5 Types of Catering Services

Catering services are ideal for any industry, geographical location and speciality or niche. That’s why anyone with cooking or baking abilities can sell their services as a caterer.

Catering services include any type of business that provides food and beverages to large groups of people. The business is distinct from a restaurant or cafe as the business brings the culinary items to the client’s facility.

Some services set themselves apart through the type of food or beverage they offer, whereas others emphasise the experience through unique flavours or selling points. Caterers provide food to companies like hotels, restaurants, offices, concerts and events. This is usually on a special occasion such as a conference, birthday party or wedding, often meaning that the caterer needs to work closely with an event planner.

Choosing a Catering Service to Specialise In

When you are deciding on which type of catering service to specialise in, there are a number of factors to take into account.

Budget: You need to consider how much money you have available to start your catering business. Use a budget template to help you determine the cost of equipment for different types of services.

Seasonal Considerations: Some ingredients are seasonal, and some events are too. Having a catering business that specialises in ice cream, for instance, might not do as well all year round.

Dietary Requirements: As a caterer, you must be able to meet various dietary requirements.

Equipment: Catering equipment can very quickly add up to huge costs. You need to know what type of equipment you need for different types of services.

For more information on how to start your catering business, read through our article.

A List of Catering Business Ideas

1. Wedding

Wedding catering is self-explanatory, but what you might not know is that it entails so much more than feeding a bunch of people who came to see the couple tie the knot. From formal seated dinners to buffet-style meals, feeding a large number of people and meeting their dietary requirements is vital. What’s more, the services can entail catering for one main dish, multiple main dishes or three courses. Catering can include the wedding cake, specialised drinks or stations like a sundae bar, gin station or any other make-your-own dishes. It may also include hors d’oeuvres or canapés.

2. Corporate Catering

Corporate catering specifically refers to business lunches and dinners, conferences, seminars, product launches and team-building events. This type of catering requires utmost professionalism and sophistication. The nature of the event will determine the type of food served, so it’s vital to remember that the business needs to be versatile.

3. Events

Events catering can fall into the above categories as well, however, it also includes other events like expos, showcases, product launches and media events. Yet, events like anniversaries, birthdays and other happy celebrations are also included. What stands out from this is the level of customisation that is available to the client.

4. Concession

Concession catering is the food and beverage distribution that occurs at events like concerts, festivals and sports matches. It needs to occur rapidly and be able to provide to a large number. The type of meals that can usually be prepared so quickly are hot dogs, hamburgers, samosas, chips or even pies.

5. Classes

Whether your students are learning to cook for the first time or having some fun bonding over expert classes like cake decorating, catering classes are a good income stream. You will need to determine if it is a regular service you offer or a specific on-demand service.

There are many useful catering businesses that you can start. Here are eight more!

Keep Clients Coming Back for More

Experts advise that businesses can also benefit from the following services:

• Customised menu options
• A loyalty club
• Tasting events
• Dish naming contests, and
• Partnering with local businesses, like farmers and suppliers.

With so many options at your disposal, starting a successful catering service is easy. Just keep your finances and market in mind before choosing a type of service to venture into. Before you know it, you might even expand your culinary services.

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