Buffet vs. Plated Catering, Which is The Best?
June 6, 2016 - Catering TipsBuffet vs. Plated Catering, Which is The Best?
When it comes to elegant catering there is always that difficult decision that you have to make as to how you want your food to be served and how to take care of your guests. Your wish is that they are served in the best way possible and that everyone leaves the venue happy. The most popular practice is to hire elegant caterers to send out their staff and serve guests. However, since there are so many of them, it’s important to decide what you want to offer your guests before settling on one
Plated meal catering vs. buffet style catering- what you should know in elegant catering
The decision to give your guests a buffet style catering or a plated meal catering is not just a matter of preference. There are many other things that you need to consider before deciding on this. In the end, presentation often plays an important role in your visitors’ satisfaction. Choosing one format over the other without proper consideration could make you fail a great deal.
Rules
Normally, the more formal the occasion the more ideal a plated meal catering is good for the event. If the guests are expected to dress formally then the general expectation is a table service. The only exception might be if it’s a wedding. Even with this, you need to be careful when requesting the well-dressed attendees to navigate through the area. The other important consideration is the size of the event. As the number of guests increases, the possibility of a buffet goes down. In fact, the average double size buffet can always cater for 100 attendees in 40 to 50 minutes.
This implies that you might be forced to add another line of visitors that will register. At some point, the space will not be enough to accommodate all the visitors and even leave some space to allow for easy flow of traffic. The main advantage of plated meals is that everyone would like to be served where they are as opposed to getting the food themselves. This allows them to converse among themselves. More importantly, it also eliminates the need of waiting to be served or meander around while carrying a plate of meal. When all is said and done, it provides a uniform experience for all the guests.
Buffet style catering is also good to some extent. Buffets allow the guests to choose the kind of meals that they want to eat. This works well if you want to appease everyone during elegant catering. This is the most popular format for occasions such as luncheons, parties, and pre-game functions. These social events are best suited for these since there is less focus on the consistency and timeliness of the service. These buffets can also work well in standing receptions. During these times, the food is presented as a secondary thing as compared to other activities taking place.
Well, just like any event what works well for one group may not be appropriate for the other. It’s, therefore, important to consider the needs and preference of the guest before choosing elegant caterers.