Make Sure You Select the Right Type of Storage Boxes For Your Needs

When you have a business that requires you to run any sort of event, whether it’s a competition, an annual general meeting, a presentation of your products, a dance class, a history lecture, or anything else at all, you almost always have a lot of “stuff” that you need to transport to the venue in which it is being held. Even if it is held on your own premises, if it is not a one-off, there will be things that you need to store and re-use. If you hold the event four times a year or only once a year you need to be able to access all the bits and pieces that you need quickly and easily.

Of course, the more events you hold the more “stuff” you have. These could be notepads and pens for attendees, lanyards for your staff, booklets, small samples of a product, and much, much, more.

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How to Win New Clients for Your Catering Business

The catering industry has a great deal of potential for new businesses who can target the right markets. However, there are also a huge amount of competitors who are all trying to make a name for themselves.

To cut through the noise, we’ve outlined a few ways to brand and market yourself so you can win the kind of clients you want.

• Sampling and tester sessions

An old trick but a good one. Let your potential buyers develop a taste for what you can offer for free and start building up exposure in your market. Whether you are setting up a tasting stall at a wedding fair, giving samples to people on the street or delivering food to people’s desks, this is a great way to show people you can deliver quality food.

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What Equipment Do I Need For My Catering Business?

Don’t underestimate how much equipment you need to start and continually run a successful catering business, whether this is from the comfort of your own home or from a rented facility.

Ultimately, the type of equipment you need will always depend on the type of food you are cooking and the amount of people you need to feed.

Certain meals and menus will be incredibly easy to prepare in large amounts, such as sandwiches or large stews, however, others will require more specialised cooking and preparation methods.

The Basics

For the most basic catering operations, you’ll need refrigerators to keep supplies fresh, storage space for your stock, cooking equipment (including an oven, hob, fryer, and maybe a grill) and general food preparation and serving equipment like chafing trays.

If you are catering for a wedding, you will also need a number of tables, clothes and serving counters to function with the layout and style of the wedding event.

Sometimes, you won’t actually need to own every single piece of equipment you need. For instance, you can rent many of the essentials as and when you need them, such as catering boxes, glasses, plates and cloths. This should help reduce the cost of buying expensive and high quality items.

Always make a plan

There is a careful balance you need to strike when buying your catering equipment. You don’t want to get too excited and buy huge amounts of plates or knives when you just don’t need them. Equally, if you don’t have everything you need, you could be unprepared for various culinary challenges.

Detail all the equipment you might need in your business plan and factor this into your investment costs and profit forecasts.

Don’t forget about storage items and utensils

When you’ve factored in the larger pieces of equipment into your costs, don’t forget to calculate how much all the smaller things will add up to, including utensils and attached lid containers in the UK, for example. Costs will vary internationally so you might be able to buy your products in bulk depending on the supplier you choose.

• Knives
• Tongs/ Spatulas/ Serving spoons
• Sauce dispensers
• Chopping boards
• Peelers/ graters for peeling root vegetables and zesting rinds onto dishes
• Scales
• Mixing bowls
• Thermometers
• Can openers
• Containers (detached and attached lid containers, UK.)

If you’re a mobile catering business, then you’ll need a slightly different set of equipment to support your business, including an actual van or truck!

Essentials

You’ll need a regular supply of essential items to keep your catering business running. These things are often overlooked, and when added to the total sum needed to complete a catering job, the cost can be quite high. There are hundreds of online destinations where you can order these items on wholesale to get a good price.

• Blue roll
• Vinyl gloves
• Baking parchment
• Foil
• Clingfilm
• Cleaning spray
• Washing up liquid
• Sponges

Storage / takeaway boxes (aluminium, attached lid containers (UK), recyclable forks and knives.)