If you work in the event planning business, you probably have a lot of experience with other professionals who are part of putting together a great event. You will be dealing with caterers more than any other professional, so you need to understand their special language. There are terms used in most professional fields and if you know the shorthand, you can get by just fine. BBQ catering and corporate catering professionals will use a lot of the same words, so no matter what the purpose of your event, you will understand what is happening. If you are new to event planning, it is important to have a general idea what is going on. You do not want to have to stop the caterer every few minutes and ask what he is talking about. Take time to do your research, look up the terms, and understand everything that is going on during your event.

The first term you need to know is Sommelier. A Sommelier is a catering expert that specializes in wine. He or she must be educated in a certain way and pass tests in order to call themselves a Sommelier. Tasting is another term and it is often associated with wines. However, it also applies to an event that takes place prior to an event. A tasting allows you to sample the foods or beverages that you will be serving at your event. When having a tasting, make sure your caterer pairs the beverages that will be served with the food and that you sample each and everything that will be served at the event.

The pre-head is another term that applies to things that occurs leading up the event. Per-head is the way in which most caterers charge for their services. You will likely pay per guest, which is the “head” and you will need to pay based on your total given before the event, whether that is who attends the event or not. When working with a caterer, be sure to ask how they handle charges for other vendors you are responsible for having to feed, as well as children who are likely to eat less than adults.

There are several options for food service when hosting an event. You will be able to choose from butler style, white glove service, family style, plated or sit-down dinners, and buffets. Each of these is a different style in terms of formality, so it will set the tone for other things at your event. For instance, buffet style meals are rarely served buffet style. Likewise, it is unusual for white glove service to occur at an event that is casual.

In addition to food service, there are different ways of providing the guests at your event with drinks. You can have a cash bar which requires guests to pay for their own drinks. This is not all that different than going into a restaurant or bar for a drink. No-host bar is the same as cash bar and means guests are paying their own way. A beer and wine bar means guests can drink as much beer and wine as they choose, but no hard liquor is served. Host bar means the event hosts are paying for the drinks and there is probably a time limit. Open bar means the hosts have paid and guests are not responsible for payment. Open and host bar are pretty much the same thing.

Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter plans on using a Roseville BBQ catering for his company’s picnic. He made arrangements to have a Sacramento corporate catering company to provide food and drinks for the awards banquet.

Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: Roseville BBQ catering,Sacramento corporate catering