How To Prevent Bridal Catering Nightmares

Tales of a Bridezilla: A Caterer’s Worst Nightmare

As joyous as weddings are, they often present uniquely disastrous situations for wedding caterers and those behind the scenes.

Allergic reactions, miscommunications, and botched attempts at veganism are just some of the surprisingly common predicaments an unfortunate wedding caterer may find themselves responsible for. Any experienced wedding caterer will know how quickly things can go wrong—and as a result, how swiftly even the most elegant of brides can turn into a terrifying bridezilla.

Weddings are monumental affairs, with stakes so high that tension-fueled errors are nearly inescapable. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to prepare for and resolve them with grace.

In this post, we’ll look at some common wedding caterer catastrophes and how you can prevent them from spoiling both your own and the happy couple’s big day.

Wedding Catering Planning

4 Common Wedding Catering Problems To Look Out For

Without proper planning, there’s no short supply of wedding catering disasters waiting to happen.

Food is often the last thing on a bride’s mind, which is why full responsibility and preparation are so important for caterers to undertake.

Here are four of the most common wedding catering disasters to be wary of:

1. Misunderstood Dietary Needs

On top of guests who may have serious nut, egg, dairy, shellfish or other allergies, you’ve got vegans, gluten-free followers, and people who won’t consume refined sugar—just to name a few. Misunderstood dietary needs can ruin a wedding and even lead to hospitalization.

If someone suffers an allergic reaction or just consumes something outside of their diet because of catering negligence, you’ve got a potential lawsuit on your hands. Not to mention rather justifiable vitriol from the families and guests present.

2. Insufficient Food Supplies

The last thing a bride wants to have to do on her special day is to explain to her guests that they won’t be getting any dinner. If a caterer isn’t privy to the correct headcount at a wedding, it may lead to some very disappointed guests, and as a result, a very upset bride and groom.

3. Cold Food

Weddings are often vulnerable to delays and mishaps which draw out the event to be longer than originally expected. Food that’s prepared for a 1 PM lunch may sit for an hour or two before guests even sit down, leading to an unappetizingly cold meal at 2 PM.

If a caterer doesn’t account for some time delays, it will negatively impact the food quality. Wedding food should always be fresh, warm, and prepared within very close proximity to consumption.

4. Late or Tardy Service

In contrast to cold, stale food, food not yet prepared or too few staff who are unable to prepare and serve it on time present the opposite problem. By the time guests have sat through a ceremony, some speeches, and possibly several venue changes, the last thing they want to do is wait for their food.
Late service leaves a very poor impression on guests, and can quickly turn the atmosphere of even the most beautiful wedding sour. If a bridezilla is lying dormant within the blushing bride, tardy, irresponsible service will wake it up.

5 Solutions To Remember

wedding catering problemsDespite the many traps waiting to snap up unsuspecting caterers, there are certain tactics you can use to ensure they never have an opportunity to arise.
With the right attitude towards planning, preparation, and communication, you can successfully avoid e en the worst disasters.

Here are four solutions to the above-listed problems that every wedding caterer should have in their arsenal:

1. Thorough Communication

When it comes to catering for a wedding, we can not emphasize enough the importance of clear, thorough communication. Caterers need to know all about the big day, and even aspects like the color scheme and flowers are important considerations. But the biggest concern is allergens and dietary requirements. The only way to avoid serving your bride and her party food that could cause harm or go against their diet is to discuss their needs at length well before you develop the menu.

Make sure to collect information on every allergen and diet-restricted guest who is attending, and prepare accordingly. Be ruthless in your commitment to exactitude. And don’t forget to label every hors d’oeuvre on the table with their respective contaminants if this is a concern.

2. Meticulous Inventory

The only way to prevent a stock shortage is to take a “more is more” approach to inventory. Most caterers and banquet events have a standard of about a 10% to 15% allowance for additional guests above and beyond the guaranteed number. Be sure to discuss this with the bride and wedding organizer and make it emphatically clear that you will only have enough food for this number of people.

Impromptu, unlisted invites often get sent out, and brides are notorious for making last-minute changes to their guest list. Leftover food is a much smaller problem than insufficient portions. If there is substantial food left over after the meal, it can get donated to staff, a nearby shelter, or simply given to the bride and groom’s family. Just be sure to include the extra food costs in your budget and the final bill.

3. Backup Burners

Because despite a schedule, one can never truly know when the guests will be ready to eat. In the event of a delayed ceremony or a fainting groom, the food must have a way to stay warm and fresh until everyone is ready to sit down and tuck in. Even great plating won’t make up for ice-cold food.

Backup burners should be a staple for any caterer, but this is especially true for weddings. Portable burners are easy to travel with, simple to set up, and well worth the cost for the value they bring to just about any catering job. Hot meals equal happy clients.

4. Trained Employees on Standby

Having several reliable staff trained and ready to go is essential for a successful wedding meal. Hiring a few extras in case of a rush might seem unnecessary, but the value and efficiency they bring are certainly worth the effort.

Make sure your employees are all professional, prepared, and well-trained to prevent avoidable hiccups and ensure that you’re delivering smooth service to expectant guests.
At the end of the day, all a bride and her guests want is to be fed well, and on time. With enough preparation, proactivity, and attention to detail, it’s possible to elude even the most monstrous of bridezillas.

 

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Why Is Pastry Certification Important?

Why Is Pastry Chef Certification Important?

If you are thinking about opening a small bakery or starting an online pastry shop, you might be asking yourself: Do I need a pastry chef certification? While getting a formal education is not a strict necessity, a certificate has many advantages that can launch your career and ensure you succeed. Please read on to learn more about the importance of pastry certification and the benefits that come with it.

Pastry Chef Certificationimage source: Pexels

Why You Need to Get Formal Training

The world of baking is full of small details and technicalities. The secret to delicious cookies and other baked goods is not only in the ingredients but the skills of the chefs and the minor details they pay attention to in perfecting their craft. You need to learn these skills and techniques if you are serious about baking. The question is if you will master them with the help of certified teachers, or from blog posts and trial and error.

If you decide to learn by yourself, you have to count on your dedication and commitment, which can be harder than it sounds without a well-educated tutor to guide you. You may think that you will dedicate all your free time to learning these techniques, but you will probably need someone to push and motivate you.

Learning by yourself can also be very risky and time-consuming. Many of the available tutorials are not created by expert pastry chefs, and not all of them give you the correct information. It is also tricky to know where to start and where to go from there. On the other hand, a curriculum created by trained professionals is laid out in such a way to make the most of your time and give you the correct information so you can become a successful pastry chef.

Benefits of Getting a Pastry Certification

Learning accurate techniques in a time-efficient manner is not the only perk of attending a formal pastry course. You do not have to go to the top culinary schools in the world to get a certificate. A credible local school will do the job and give you a pastry chef certification that has numerous benefits. Let’s look at some of these benefits.

Learn All the Skills You Need

Formal training and pastry certification will give you a more expansive skill set and prepare you thoroughly for your future business. Some of the topics you can expect to learn in most pastry programs include:

  • Nutrition
  • Food safety and sanitation
  • Food preparation fundamentals
  • Baking techniques like laminated doughs, cookies, pies, and custards
  • Cake baking and decoration
  • Plating and pastry arts
  • Culinary management

Learn the Science Behind the Techniques and Build Good Habits

Pastry schools not only teach you the necessary techniques but the scientific reasons behind them. Once you learn why you have to rest your dough for a certain period, mix specific ingredients, or bake at a particular temperature, you are less likely to make a mistake. Even if something goes wrong and the result does not turn out as you expected, you can use your knowledge and find the source of the problem to prevent it from happening in the future. Applying what you learn correctly under the supervision of instructors will also lead to you building good habits that you will practice for the rest of your culinary career.

Learn about pastry chef certificationimage source: Pexels

Start Your Career on the Right Foot

Starting in the baking business does not require you to have a pastry certification. However, if you are a beginner and plan on getting employed, it will be harder for you to do so without something to show to prove your knowledge. A pastry certificate can go a long way toward making your chef’s resume shine. It can set you up for success by proving to the employers that you have the necessary basic skills and discipline to thrive in this business.

A pastry chef certificate is beneficial even if you plan to start your own business. It can show potential investors that you know what you are doing and can grow a successful business.

Start With Connections

One of the best advantages of getting a pastry certificate is the people you meet during your program. Your fellow, like-minded classmates can help you on your journey to getting a degree and even play a role in your future success as a pastry chef. Your instructors, who will most likely be professional chefs, can become lifetime friends and mentor you whenever you need help. Therefore, attending a course will give you more than just an education. It will help you build strong relationships with pastry enthusiasts in the industry and grant you access to other chefs which can be beneficial throughout your career.

Additional Certifications You Must Have to Start Your Pastry Business

A pastry diploma is not the only certification you need for opening your baking business. There are other safety-related certifications you must have to be able to run your business legally and avoid being shut down. Here are two of them.

Food Safety Certification

You must obtain a food safety certification before you open your bakery. To receive this certification, you must attend a course on general safety practices, foodborne diseases, proper storage techniques, and ingredients and equipment handling. After completing the course, you have to pass the qualifying exam to prove you are ready to run your own business safely. Without this certification, you put the lives of your customers and the overall success of your shop at risk.

Bakery Site Inspection

Getting a certificate from the Department of Health for the site of your pastry shop is also a necessary step before you start baking. Health inspectors must check the physical place where you plan on setting up shop, storing ingredients, and baking to ensure they comply with safety regulations and are at the minimum risk of spreading foodborne illnesses. If you start a baking business without this certificate, authorities will shut you down immediately.

Get Pastry-certified for a Successful Career!

Pastry chefs have thrived with and without certifications, but getting one can be a great addition to your resume. It can give you the credibility and knowledge to run a successful pastry shop. So take the first step toward obtaining a pastry certification today and ensure your long-term success!

 

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