Catering Resources for Caterers and Event or Meeting Planners.

On-premise catering is any function - banquet, reception, or event - held on the physical premises of the establishment or facility that is producing the function, such as a hotel or club.

Off-premise catering, is when the function takes place in a remote location, such as a client's home, a park, an art gallery, or even a parking lot, where the staff, food and décor must be transported to the location. Often, off-premise catering involves producing food at a central kitchen with delivery to and service provided at a client's location. Part or all of the production of food can be executed or finished at the event location. Often, off-premise caterers must rely on generators for electricity, truck in potable water, devise a trash system, and otherwise "rough it."

Catering, both on-premise and off-premise is one of the fastest growing segments of the food-service industry, and has enjoyed success and growth over the years.

Catering can be classified as social catering or corporate (business) catering. Social catering includes weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, school reunions, birthday parties and charity events. Social catering accounts for about 25% of catering sales.

Business catering includes such events as association conventions and meetings, civic meetings, corporate sales or stockholder meetings, recognition banquets, product launches, educational training sessions, seller-buyer entertaining, service awards banquets, or hospitality suites. Business catering accounts for about 75%of all catering sales. This is due to the sheer volume of people served daily at meetings in hotels and convention centers, where meals for thousands are produced regularly.

Mobile caterers provide meal production and service on location. Somecompanies specialize in feeding forest-fire fighters, disaster-relief workers, movie or television productions, fishing/rafting excursions or construction site meals.

Hotels have the advantage because they can offer many services under one roof as well as sufficient space to house the entire event.

There are also independent banquet halls, convention centers and restairamts. Some of these venues are able to compete with hotels for the same customers because they may have more flexible price structures due to lower overhead costs.

Private clubs do a great deal of catering for their members. Country clubs concentrate on social events, such as weddings and dances. City clubs specialize in business catering, such as corporate meetings, board luncheons, and civic events.

Profit-oriented hospitals do a good amount of catering business for medical meetings and staff functions.

Contract food-service companies operate many facilities that are capable of supporting catering events. For instance, many of these firms operate food services in large office buildings, where executive dining rooms can be used to house special parties and meetings.

Light foods are served displayed buffet-style on a table, or are put on trays in the kitchen and passed by servers. Guests usually stand and serve themselves. They normally do not sit down to eat. These events are sometimes referred to as a "walk and talk." Food is "finger food" and/or "fork food." It is inappropriate to serve food that requires a knife.

Butlered hors d' oeuvres. Food is passed on trays by servers. Guests serve themselves, using cocktail napkins provided by the server. This is a typical style of service used for up-scale receptions. This style of service is only appropriate for "finger food."

Action station. Chefs prepare and serve foods at the buffet. Foods that lend themselves well to action-station service include wok stations, mashed potato bars, fajitas, pastas, grilled meats, omelets, crepes, sushi, flaming desserts, and spinning salad bowls. These stations are sometimes called "performance stations" or "exhibition cooking."