Ten Tips for Holiday Catering

The holidays are quickly approaching and this is one of the busiest times of the year for catering companies, when we are not engaged in wedding celebrations throughout the year! If you are a likeminded catering company and want to add to your lunchbox of tips and inspiration, or if you’re curious about what we do around the holiday season here are ten tips for holiday catering:

1. Start with a compelling theme. Themes for catered holiday dinner parties are fun and festive. This can be a colour scheme (red and green, anyone) or themes that take advantage of trends. Perhaps Elf on a Shelf?
2. Include onsite and offsite choices. The price should always be per person and should include some appetizers and/or hors’d oeuvres that can be passed around, salads and desserts.
3. Include the option to have a buffet or sit down menu to accommodate the range of guests, formality and traditions of the customer.
4. Start to put together a marketing plan to get the word out about your services.
5. Hold a catering event night to sell services to the general public. This is a great way to draw in new business, as customers love to meet the caterers, and try a selection of possibilities before deciding on their caterer. This could even be a significant differentiator between clients choosing your company over another.
6. If you can find 10 local businesses that are booming during the holiday season, you can invite them to a sampling menu at their location. Be sure major decision makers for the company are present. Forming partnerships with restaurants is an excellent way to drive new and recurring business for the New Year.
7. Offer a catering tasting menu to anyone interested in your catering service for the holidays. Catering companies do this for wedding receptions and they should also be delighted to offer some samples for other celebratory occasions throughout the year.
8. When the time comes for nightly catering events be sure that the head caterer has a loud and strong voice so they can be heard over many tables at once.
9. Hire your best servers to join your catering team throughout the holidays and pay them extra. This is a great way to develop your team, offer more responsibility, and some extra earning for the holiday season.
10. One of the most important tips for a catering company is to hire and train servers to be catering sales reps at events. Depending on the size of the occasion, have at least one on the floor to answer questions, ask guests how they are enjoying their evening, and to engage in conversation. The goal is to book new clients for occasions in the New Year. This is a guaranteed way to propel your business forward.

en Ville is an award-winning catering service that is committed to providing innovative, one-of-a-kind catering events in Toronto and the surrounding areas. The company was founded in 1982 by Geoffrey Johnson and is driven by a passion for excellence and a keen attention to detail. For more information contact the en Ville team at, 416-533-8800.