Choosing the Perfect Wedding Caterer Sydney

Having food that titillates the palate of your guests is a great way of thanking them for coming to your wedding. Selecting the ideal caterer for your wedding is one of the most important decisions you will have to make when it comes to planning your big day.

Here Are Some Tips to Help You Find The Perfect Wedding Caterer in Sydney.

Reputation and Experience

Having an experienced caterer at your wedding can help take some of the stress off the big day. Especially if you're unsure of what you want, they will be able to guide you by giving suggestions and asking the right questions to find out your needs. On an actual day, you can rest assured, knowing that the caterer will handle things smoothly. Ask your potential catering companies for client references and testimonials to help you decide.

Do Your Own Research Work

As with other wedding-related services, what better way than to seek those who have walked the path before? Ask friends and family for recommendations, but don't just stop there. Go to bridal forums on the Internet, go to the phonebook and check out bridal exhibitions and wedding magazines. Talk to your makeup artist and people in the wedding industry. You can even check with your favourite restaurant if they cater.

Price

When it comes to hiring a wedding caterer in Sydney, set a pre-determined budget so it will be easier for you to know what you have to work with. Your budget will have a big impact on the type of reception that you can have. Shop around for price quotes and make a comparative price analysis before hiring a company that offers quality services at affordable rates. It is also very important to ask about additional costs that you might incur so you won't be surprised by the final bill.

Menu and Dietary Requirements

Generally, regardless of the type of reception you will be having, it is essential to consider the different types of special dietary requirements your guests require - vegetarian, halal, diabetic, etc. Many wedding caterers will allow the bride and groom to have a complimentary sampling. So, do not be afraid to check. As for drinks, the easiest way to take care of this is to offer a full-service bar so your guests can have a choice of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Presentation Skills

Not only does the food need to taste good, but it also has to look good as well. Ask the caterer how they intend to present the food. Do they supply decorations, linens, tables & chairs? See if they can provide photos of actual events or show you a sample.

Service

How many staff will be on the job at the reception? What is the staff-to-guest ratio? A rule of thumb is one server for every 10 guests. Have they been properly trained? What's their dress code? You need to consider these factors before hiring a wedding caterer in Sydney.

Check the Terms and Conditions

Lastly, put everything down in black and white so that there won't be any misunderstanding. The contract should include event details, cost breakdown, service and staff, wine and spirits, menu as well as policies and procedures.

By following the above-mentioned tips, you can easily find the perfect wedding caterer for your special day.

7 Things To Consider When Hiring Corporate Catering Services in Sydney

Here Are Some Tips to Think About if you are Considering Hiring Corporate Catering Services in Sydney:

Book Them in Advance!

Many of the really good catering services might be booked a year in advance and certainly, most of them will need a three to six month lead time in order to properly cater to your event. Therefore, you'll need to start looking at catering services as soon as you know that you are going to need one. The further ahead you can book them the better your choices of caterers will be.

Big or Expensive Does Not Mean Better

Sometimes the biggest and most expensive corporate catering services aren't necessarily the best ones. A lot of the smaller ones may work harder as they are still building a reputation. Plus, sometimes the bigger ones use canned or packaged foods while the small ones will typically make everything from scratch.

Check Out the Extent of Their Network

The event caterers typically have a network of complementary services like florists, decorators, and disc jockeys so if you're looking for any of these services you might want to ask your caterer who they might recommend. This could end up being easier and maybe even cheaper for you.

Do Plenty of Research Before Choosing

Before you hire anyone, you want to make sure you do your due diligence. Check all references to make sure that other clients were satisfied with the job of the caterer. Also, you want to make sure that they are certified in safety procedures as well as food handling. The certification is done by your local Board of Health and they should just have it posted right in their place of business. In addition, get a copy of their liability insurance to make sure they are covered.

Never Ignore the Importance of Personal Meeting

Before you make the final deal, visit the caterers in their place of business. Oftentimes they'll have little samples of their food and you want to take advantage of this to make sure that the product tastes good.

How to Handle The Payment Issues

Usually, you'll have to give the corporate catering services in Sydney 50% upfront to confirm the reservation. The final payment is usually due to a couple of weeks before the event. If you need to cancel you want to notify the caterer as soon as you know because the sooner you can let them know the more of your deposit you will get back. Usually, however, if you cancel less than 30 days before the event you probably lose your whole deposit and maybe even a little bit more. It's always a good idea to read the fine print in your contract to find out what the penalties may be.

Have a Fixed Set of Budget

When working with an event catering service, you want to understate your budget a little bit so that you have a little wiggle room in case you have to make menu changes or add more guests. Most catered events usually end up costing more than the original quote so you can keep within your budget if you simply understate it, to begin with.

Top 4 Steak Types for A Steakhouse Restaurant Quality Steak Meal

Finding a good quality steak cut is the first step to enjoying one of life's simple pleasures. Grilling it to perfection will take some practice to get it right. But once you've got it down, you will be able to grill steaks every bit as good as what you'd get at a high-priced steakhouse restaurant in Sydney. Before you fire up that grill, you need to first make sure you are picking the best cut of meat available out there.

Here are 4 types of Superior Meat Grades that are Used by the Top-Notch Grill Houses that you can Use to Create the Finest Piece of Steak to Enjoy as your Meal.

Prime Beef 

This is the best cut that your money can buy. The marbling is excellent and only 2 percent of beef qualifies for this grade. Most Prime meat is sold to fine restaurants, but you can find it at a good butcher. If it's a special occasion, you have to go to Prime. It's tough to beat in terms of taste and juiciness. It has become easier to get this for the past couple of years, mainly because the recession has impacted the restaurant business, steakhouse restaurants included. This resulted in a supply surplus for this special cut of meat, so on a lot of occasions, you can even buy it now from your neighborhood retailers.

Certified Angus Beef 

Although not an official USDA grade, this is reserved for meat which meets strict standards for tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Only 8 percent of beef meets this standard. A lot of people prefer it over other types mainly because the marbling comes close to Prime. It is also widely available in supermarkets and much more affordable than Prime.

Choice Beef 

This is the most widely available cut and you can consider it as your second choice. The meat comes from fairly young cattle and has moderate to small amounts of marbling. The choice is an excellent value for the grill.

Select Grade Beef 

This is leaner and less expensive than a Choice grade. Since the marbling is less, the meat tends to be tougher and has fewer flavors. It is a good idea to marinate this cut before grilling or you can just go and buy the Choice cut.

Now that you have chosen the cut you like, let me give you a quick note about aging. If you happen to visit this famous steakhouse restaurant in Sydney called Elements Bar and Grill and was fortunate enough to sample their steaks, and you wonder why it tastes so much better than your backyard version, one of the major reasons for it is aging. Steak, like wine, is of the few things that get better with age. There are two types of aging for beef, dry aging, and wet aging. Both types of aging make the cuts more flavorful and tender.

In the process of dry-aging, beef is hung unwrapped in a refrigerated cooler for 3 to 6 weeks. During this time two things happen, the muscles lose up to 10 percent of their weight from moisture evaporation, concentrating the beef flavor in the meat, and the fibers in the muscle break down, making the meat more tender. Wet aging has a similar storage process except the meat is put in airtight bags so there is no loss of moisture. Wet-aged or dry-aged, it's a matter of personal preference, but both enhance the flavor of the steak.

And that concludes our primer. Now go out there and get that Prime cut and start grilling!