Throwing an impressive party or other social event requires a lot of skills and experience, especially when it comes to food and drinks. Since a large part of every gathering is spent behind the table, the food should be fresh, delicious, and made out of high quality ingredients. If you don’t feel like cooking for dozens of people at once, you can hire a caterer who will help you organize a perfect party. Here is how to choose a decent caterer for your event.
Throw a perfect party with Jiji
Use different sources
The easiest way to look for a caterer is to go on Jiji and check out their catering services section, where the best caterers from all of Nigeria advertise their services. Moreover, you can post ads like “Caterer needed for a wedding” on Facebook and other social media, and just wait for the responses. Plus, a foolproof way to find a good caterer is to listen to word of mouth: if any of your friends or family members have thrown parties recently, they can refer you to a caterer if they were impressed with the catering service at the event.
Choose the necessary services
As a rule, every reliable caterer has a specialty. Some specialize in small, intimate events that can be serviced by a single caterer, while others prefer to work on large parties like weddings. If you’ve found a caterer who claims he can do all kinds of events, regardless of their size, it can be s sign of a caterer not knowing his specialty, which can result in unsatisfying performance.
Next you need to decide what kinds of services are required for your party. A small family event can be successfully catered by a single person who will run the food and drinks – you can even do an event without a server if you’re ready to handle the food out by yourself. Larger events may need more than one caterer and a staff of waiters, so make sure in advance that your caterer can handle large-scale events and has the equipment and staff to do it.
Find out everything about the food
If you want your party to be a success instead of a health hazard or simple disappointment, make sure to find out how the caterer is going to prepare your food. First ask where the caterer buys his groceries – established caterers often have contracts with food providers who can guarantee the highest quality of the products. Next make sure the caterer doesn’t use any frozen products or foods that were prepared in advance – not only they can lower the overall quality of the food, but they can also lead to health problems among your guests.
Estimate the costs
No matter if you’re throwing a small family dinner party or a wedding for 200 guests, the food can take up to half of your event planning budget, which means that the price of the food is an important aspect of choosing a caterer. One of the first things you discuss with your potential caterer at the first meeting is the overall cost of the services. In order to get the most precise quotation, you need to know exactly what kind of food you want to be served and how many guests there will be. Be wary of a caterer who is ready to drop the prices just to get hired – there is a good chance the quality of the food will drop as well.
