opt for a full course meal by ordering multiple dishes to come out at separate times.
First all meals are prepared and Plated in the kitchen or prep area. After guests are seated and host/hostess gives the direction or pre-arranged time is established guests are seated and the meal is typically announced. Meals are brought to the tables and to be served to individual guest.
They normally begin with Starter & Appetizers, followed by the Main Course(s), and they are finished off with Cold Beverages, Desserts, Coffee, and Tea.
LUNCH BOX/BENTO
FOOD TRAY
PLATED BUFFET
For Pre-Plated Buffet Catering food is pre-plated and placed on a buffet or serving table. Once the host/hostess or Captain (if a pre-arranged time is made) gives the direction, guest go to the buffet table where they select a tray and then proceed to select the plated items that they would like (salads, desserts, main entrees, sandwiches, etc). This is an effective Buffet Style Catering because all guests have to do is pick their plates add it to their trays and go back to their tables.
Lunch boxes makes it easy to pack meal and keep it fresh until it is ready to be eatan. A Bento box is a multi-compartmentalized lunch box Each of its compartments holds a single serving of different food items. Its ingenious design keeps each compartment sealed, which prevents food from leaking out of the box or spilling into other compartments, turning everything into a soggy mess. The rigid sides of the box and the compartments protect the food from getting smashed.
Food Tray Service It is a style of service that does not make use of the usual dining table but instead dishes and are arranged in disporable trays, which will be dropped off at your venue.
Food trays can contain virtually anything you want, and at any portion size.
SEATED & DOME
SEATED & BUFFET
FOOD BAR STATION
Sit-down arrangement and Food Dome service. Foods are pre-set in dome limited 6 dishes and the dome is placed in the middle of the dining table. Guests will help themselves from the Dome and waiters will serve drinks separately. Dessert/Beverages can be placed on the table beside the dome. No refill meal in Dome except drinks.
Sit-down arrangement and Buffet Style serving. Foods are served in Food Warmers and arranged on Buffet Table. Guests will have to got to the Buffet Table and themselves with the food. Waiters can also help to serve the food for the Guest at the Buffet Table. Food will be replenished once run out.
Food bars are changing the way meals are presented and served at events and functions, and the new craze makes sense.
Creating food stations or bars gives guests a way to customize your menu choices to their tastes. It’s a way to cater to every kind of eater – those who don’t like too much sauce or those who prefer a little more garlic.
The use of stations will also get guests out of their seats, perfect for mingling and conversing..