The worst nightmare of an event in charge is having received the food in undesirable conditions. There are a lot of unforeseen circumstances that can occur if proper care is not given to the food while transporting. It can spill, become cold, lose its aroma, and in the worst-case scenario, it does not reach in time. Event coordinators have a long list of qualities they look for in a caterer. He should be reliable, comes on time, knows the number of guests, comes prepared, has all the equipment needed, and is easy to work with.
If you are new to the catering business or simply want to level up your catering skills, you should know all the tips to transport food to catered events. We are here to help you with that with an elaborate guide to safely transport foods to their destination.
What Is Required to Transport Food
The serving equipment should be of high-end quality because if that is not good, what’s the point of your catering services? For an elegant food serving, use Kaya’s plastic serving trays and disposable serving bowls. Our serving dinnerware for parties is the best serving dinnerware you will find online. It has everything an event caterer looks for. Talk about its design, elegance, grace, durability, affordability - everything is so great about it that you cannot afford not to have this on your catering checklist.
Moreover, we have portable toolboxes that are life-savers. In these boxes, you can put your plates, silverware, gas lighters, coffee makers, essentially anything that is dry storage. In that way, you will not have to carry everything in your hands, and you will have room for other items as well.
Tips to Keep in Mind for an Efficient Transportation
Take into consideration these simple tips, and you will have a matchless catering service.
Cover with Plastic PET Lids
Buckets of items like tea, liquid, and semi-liquid foods should be covered with plastic PET lids. That way, you will be able to transport food without any possibility of spillage. You should cover general food items with disposable plastic lids to reduce the chances of microbial contamination.
Have Plenty of Ice
You need a lot of ice, don’t ask why. You will need them for beverages, water, icecreams, and whatnot. Especially when the event is outdoors, having plenty of ice is a must as people will ask for drinks multiple times.
Tips for Transporting Cold Food
Cold food is transported in mini-refrigerators. If you have beverages, transport them in ice containers, so you don’t have to add a lot of ice to them later on.
Clean the refrigerator’s compartments from time to time.
Tips for Transporting Hot Food
According to the recommendation of the USDA, keep the food items above 60°C where the chances of bacterial activity are diminished.
To keep the food hot during transportation, use a hard or soft cooler. Other than that, a thermal cooker, heat packs, insulated thermos, thermal bags, or instant heat packs can be used. You can also cover the food with aluminum foil and a towel to keep it warm and fresh.
Wrap the Trays
You need to wrap the trays nicely because if accidentally the trays get dropped, the food will be saved.
Loading and Unloading
These two steps should not be overlooked because this is where you have higher chances of food spilling and just having a lot of mess if not done properly.
Ensure Proper Sanitation
After every step, when you have empty dishes and free equipment, clean everything up quickly and properly.
Offer a Variety of Services
Just a side note: if you want to excel in the business, offer a variety of foods and drinks because the bigger your repertoire, the larger the number of guests you are going to reach.
How Do Professional Caterers Transport Food?
If you want to transport and cater food as the professionals do, you need to be a little extra because professionals don’t settle for less.
Don’t follow what most online websites suggest about the number of plates per person. Kostas Lazanas, who has been in the catering business for nine years now, suggests having two glasses or plates per person is enough. If you are having a variety of drinking options, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, only then you will need to have 5 glasses per person.
He also suggests bringing your plasticware to the event because you can’t trust anyone with it. If they forget to bring the plates, the caterer will be responsible for it, and he will be making a run to get some paper plates.
Most caterers don’t put the silverware on the tables, but you should do it because it looks more elegant. Silverware and goldware are the best flatware you can use for an extravagant table.
What Not to Do While Transporting Food for Catered Events?
First things first, don’t get late! You definitely don’t wanna see yourself in a rough spot just because you ran out of time. Plan everything ahead of time so you can ensure everything is done timely.
When it comes to drinks, do not transport them in drink dispensers. Although they are beautiful, you cannot deny the fact that they are fragile, and your beverage will lose its aroma and taste before even reaching the venue. Lastly, run a quick leak test to make sure the liquid doesn’t leak out of the dispenser.
In case of cold food transport, do not stack everything up in a single refrigerator compartment. Instead, have a multi-compartment refrigerator for cold food transportation.
Now that you have all the information required to transport food for catered events, you are off to efficient catering!