Between the hard way and the simple way route, which would you choose? Most people would go for the simple way out. The reason is the simple way is easy and has few risks involved. Who would not want that? Only that it is not the wise and preferable choice to make if you don’t want regrets. Well, it is no different when you want to go for barbecue catering. You need to manage the numbers involved so that you can ensure that your BBQ event will be successful when it comes to food and beverages as well as help to keep you within your budget.
Gauge the number of people
This is the most crucial factor to know, or rather have a rough estimate of the number of people attending your event. As a result, you will have a rough idea of the amount of food you will order and as well work out your logistics smoothly. This will save you, time, money and of course the ugliest three letter words! Having the number of your guests in the picture will save you from overspending on excess food and also the embarrassment of having your guests leaving empty stomachs after gracing your event.
In order to determine the number of your guests, one way is through the invitation cards. You know the RSVP part? Good since this section, as most people don’t know or even bother to understand, should contain the response service. The response/ or feedback can be an email address, contacts of the event hosts, or any other means to give a feedback. These services will facilitate responses, whereby your invited guests can get back to confirm their attendance.
With a rough figure of the guests attending, you can now be able to make your estimation basing on the fact that there are those who confirm their coming but will not come, while others will crash! Bearing this in mind, it is therefore wise and advisable to include a 10% buffer when ordering food because it's better to have it remain rather than to send your guests back hungry!
Do the math
This is why it's good to love math! Now you have your estimated and anticipated guests. You should hence work with the estimated guests plus the buffer. Assume your guests will be 50, plus the 10% buffer to become 55. So you will order food for 55 guests.
Since you have your estimated number, start working on the specifics of the food you will order starting with the meat. You need to know how much meat you will order. If your event will include both adults and children, the average adults should consume at most 1/3 pound and at least 1/2 pound of the whole meat. To determine the amount of meat (pounds) you require, take the total number of guests including the buffer, then divide by 3 to get the minimum amount of meat recommended for ordering. In your case, it's 18 pounds of meat. To get the maximum recommended meat to order, take the number of guests again and divide by 2, in your case it's 28 pounds.
Sides are no different. One gallon is recommendable (four quarts) of the total sides per 10 people. In this case, you would need 6 gallons and these can be split up amongst any number of different sides. It is worth noting that too much variety to the event could result to running out of the favorite side while there will be too much or the least favorite left. It is therefore highly recommendable to go for two sides and at most three.
The other very important aspect of the food is the beverages. They are highly dependent on the serving cups, ice and your group. Nevertheless, it is recommended to go for a minimum one gallon of tea for 10 people. In this case, you would need 6 gallons of tea in order for everyone to have some. It is recommendable to ensure 2.5 gallons of tea to 10 people since an average person consumes 2.5 drinks in the whole period of the event. In your this case, it would be 15 gallons.
Serving proportions
The numbers you are working with are meaningful if the food is served as calculated to the guests. It is therefore wise to serve normal proportions until everyone is served. After, you can serve the remaining food to the guests who would want more. It is also wise to consider the additional items that are usually included such as the onions, pickles, bread, sauce, as well as utensils. This is useful for estimating the final cost.
Choosing the caterer
Barbecue caterers are not all equal. This means that you should try comparing as many providers as possible till you get the best caterer who can work within your budget without compromising the menu you want. You are now well informed on the key factors you need to consider when you go for BBQ catering in Brampton. If you want a hassle-free experience for your next BBQ party, do try our catering services!