Beyond the Kitchen: Top 6 Reasons to Hire a Caterer
The day’s finally here– you’ve been planning this graduation party for months!
Soon, you’ll have nearly 100 people coming to help celebrate the new grad. But there’s a slight problem. People are showing up in 30 minutes, and you don't have the food ready. In fact, it won’t even be close to ready in a half hour.
Panicked, you set out what you have. Veggies, dip . . . easy enough, right? Hopefully this will be enough to feed everyone, you think, sweating over a pot of boiling macaroni, hoping you made plenty of cheese sauce for it. You’ve never prepared this much of your grandma’s mac and cheese recipe before. Overwhelmed and overstimulated, you are not ready for guests to begin arriving
I hope you can’t relate to this, but I’ve been there myself. It takes practice and letting your guard down to feel comfortable hosting. As the host, it’s important for you to be able to greet, mingle, and entertain your guests. Hiring someone to help you cook doesn’t diminish your skills– not at all. This isn’t about outsourcing a chore. When you hire someone to cater an event (no matter the size), you’re allowing yourself the space to show up as the hostess with the mostest.. Exactly who we know you are! Effortless entertainment is an art form that only an experienced caterer can help you achieve.
Imagine guests arriving (yep– some are early!), and instead of being frustrated with yourself for not getting the food started sooner, you’re able to greet them with genuine happiness– knowing the meal is covered by someone you know and trust. Bonus points: you know it’s going to be delicious.
Cooking with love is amazing, and so is being a great entertainer.
It’s okay to have help with the cooking part. It’s almost unrealistic to be a great cook and a great host at the same time. Take the pressure off— here’s 6 of the top reasons people hire a caterer!
Reclaim Your Time
No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen working when the party starts! Your presence means a lot to your guests as well as the guest of honor. When you hire a professional, you get your most prized commodity back: your time.
Professional Equipment and Safety
For the big events in life, food is memorable. Thinking of tackling it on your own? Be sure to consider refrigerator and oven space first. Most home kitchens aren’t equipped to safely hold, store, handle, and cook large amounts of food. Caterers not only take simple ingredients and know how to transform them into something delicious, but they also have the tools to make it happen in the safest, most efficient manner! Most of us eat with our eyes, so when looking at the food line, imagine seeing uniform pans of attractively placed food rather than roaster pans lined with cheap plastic and a few avocado crock pots from the ‘70s.
The Art of Portions
As a caterer, one pain point I experience all too often is people asking how much food they need to serve a certain number of people. I think the reason this bothers me so much is that when I started feeding people for a living 6 years ago, I had to figure this out the hard way and for myself. There wasn’t an easy button to tell me the amount of food people were going to eat that day. I learned the amount of food can depend on a variety of factors from the type of crowd to the time of day. There’s no way of knowing how much a group will eat; intuition is everything, and a caterer knows how to plan so you have just enough.
The real luxury of hiring a caterer? The invisible grit. The sinks full of dishes, the hours over the stove, the thoughtful tastes and love that was put into each bite. Like magic behind a curtain, having everything hot and ready to eat by a certain time is a skill… a skill we’ll call Culinary Alchemy.
Access to the Food Expert
Having a food expert cater your event makes it easier on any guests with allergies and dietary requirements. Being able to ask the person who prepared the food questions ensures what they’re eating is safe, wholesome, and exactly what they can and want to have. Thoughtful hospitality for every palate is what we strive for.
Value Beyond the Price Tag
Many people ask about our prices, and we quote catering based on the event. What we can’t always help people see is how much value lies within those prices. I would love to cook for all my favorite people for free all the time, but unfortunately that isn’t in our cards just yet. Ingredients and supplies add up, and I know exactly where to source quality ingredients for exceptional value. Time is valuable, and the hours of prepwork and cooking time add up when you’re hosting a party or holding an event somewhere. The perfect meal is a story told for years. Investing in the moment – not only the meal – is of utmost importance.
Seamless Care
Not only was this a motto of mine when working in healthcare, but it’s also something I cling to as a caterer. Hiring a caterer gives you and your event access to someone who knows how to manifest a party’s flow. Keeping the area clean, helping guests with selections, and assisting the food line are all beneficial to a great party. A caterer is like an extension of the event host. That’s next-level hosting.
Burnt appetizers? Waiting around for food at the dinner party? A frazzled host running around completing tasks at the last second? All great reasons to hire a caterer for your next large event. Hosts need to be making memories– not always the meals.
Ready to elevate your next gathering?
Let’s create a menu as unique as your event– together! Fill out our catering inquiry form to learn more about availability and service options. Discover the difference hiring Boki’s Kitchen can make. We’re always looking to connect humans through wholesome meals.