How to Plan and Execute Festival Catering

Food & Cooking Blog

Most caterers make a killing during festivals by selling food and drinks to revellers. In this article, you will learn how to plan and execute festival catering. 

Know your buyers. 

Music festivals will likely attract a younger crowd, comprising mostly people below thirty years. On the other hand, food, film, car, cultural and sports festivals may attract all kinds of people. Your business model must be suited to adjust to your client's needs. For example, the youth may be more interested in fast food such as fries and burgers, while the older generation may want healthier foods, a vegetarian diet and fresh juices.

Choose a menu. 

When creating a menu, consider the following; 

  1. What will you specialise in? You cannot serve all kinds of foods. Therefore, your menu should comprise a few foods and drinks only.
  2. How long will the food take to prepare? People will want instant food since they want to go back to the event grounds.
  3. How easy is it to eat the food? Avoid foods that require a lot of cutlery since some people will eat while standing.
  4. How many portions will you serve? Be economical but ensure the portions will leave your customers full.  

Decide on pricing.

If you have not provided catering services at a past event, ask other caterers how they price their foods. Your pricing must be competitive to cut out your competition. Set minimal profit margins since you will serve hundreds or thousands of people for the few days that you will be selling at the festival. Do not forget extra costs such as labour, vending fees, transport and energy. You must also decide how customers will pay for their food. If they have to wait, issue order receipts. Some people prefer to use credit cards to avoid being targets for pickpockets during festivals. 

Prepare your staff. 

The people you hire to serve customers at your stall must be experienced in festival catering. Prepare them to deal with drunk and stubborn customers. Also, inform them how many hours they will be working each day. If the festival lasts a few days, have teams working in shifts. Hygiene should be your top priority; your employees and the working place must be clean. 

Choose a location. 

Choose a convenient location for your stand. Have a tent or use a van to protect food and equipment from harsh weather. If possible, erect hanging umbrellas and have chairs and tables where your customers can sit. 

When planning to provide catering services at a festival, know your customers, choose a menu, determine the pricing, prepare your staff and choose a convenient location. 

If instead you would rather be able to enjoy food prepared by someone else, contact one of the many catering services out there.

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19 April 2019

Fran's Food Blog

There is nothing better than spending some time in the kitchen preparing a healthy and tasty meal. For many years, I was afraid of cooking. I didn't think that I had the skills to make food so I used to rely on microwave meals. However, all of that changed when I met a wonderful man. He was a chief and he loved food so much that you couldn't spend more than a couple of minutes around him without falling in love with good food. He has taught me lots of cooking skills which have enabled me to embrace the world of food.