5 Great Outdoor Catering Ideas For Your Next Event

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Having an outdoor event is a great way to host a wonderful, memorable occasion. When you are starting to look into hiring your catering equipment, you will need to consider the type of catering you want for the event. Here, we’ve listed some great catering ideas perfect for any outdoor occasion.

Consider the type of event

Firstly, you need to consider the type of event you are going to have. Will it be a cocktail function, a sit down dinner or luncheon, or perhaps an afternoon or morning tea? This will depend on the purpose of the event and the guests you will be entertaining.

Being an outdoor event, you will also want to consider the time of year. In cooler months you may want to host an event earlier in the day. In summer, you may want to arrange a evening cocktail event or dinner which can be spectacular outdoors in the warmer months.

Finger food ideas

Finger food is great for all events. The key is to have food that people can eat in a few bites and can be served with ease. Here are a few finger food ideas for different types of events.

• For cocktail events: skewers, sushi, sandwiches,risotto balls, mini quiches and savory pastries are all great for cocktail events. Make sure you have vegetarian options available too.
• Small sweets and chocolates are perfect for an afternoon event. For a high tea, you may want to consider small sandwiches, scones, mini muffins and cakes too.
• Breakfast pastries, muffins and croissants are ideal for a morning tea. They can be served warm, yet can easily be eaten while standing.

Sit down event catering options and ideas

For a more formal occasion, you will want a sit down dinner or lunch with a number of courses. It is important to give people a choice of two mains. Vegetarians and other special dietary requirements should be collected prior to the event to make sure that everyone can eat and their needs are met. Great, friendly wait staff are very important for a sit down occasion and to make sure the meals are served to schedule.

Buffet

A buffet is a great option for all event types. It is great for hot breakfasts, and sit down occasions, but also for cocktail events. One of the advantages of this is that you do not need as many wait staff if you have a buffet as your guests can serve themselves. This also reduces waste as people will only take what they want.

Choosing the right type of catering for your outdoor event does not have to be stressful. Once you have decided on the style of your event, you can look at the type of menu you want to have for your guests. After you have begun looking for the right party hire company for your event, start looking at a variety of menu and food ideas for your event. Going online is a great place to start.

I hope you have found our tips on how to choose the right catering option helpful whilst planning your outdoor event.