Dizcover Blog

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Saturday 15 November 2008

So, you want to be a caterer?

It's not that hard, you already know how to cook, right? Well just think a little bigger, upgrade your cooking utensils, have some business cards made and you're almost set. Of course, depending on where you live, you will need to contact you county or city government, to see what regulations and rules if any there are to follow. If you do the cooking in your kitchen, you will have to go through an inspection and obtain a business license. There will be a fee for the license.

Next, sit down and decide what kind of food you would enjoy cooking, and then be prepared to experiment with all kinds of dishes. Why you ask, because everyone has different taste and what you like, someone else may turn their nose up at. You can put together sever menus for each meal of the day, for tea parties, birthdays, and for dessert get togethers.

You can start small, by printing your own flyers, leaving them on mail boxes and bulletin boards. Then as business builds, hopefully from word of mouth since I know you will do good, you can place ads in the printed newspapers, magazines, as well as online. Remember though, don’t get in over your head, and schedule your engagements correctly by giving yourself enough time to prepare those wonderful dishes, so your business will boom.

Now, let’s talk about those utensils in your cabinet. Of course, you will need to upgrade them to a nicer quality, if you don’t already have them. You will need extra muffin pans, cookie sheets, serving platters, tea cups, serving utensils and lots of linens. Yes, real linens, customers love that fabric and hate the paper and plastic. Your fridge may need to be a little larger or have a spare in the basement or garage. I personally like having an extra just to hold completed dishes waiting to be delivered. Speaking of delivering, think about your vehicle too. It’s a little hard to cater a wedding for 600 with a VW….just a thought.

When it’s time to go shopping for ingredients, buy in bulk, it’s cheaper and besides, you are going to need the larger quantities. The wholesale clubs are a great place to get everything you need, food wise, but you might want to check out the farmer’s markets for those hard to find ingredients. Oh, and yes, please use as many fresh ingredients as possible, your dishes with taste heavenly. In just about every major city, you will find a restaurant supplier, check them out for you linens and utensils. You can usually get in with your business license.

Ok, you’ve got the basics, think about it some more and take that step to becoming a super star of a caterer! All of the things mentioned here are things your can research online for help.

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