Catering in the Time of COVID
Unbeknownst to many, the foundation and the glue of every event is its catering. The catering is an aspect of your event that can truly make or break its outcome. The venue or hotel you’re hosting your event at might offer you food and drinks for your event on-site. For others, you’ll have to outsource and bring in a catering company that will hopefully leave your guests dreaming about the food for years to come.
While of course food is a central part of events, catering companies do so much more than parade around in aprons and bowties, handing out pigs-in-a-blanket to hungry guests and clearing away empty cocktail glasses. They are the literal bread and butter of every event. They manage the staffing and rentals, set up your event and break it down, manage coat check, and yep- you guessed it, they even make sure that all those dirty dishes and drinks get cleaned. So as you can see, catering companies do more than just wow your guests’ taste buds.
In New York City, the list of incredible catering companies is vast. Here at Rachel Behar Events, we prioritize setting our clients up with seasoned caterers who have ample experience in the business. Trust us when we say that without a good catering company, your event will not run seamlessly.
We are so excited to be seeing a resurgence in events. We touched base with a few of our favorite caterers to hear how they’ve been managing their business during Covid-19 and what their plans are going forward. Check out how they’re prioritizing safety and what they’re looking forward to now that events are up and running again.
Forgoing the beloved buffet
As much as the timeless buffet is an integral part of events, many catering companies are veering away from this style in order to ensure their guests’ safety. Kendra Thalman from Purslane Catering shared with us that her company is offering guests individual plated meals. In terms of securing the safety of the team, they are working in larger kitchen spaces to allow employees to work six feet apart from one another. They are also catering to smaller party sizes, so less less employees are required to staff the events.
Ross Green from Thomas Preti Events to Savor longs for the days of interacting with guests. “One of my favorite aspects of events is the interaction of giving a guest a food or drink item, describing it, and watching the smile on their face as they enjoy it. During COVID, the interaction and ‘hand off’ is unfortunately non-existent. As vaccine’s continue to get administered, I am excited for this interaction to make its way ‘back to normal,’ Green shared. Now that events are slowly springing back to life there will be a greater emphasis on the experience of food. Green’s company is creating seasonal and destination based dinner flights that can be enhanced with beverage pairings. Sounds like the dreamy getaway we could all use right now.
Vamping up the creativity
COVID-19 is forcing many companies to think outside the box. Zach Mayer from Oak and Honey Catering shared how his company is shifting away from family-style and “grazing table” spreads to what they now call “passed small plates.” The idea behind these small plates is that guests can enjoy their food while standing instead of having to sit close to one another at tables. These small plates are allowing the company to maintain the cocktail-party vibe while ensuring proper safety measures. Best of all? They are doing this without sacrificing on flavor or presentation. The vibant plates offer guests local and sustainable food bursting with flavor. Picture grilled halloumi and sweet pepper kebab with roasted beet hummus, pickled cauliflower and grilled pita or for meat lovers- grilled lamb chop with tzatziki, burnt carrots and carrot top salsa verde. While Mayer misses watching guests devouring the show-stopping spreads at the Grazing Tables, he’s looking forward to the weather warming up and catering outdoor cocktail parties.
Some catering companies are using social distancing to implement fine dining experiences for guests. Olga Svirkova from Marcey Brownstein Catering shared how her catering company is making lemonade from lemons. “As of summer 2020 we saw a shift from the super popular family style of years past to a more traditional plated approach. Since much of the reception was focused on staying within your ‘pod’ at your designated table, we were able to create really elaborate fine dining experiences. At one of my favorite fall weddings, we did a six course plated meal with a surprise amuse bouche, a cheese course and wine pairings for each course.” Another way her company has assured social distancing is by creating cute signage on the hors d’oeuvres trays so the staff don’t have to come in close contact with guests to explain what the dishes are. A dish that Olga especially loves? The farro “risotto” made with burrata, asparagus, sweet peas, parmesan & micro flowers.
Across the board, we are seeing a stark shift away from buffets to minimize interaction as much as possible. While catering companies would want nothing more than to interact with their guests, they have found pleasure in these new dining experiences which are allowing them to maintain safety protocols while still wowing their guests by the presentation and food.
