Holding a party is both fun and stressful. There is a lot to think about, which can make it difficult to relax and enjoy the day.
Trying to cater for the tastes of everyone and account for the fact that some people have special dietary needs can make catering for a large crowd tricky and daunting.
However, catering on a large scale need not be difficult. There is no need to be put off by the challenges.
Just follow our tips and you will find it far easier.
Let Someone Else Take the Strain
By far the easiest way to provide food for a lot of people is to let someone else take care of it all for you. In the past, this would have been an expensive option, and, to some degree, would have limited your choice of food.
Today, it is not difficult to find professional catering firms who will adapt their menus to meet your needs and match your tastes. If you use a well-established London Hogroast Caterer, you can feed a lot of people even on a tight budget.
A hog roast goes a long way as well as looking and smelling fantastic. This is a very popular party food that can be served in several ways. The simplest way is in buns with stuffing and applesauce, but it can also be served as part of a carvery style roast or a cold buffet with side dishes.
Modern hog roast catering firms usually offer a wide range of other foods too. They will spit roast most other meats or barbecue them instead. Modern spit roasting machines can be set up and used indoors as well as outdoors.
If you use a catering firm, organizing food for a party really is as simple as choosing some dishes and picking up the phone. However, we realise this option is not for everyone, so below are a few tips to help you if you want to cook some, or all, of the food yourself.
Buy In
The first tip is to buy some of the food items in rather than try to cook it all. Ideally, you want to be spending no more than a few hours the day before your party and a couple of hours on the day in the kitchen. If you spend any longer than that cooking you run the risk of just being too exhausted to enjoy your party, so plan your menu accordingly. Guests will be just as happy if you just prepare a few of your signature dishes.
Prepare in Advance
Prepare as many dishes as you can in advance. Spreading out the work across a few weeks is a great way to cater for a large group. Just remember to clear space in your freezer well in advance.
Make a List
If you are going to do some of the cooking yourself, decide on the menu well in advance. As you write out the menu draw up a list of the ingredients, you will need including the quantities. Next, plan your cooking. Draw up a list of what needs doing when this will help you to determine if you have enough time to prepare everything you have planned.
The more detailed your plan is the less likely it is that anything will go wrong, and the more you will enjoy your day.