There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being surrounded by family and friends. Whether you’re celebrating a graduate, welcoming a new baby, or hosting a family reunion, time spent with the people you love most in the world is what life is all about.
But perhaps the most stressful aspect of any gathering is the food. If you’re the host, you must decide if you will handle it all yourself or ask guests to bring a dish to pass. You must determine the type of food, accommodate any dietary restrictions, and do all the clean-up. On top of all your other duties as host, food management throughout the event can make your own experience a stressful hassle.
If you’re planning a party, carefully consider the three main approaches to food preparation before you commit to your usual method. There may be more options out there than you think.
1. Do it all yourself
Depending on your cooking skills, this first approach to hosting may be the most stressful of the bunch. A host who commits to preparing and serving all the food their guests will expect must be prepared to put in many hours of preparation and cleanup. In addition, the host must have the food ready at the right time during the event and be able to serve it in a timely manner.
Ask yourself if you want to be focused on the food throughout most of the gathering, or if you want a more hands-off approach so you can enjoy the event. It is possible to prepare the food yourself and ask others to serve it, but keep in mind this requires selecting menus that can be almost entirely prepared ahead of time.
Don’t forget to account for the size of the party, either. Even an accomplished home cook may find preparing a meal for thirty-five people challenging. Be honest with yourself about your level of experience when it comes to meals of this size.
2. Plan a potluck
A compromise between doing it yourself and outsourcing food preparation is hosting a potluck-style meal. This requires asking your guests to bring food along with them to share with everyone.
A few important details should be communicated to guests along with the request for food:
- Style of meal. If the event is a brunch or an appetizer buffet, be sure to state that.
- Food serving requirements. Make it clear if you need guests to bring their food completely ready to serve, including utensils, or if you plan to arrange the meal on your own servingware.
- Timing. Communicate not just the time of the party, but the time the meal will be eaten. This may affect crockpot settings or the condition in which food arrives at the event.
- Dietary restrictions. If any guests have allergies or intolerances, make sure that at least one or two dishes will be available for them to eat. Ask guests to clearly label their food for safety.
- Amount of food needed. If you are asking three people to bring a green salad, make sure they know that. Otherwise, each person might bring enough salad for the whole group!
While the potluck approach can take some of the burden of purchasing and preparing food off the host, it still requires a fair amount of coordination among all the guests. The host is responsible for spearheading this effort. If that still sounds like too much stress, catering might be a better option.
3. Hire catering
While many write off catering as unaffordable or logistically complex, the right service provider can take the food stress completely off the shoulders of the host and their guests.
When selecting a catering service, be sure to ask if you will have an assigned contact person to turn to with questions that may arise. Communicate the needs of your guests in the same way you would for a potluck. Things like dietary restrictions, pickup versus delivery, and servingware should all be part of your initial conversation.
If you’re worried about cost or logistics, a small business or locally-owned company might be your best bet. These service providers can often be more flexible to accommodate your needs than big name restaurants, and pricing is similar to or even lower than chain options.
You might not know that Country Dairy has a catering service available. From breakfast to dinner, foods like burritos, sandwiches, and goulash give you options. You will work directly with the family-owned company to specify your group’s needs. You can choose pickup or delivery, or if you’re looking for a location for your gathering, consider renting Country Dairy’s Moo School building, too.
If a last minute party has landed on your plate, Country Dairy can accommodate requests just a week in advance. Whether you’re hosting a big reunion or a small celebration, Country Dairy can work with you to take the stress of food preparation off your shoulders. Call 231-259-0515 to reserve your spot today.