Planning Your Event Catering Menu

If it’s your job to plan the menu for that special event, it might seem like a big task. Work with the caterer and you’ll see how simple it really can be.

Tampa Bay Caterers – Lupton’s Catering: Caterers are professionals when it comes to menu planning and providing great food for special events. If you have volunteered, or if someone volunteered you, to plan the menu for a party or other festivities, you can get help from the caterer that will be working the event. Together you will plan the appropriate menu that feeds everyone adequately and stays within the set budget.

You’ll need to know how many you will be feeding, whether it will be a dinner or finger foods, and if anyone has special food needs such as allergies or special health diets. If the event is representative of a particular culture and you want the specific foods that are traditional in this case, be sure to discuss that with the caterer.

In fact, before a caterer is chosen, it’s a good idea to screen for caterers that are able to prepare culturally specific foods. Good examples of this would be a bar mitzvah or a Greek Orthodox wedding. If specific traditional foods will be important to complete the event, make sure the chosen caterer can prepare those foods and already knows where to get the ingredients.

A varied menu, while staying within the theme of the party, is a good way to make sure everyone has a good time. Try your best before you plan to find out if anyone on your guest list has food allergies. Some food allergies can make sensitive individuals quite ill and it would be good to know ahead of time. This will help you to provide something for everyone to eat so all will have an enjoyable experience.

Your menu should be very simple with dishes that are easy to prepare using common ingredients if you have a relatively small food budget. With more money to spare you can plan more elaborate dishes or rich desserts. The best event menus are usually the simplest with foods that the guests recognize and enjoy. Gourmet ingredients and costly preparation techniques may be lost in the socialization that occurs while your guests are enjoying each others’ company.

Keep the menu simple and work closely with your caterer to plan a menu that will successfully feed your event guests. You’ll find that caterers can give you great advice for planning your menu and will happy to help. They’re the experts, after all.

	Lupton’s is known far and wide in central Florida for our fabulous BBQ, delicious side dishes, and world class catering. In addition to our two restaurants in Temple Terrace and Zephyrhills, we operate Lupton’s Boggy Bottom Event Ranch… a special event park that is nothing like you’ve ever experienced before! Whether you’re looking for a great place to take the family for lunch or dinner, catering Party Packs to go, full-service onsite catering services, or a truly memorable place to host your next gathering, Lupton’s is here to serve you!
For your next Central Florida catered event, please contact our catering experts at 813-985-6963