You are organising a large event soon. At least in your eyes. Whether it's your wedding, your child's christening or even a big company dinner and show, you will always have to deal with a caterer. And it is the caterer, among all your other service providers, who has the greatest part in the success of your event. It is therefore essential that you are sure that your caterer will not let you down. To do this, there is only one solution: taste and have someone taste.
Choosing the right caterer
We have already mentioned several times on these pages the steps necessary to choose the right caterer for the event. The lists of questions to ask. Reputation surveys among friends. Word of mouth. The amount of the quotes. Availability. Opinions of other providers. Experience in the field. Etc. But if there is one point that it is important to insist on, it is the fact of tasting the proposed dishes.
To those who will tell you that you should trust them, say that you were able to get an overview of the work of each of the other service providers. You've listened to the music, seen a piece of your DJ's playlist. You saw the photographer's photos. You visited the reception hall. You tried on the dress. You've even tasted the wine. Why couldn't you taste the food long before the reception? After all, this kind of tasting is usually included in the final price you will pay.
Taste for choice
And to be really sure that the dish in question will satisfy all your guests, don't hesitate to invite people to the house, among the witnesses and relatives for example. This exercise can be done at three different times;
To decide between two proposals from two different caterers;
To determine which of the two dishes proposed by your caterer will win;
To finally validate the menu chosen for the occasion.
The preparations for a wedding are always very long and often stressful and tedious. The tasting is the recreation. It's combining business with pleasure and it's part of your job. So enjoy it and taste as much as you can.
But don't do it alone. Accompany your tasting with people you trust completely. Build your own panel of tasters. Mix ages and cultures to get different points of view. If everyone agrees on your dish, the caterer's choice is the right one.
There is another way to taste the food prepared by the caterer than to gather your friends at your house. It is possible to taste with the caterer himself. This way, the caterer can explain his preparation and the logic behind the dish. A complicity can develop between you. The feeling is one of the most important things. A good relationship is the guarantee of a perfect event, even if something unexpected happens. Making a tasting appointment with the caterer also means being able to directly confront points of view, to consider improvements or changes together. In short, it is the building of a real professional and human relationship, well beyond the simple purchase of a service. It is essential to include the human element in the decision. We are not (yet?) robots after all...