Catering Supplies
There are a lot of different occasions that a caterer can be hired to serve food for it. They may have to serve ten people or thousands of people. This is going to get determined by the event. A caterer can serve food that is purchased or made by the catering company. Food is not the only type of thing that a catering company will need. They will also need table service as well as dishes and pans to serve the food in. A catering business will need a lot of different types of catering supplies. Every one of them will use different types of products.
The first thing that will be necessary is the equipment to be able to serve the food for the estimated number of guests. Pans that are able to keep the food warm will be necessary. This can also require some that can keep certain foods cold also. Serving spoons are going to be necessary as well. Many of this equipment will be determined by what types of food are served. A way to serve a large amount of drinks, such as coffee or punch is also going to be required. Some of the things that are served do not require a certain temperature and can be served at room temperature. Large bowls or serving platters will work great for this type of thing.
Something else that is needed would be the table service. It is important to determine if this is going to include disposable or reusable items. The plates may be paper, plastic or glass. There might be drinking glasses that are disposable or ones that could be washed. If there will be beverages that will be served hot, then the cups need to be able to withstand this temperature without melting. The silverware can also be reusable instead of plastic to make it easier to eat with. Plastic silverware tends to break easily so most people will prefer to have metal silverware because it does not break quite so easy. Napkins are also a necessity. Napkins are also something that can be reusable or disposable.
The food that will be served will be a very important part of a business such as this. Some caterers will let the customer choose what types of food are going to be served. They may have certain foods that are served automatically for a certain cuisine that their customers have chosen. Other times, the food is completely chosen by the customers who are hosting a special event. Some foods need a lot of special planning in order to have them ready by the deadline. There may be many different people working on preparing the wonderful food. The number of guests is going to have to be somewhat accurate in order to have the right amount of food to serve everyone without having a lot left over.
When buying food, there will be certain foods that are bought in bulk while other foods are only used once or twice. These foods would only be purchased for the occasion that they are needed for. Condiments will be something that is used almost every time that food is served. This can include salt and pepper packets, sugar or creamer. Other things that this can include are ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise. If salad is going to be served often, there may be packets of salad dressing so that everyone can have the kind that they prefer. Sometimes salad dressing is bought in big jugs instead of packets. The best way is going to be determined by how often these things are purchased.
Meat can only be kept for a short time period so this is something that has to be planned carefully for as well. There are many kinds of meats that can be served at these types of events. Some people choose to have sandwiches while others will want to have a big meal. Some events are planned weeks ahead of time which gives the caterer plenty of time to order the right amount for the event. The meat that is bought may be something that is already prepared and has to be warmed up. It can also be meat that has had no preparation or cooking done to it. This can require a lot of preparation but not always. When it has not had any preparation, there are many more options for different dishes.
Vegetables and fruits that will be served will have to be purchased close to the time that they will be used so that they do not spoil. This might be ones that are used for different kinds of salads that will be served cold. It can also be canned or cooked vegetables. There are many ways that vegetables can be served. There are other side dishes that are served that will have to be purchased also. Desserts are something else that can be purchased already prepared or made from scratch. There are a lot of options for this type of food. Finger foods, like cheese and crackers, are also common things to purchase a short time prior to serving it. A variety of foods will be served at these events. Every one of them is going to have a different kind of food.
Any time that food is being served or prepared, there will always have to be some way to clean up. This is a very important part of a catering business. The dishes and pans have to be kept clean along with any surfaces used to prepare or serve food. The tables will have to be wiped down a lot of times also. Hand soap is also extremely important because it is important to wash their hands every time they change what they are serving and before they start cooking any food. Paper towels might be necessary as well. Washable dish clothes and towels may be used also. These are easily washed between uses and can save some money for the caterer.
Catering Equipment
Different cultures have different types of the eating habits and the way their foods are prepared. It is however agreeable that the kind of equipments that are used are almost similar in all cultures of the world. Catering Equipment is therefore generally classified into three categories namely: Cooking equipment, food handling equipment and food preparation equipment. These are just a broad categorization, otherwise what anyone is using while cooking depends on what culture they are from, the event they are making the food for and perhaps the quantity of food they are cooking.
The kinds of equipments that are used in home kitchens are simple equipment. This is because the kinds of meals that are prepared at homes are simple as well and are usually in small in quantities. For these kinds of meals, one would probably need a simple electric or gas cooker. One will need the simple cutlery like knives forks and so on. Bowls plates and dishes may also be required.
Big occasions and events such as weddings, parties and other ceremonies require more sophisticated equipments because of the number of people in the occasions and the fact that kind of food prepared may be needed to stay hot for a longer period of time as compared to food prepared at home. Companies that manage these kinds of events invest in the kind of catering equipments that cater for such events.
There are also the kind of catering equipments that are found in hotels and restaurants. These kinds of equipment are usually more or less the same as those that are found with event managing companies. Restaurants and hotels just like in events need their food to be hot for long because of the fact customers come in at different times and they always want to have their food fresh and hot. It is also important that hotels and restaurants also invest in sophisticated equipments. The difference between the kinds of equipments used during events and those used in hotels and restaurants is the fact the equipments found in events should be highly moveable. It is because the equipments are always being moved to another.
Before purchasing catering equipments, it is paramount for anyone to look at the purpose of the equipment. If for example one is to purchase equipments meant for events, easy mobility of the equipments will be required. It will therefore be pointless for such a person to purchase big and heavy equipments as they will occupy a lot of space and will be cumbersome to move from one point to another or from one event to another.
Durability is also another factor that should purchasing kitchen equipment. To know how durable an equipment is, one should check the kind of materials used to make the equipment. Most of the catering equipments are made of steel which is considered one of the strongest metals in the making of catering or kitchen tools. One should ensure that the equipment is made of the kind of metal that last long. Last but not least, it is important that one purchases the kind of materials that are rust free. Not only does rust weaken the equipment but it also makes any tools not safe for consumption. The chemicals that make up rust react with any food making the food poisonous when consumed. Anyone should therefore ensure that they are purchasing rust free equipments.
Today there are a number of stores that specialize in selling catering equipments. One therefore has a variety to choose from. Prices of these equipments depend on the location of the shop or store they are being purchased from, the materials used to make the tool and many other factors put into considerations. One is therefore spoilt of choices. There is always something for everyone. One will therefore put into consideration the affordability of the equipment when purchasing it.
People who are already in the catering industry perhaps already know what equipments are used for what purpose. They even know of good quality equipments just by looking at them. This group of people will therefore find it easy to purchase equipments that are suitable for their intended purposes. Those who are not in the industry may need help from a professional when purchasing the tools.
It is not advisable for anyone who is not well conversant with the equipments to go shopping for the equipments on their own. They probably may need to be accompanied by someone who is already in the industry just so they can be sure that they are making the right purchases. Should they not have anyone to accompany them; they can get information from the internet.
Important information can also be found on the internet. Different websites offer tutorials on what equipment to use for what purposes. Some sites even go further to say the kinds of materials are suitable for catering tools. Should one be lucky enough, they can get information on what stores stock good equipments making it easier for them.
Other than websites, information on catering tools can also be found on books and magazines. These are usually books and magazines that deal with cookery and catering. If one is into cookery and catering, they can therefore purchase these books and magazines to guide them on what equipments to purchase for their various types of cookery. Books and magazines are ideal because they can always be referred should one feel a need to do so.
How a person takes care of these equipments also helps in determining how long they last. Catering equipment that is not well taken care will break or rust making it not to last long. It is therefore important that these equipments are always cleaned after use and well dried. Most of these tools are made of steel and they are bound to rust if not well taken care of. As mentioned earlier, rust does not just make the equipments weak but they also make the food stored or prepared using the tools unfit for consumption. It is therefore important that good care is taken when handling these equipments.
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