The Most Essential Steps to Cater for Small Groups

Let's face it! Somehow, we all have a mindset of limiting professional catering services to events with large guest lists. But that's not actually how things work. A multitude of catering services cater to small events. From breakfast and lunch meetings to tea or finger food parties at the personal or corporate level, they can be best served with Brisbane's top-notch catering service like Hey,Crois!

If you plan on arranging catering service for an event featuring smaller groups, this blog has got you covered with its set of tips, tricks, and loads more. So, without any further ado, let's just dive right in to begin the journey of exploration!

The Art of Catering for Small Group

Small group catering doesn't come with that much hassle. It can be effectively managed in-house, but to ensure optimal satisfaction of your clients or employees and eliminate the chances of errors, choosing a reliable catering service is a great idea. These catering companies will take care of everything from dietary restrictions to perfect presentation. 

Also, how much you should order remains a mystery. Hitting the balance between less and too much food can be a daunting requirement to meet. You have to consider certain factors and ask your caterer to prepare extra food so you can quickly get it delivered if needed. It doesn't end at this; loads more need your attention. Hop on below to explore!

Key Considerations for Small Group Catering

Let's now have a glance at the topmost important considerations for event organizers of small groups. 

Step 1: Event Vibes and Timing

Your event’s menu must be in accordance with the timing of your event. For instance, if you are arranging a gathering at morning tea, late afternoon gathering, or casual evening hangout, your menus will vary accordingly. Some of the best options to rely on for each timing include:

Morning Tea: Mini croissants, Danish box, Veggies frittatas, Finger Viennese, Apple Cinnamon muffins, and loads more. See more ideas here.

Afternoon Gathering: Beef pies, pastry finger food, Mixed sausage rolls, Salmon and Chicken Mushroom Quiche, Crudities dips, etc. 

Casual Evening Hangouts: Seasonal fruit platter, Finger sandwiches, Spinach feta sausages, Cheese platter, Antipasto platter, Rice paper rolls, etc

Step 2: Dietary Preferences and Needs

When deciding on the menu, one of the most important steps is dealing with dietary preferences and needs. The first step is to determine if any of your guests are struggling with food allergies or following a specific diet. Once done, research about that specific diet and sort out which meal options would be the best to arrange. 

Some important menu options for the most common dietary restrictions are listed below; let’s have a look!

Vegan: Fairy bread, Chiko rolls, Tim tams, Pies, Pavlova, Coconut Rice Bowls, veg salads, Vegan tacos, Vegan sandwiches, and more. 

Vegetarian: Leek and pumpkin quiche, Mega veggie and halloumi frittata, Zucchini and halloumi slice, Ricotta zucchini rolls, etc. 

Gluten-Free: Hummus and Veggie Lettuce Wraps, Veggie Omelet, Grilled Chicken with Asparagus and Quinoa, Gluten-free salads, etc.

Lactose-Free: Spanish Rice Bowl, Mexican Chipotle Chicken, Pistachio Crumbed Chicken, Vietnamese Shaking Beef, etc. 

Step 3: Serving Sizes Simplified

Last but not least, you should master the art of ordering the right amount of food. This requires avoiding food waste and hungry guests by learning how much to order per person.

You can ask your caterer about the suggested serving sizes for professional assistance. Simply put, assume one person eats 1.5 pounds of food. Here, your event timing also matters. If you are arranging a lunch meeting, small portions will work. However, if your meeting is anticipated to last 4 to 5 hours, your guests will surely need second or third meals or tea to restore their energy and work more productively. 

Bonus Tip: One shortcut you can consider is to order individually packed meal boxes. This way, you can save money on cutlery serving staff, ensuring no food wastage, as one can carry their meal box along with them.

Tips for Successful Catering

Here are some quick tips for assisting you in ensuring an amazing culinary experience for your guests:

Tip 1: Craftsmanship Matters

This is something not even a single person in the world can deny. Craftmanship, experience, expertise, and excellence are the keys to recognizing the true talent. Research well, pinpoint the potential caterers of your area, and explore their customers’ reviews to get insights into their services. 

Here, Hey,Crois! takes the lead. Our catering service understands the true meaning of expertise and excels in crafting scrumptious pastries and dishes – all with love. 

Tip 2: Dietary Diplomacy

Don’t get perplexed when hearing about the dietary restrictions. Instead, you should gracefully embrace them and look for different ways to incorporate these needs into your meals. So far, these have become common thingies, and multiple caterers offer special dietary menus. 

Ask your caterers beforehand if they are willing to accommodate these requirements. Also, ask them to be way cautious to avoid any sort of contamination with the allergens, as it can be devastating for sure. 

Tip 3: Presentation Magic

Have you ever been attracted to food just because its presentation is too tempting? So, why not ensure the same for your guests? Bound your caterer to come up with exceptional plating and presenting ideas. Each dish should be well-presented using fresh ingredients and multiple presentation techniques. 

If you are not booking serving staff, you can master a few plating skills or ask anyone from your team to do so. These will prove helpful in the long run. 

Hey, Crois: Your Best Bet for Catering in Brisbane!

If you are looking for your best caterer in Brisbane, check out our website. We offer a wide of menu items that meet specific timing catering requirements, food restrictions and delivery requests. 

From show-stealing pastries to pies, quiches, danish boxes, sandwiches, and more, we offer multiple options to lure guests. However, if you ask about a few hot items, they are listed below. 

Our Most Popular Orders

Sweet mini croissants collection: Who doesn’t love croissants? These must-have team staples have crisp exteriors with melting-in-mouth filling. This box includes 16 croissants in two different flavors. You get eight mini Almond Croissants and eight mini Pain Au Chocolates. Their flaky, buttery, and flavorful creations will surely leave your guests craving more.

Mixed mini danish box: Wait, what? Do your guests love Danish? Considering our most popular mixed Danish box to satisfy their sweet tooth cravings with tea or after a meal. Each box has 4 Mini Pain Au Chocolate, 4 Apple Danish, and 4 Blueberry Danish. This means you can taste three different Danish flavors in one box. That's truly worth a try!

Hot pastry finger food platter: Next comes the hot pastries! This box features 44 heavenly delish pastries filled with the goodness of savory fillings. Each box features 8 Spinach Feta Rolls (V), 14 Beef Sausage Rolls, 8 American Hot Dog Wraps, 8 Cheese and Bacon Rolls, and 6 Beef Party Pies.

Medium triangle sandwich platter: We have the must-have staples no matter what event you are organizing. With this box, you can create a lasting impression on your clients, be it a breakfast, lunch, tea party, or whatever. The best part? You can also get the filling customized to cater to dietary requirements.

Each box includes:

• Ham, cheese, tomato
• 10% Salad and cheese (vegetarian)
• Turkey with cranberry sauce
• Roast beef, tomato relish sauce
• Silverside with pickles
• Chicken, lettuce, mayo

A Glimpse at the Ordering Process

After going through the above details, you must wonder how to order from "Hey, Crois!" To ensure your ultimate comfort, we offer online booking services. All you need to do is to follow the following steps:

• Step 1: Go to the “Hey, Crois!” and browse the menu by scrolling up and down. Hit the” Add To Cart” button below the items you want to order. 
• Step 2: Right when you click the button, mini cart will pop up. Tap the “Continue Shopping “button if you want to continue browsing the menu. Otherwise, hit “Go To Cart”. 
• Step 3: Select a suitable date and time for delivery or pickup and tap on the “Checkout” button. Next step, entering your details and making an online payment transfer. Our automated system will send a confirmation email with a tax invoice. 

Wrapping It Up!

That was all about catering for small groups, whether invited to morning breakfast, lunch meetings, or just a meetup. Throughout this blog, we have highlighted multiple aspects that can help you organise a successful work event or a small family gathering. So, if you are ready to feast? Explore Hey, Crois!'s catering options now, and contact us for your catering needs. We're excited to make your next small group gathering a mouthwatering success!