Catering - Food On A Budget Viewing page 1 of 1

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• Catering referrals can get you far. If you mention a referral to a catering company, you may very well receive a discount.

• If you are on a catering budget, you may want to consider foregoing expensive dishes involving shellfish or other delicacies – no matter how much you crave them!

• Double up and save by asking if your catering company is doing other events in the area on the same day as your event. If you can coordinate menus with other events, you can save money by basically getting the catering company to serve in bulk quantities between your event and the others in the area.

• Go international. Ethnic foods such as Mexican, Italian, Indian and Chinese are often less expensive to prepare and easy to serve buffet style. Most people enjoy at least one of these types of foods, so don’t be afraid to step outside the traditional chicken and potatoes.

• Cut down on choices! As much as you would like your guests to have a wide range of food selections, asking your catering company to offer only one or two main dishes (consider having one vegetarian choice) is often less expensive.

• Avoid complicated preparation. Labor-intensive foods such as elaborate pastries are more expensive.

• Fill up on appetizers. Consider having your catering company prepare heavy appetizers or rich snacks such as cheese and vegetable platters. These can either replace a sit down dinner, or can help your guests fill up, so they won’t go hungry if you offer them a lighter dinner entrée.

• Less is more when it comes to courses. Consider a 3-course meal consisting of salad, entree and dessert, rather than 5 courses.

• Time of day matters. If you host your event at non-meal times, you can save on your catering budget by offering appetizers and/or desserts only.

• Avoid some bar expenses by either closing your bar early or offering a limited selection of wine and beer only. In some cases, you may be able to buy the liquor yourself and return any unused portion.