Interview with a Caterer
As seen in Mid-Atlantic Events Magazine, May 2006

Nothing unfolds more unpleasantly than a mistake.

One thread of failure leads to another - and suddenly your event unravels. The event space may be too large for your intended intimate party. The speaker extends a fifteen-minute presentation into an hour dissertation while your first course becomes cold and dessert becomes impossible.

What if these mistakes were completely avoidable? Most are. This article shares five caterers' opinions of mistakes they've seen and tips on how to avoid them.

Unabashed and honest, these caterers voice their observations and share their experience. Read what these experts have to say about solving common missteps, catering accomplishments, and trends.

J. Scott's Catering, a full service catering organization, won the "Best of the Main Line" award in 2004 and 2005 (Main Line Today) for their themed events. Founder and president, J. Scott Walsh, believes strong communication is what brings events to the next level.

When asked about mistakes to avoid, Walsh believes that planners should keep a record of all changes for event. Keeping these notes up-to-date will alleviate some minor communication problems between vendors. To further this idea, send the record and revisions to your caterer in a timely fashion (always noting the date sent on the revisions). Then, request that the caterer return the notes signed for confirmation.

Walsh recommends at least one walkthru with the caterer; making sure to brainstorm ideas for guest flow, food placement, style and décor. This meeting will present opportunities for both the planner and caterer to see each other's vision.

A popular trend utilized by J. Scott Catering involves a more industrial take on atmosphere. Walsh discloses that his team has started to work with metals, glass and plexiglass to accomplish unique, cutting-edge displays. These items add a clean, modern feel and elegant simplicity.

Good caterers go above and beyond to make an event shine. Trusting a caterer can add volumes to the depth of an event for a planner. To find this trust in a caterer, Walsh suggests interviewing the professional and asking questions regarding what conferences they've attended, their association memberships, how they keep upto- date, what restaurants they like, how they continue their education, and how their menu has changed over the past year. In addition, the professional you choose should send photos of previous events and provide tasting samples upon your request.

Walsh sees the Philadelphia region's catering industry as thriving. "Competition spurs excellence," he states matter-of-factly. "Catering by Design, Feastitivies, Culinary Concepts - just to name a few - are fantastic caterers in Philadelphia." Walsh says his company benefits from having such great competitors.

J. Scott Catering's experience ranges from small to large events. Walsh classifies small events as 250 guests or less, with large events being those over 250. The largest event his staff undertook thus far was a 5,000 person outdoor celebration for a regional medical center.

Regardless of whether events are large or small, Walsh recommends looking into a caterer's experience. For a large event, avoid caterers that sub-out catering staffs that are not trained. Reputable caterers should have an executive chef that has overseen multiple events of the size you need. An experienced caterer for small events will take advantage of the intimacy.

"You can truly execute creativity," Walsh explains. "Planners can take advantage of outside-the-box venues like private homes or car dealerships." Small events easily lend themselves to intricate and complex details, while large events should be simple and well planned from start to finish. In a perfect world, we would ask for continual feedback and constructive criticism from those who work with us.

Unfortunately, business relationships can become tricky and egos sometimes gather more steam than good intentions.

Caterers share our ups and downs while managing to fix any and all situations before things start to unravel. Their knowledge extends beyond the food and beverage portion of events. Their experience brings invaluable advice to planners.

From mistakes to avoid to great ideas to replicate, highly regarded caterers continually support planners in making the best events possible.

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