Serving large groups of people requires a plan of action to get them fed efficiently and with the highest quality product. Buffet lines are a great method to serve groups with ease. A little planning goes a long way to ensure each guest enjoys their meal whether they are the first or last person in line. As specialists in large scale catering, here are a few tips to help you get your buffet line just right.
Once you have a set menu, make sure to have the right number of chafing dishes to serve the food.
This includes items like chafing fuel and ice to keep your hot products hot, and cold products cold. Depending on the size of the group, it may be necessary double up on high demand products. It is important to keep things moving and avoid guests waiting for dishes to be refilled. Each portion of the meal should have its own serving utensil, and somewhere to lay the utensil in between each use.
Start your line with plates, napkins, and silverware. Following the cutlery, serve proteins, sides, any toppings or condiments, and desserts. If you are serving a limited amount of one product that will be in high demand, place this product at the end to ensure it is evenly distributed through the serving period. We recommend placing more napkins at the end of the table as well. Create a separate station for drinks.
Presentation is important in a buffet line.
Regularly clean the tops of your chafing dishes, tables and serving utensils. As guests move through your line, things will get messy. Have a plan to keep things tidy. If you’re catering a themed event, add décor throughout the line to enhance the experience.
It’s important to have knowledge of how to properly prepare and store food for the safety of your guests. RH Events & Catering food managers are ServSafe Certified. This verifies that the managers have sufficient food safety knowledge to protect those consuming the meal. Contact us today to start planning your next catered event.
