If there is one thing that brings people together – it’s a buffet. Whether you’re catering for large events, special occasions, or smaller functions, buffets offer an endless array of flavours and choices that should cater to every palate and customers are always excited to get stuck in. In this blog, we will give you 5 top tips on how to navigate your buffet like a pro and keep your guests satisfied.
Tip 1 – staff training
Ensure staff are trained on the food options available and that regular temperature checks are carried out to follow safety requirements and quality. Also encourage staff to keep an eye on the food levels throughout the event, so they know when to replenish with less wait times for guests.
Make sure to train staff on catering for allergies too, for more support on this check out our previous blog which is packed full of tips on how to keep customers safe: 3 key considerations when managing allergens.
Tip 2 – layout
You want to make sure the layout of your buffet has an easy logical flow, starting from cutlery and plates. Also, by having a flow to your buffet, this ensures that everyone has a chance of enjoying different dishes and knows where to start and find their favourite go-to dishes.
Ensure you keeping your food categories separate. Meat free and any allergens should be kept away from any meats or anything that could cause cross contamination. Also, hot and cold food should be separate, this also helps to keep the food at the correct temperature they should be.
Tip 3 – dietary requirements
It is important when choosing foods for your buffet that you are offering dishes that cater for dietary requirements and restrictions; such as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. Just make sure you are labelling allergens clearly and keep these dishes away from the rest, with separate utensils.
You want all your guests to be feel able to enjoy your dishes along and feel valued. Samantha Mollart, our Allergens Manager says:
“Individuals will on most occasions be part of a group, and by not providing suitable allergen options, not only will this person choose to eat elsewhere but so will the rest of the group. Consumers are looking for confidence that their dietary request is being taken seriously and managed appropriately, especially with the introduction of Natasha’s Law in October 2021. Venues must be able to safely cater for allergens, but this doesn’t have to be a daunting task.”
Samantha MollartAllergens Manager
Find more support on catering for allergies here: Allergens
Tip 4 – portion control
It is key to consider the amount of guests attending your buffet, you want to supply dishes in manageable portions to help minimise waste.
Ensure that when ordering for a buffet, you are catering for the number of guests and communicating with your kitchen throughout to ensure unnecessary volumes are being cooked/prepared.
Chef Martin says:
“Finger food is a personal favourite, having the choice to pick and choose small portions from a variety of different cuisines, flavours and textures!”
Martin EshelbyFood Innovation Manager
Find 5 more ways to reduce food waste here: 5 ways to reduce food waste.
Tip 5 – necessary heat sources
It’s imperative that food is kept at a safe temperature, this is for the safety of your guests but also to help manage waste, taking the time to check have the necessary heat sources in place to keep food at the peak freshness throughout your event and checking on this throughout the event.
To discover more top tips for your buffet, recipe inspiration and explore our full buffet product range, head over to our buffet webpage, where our buffet guide will support you on every buffet occasion from finger, fork, meat free to breakfast and afternoon tea!
Or if you wanted to explore our Christmas buffet and unlock more seasonal festivities, head over to our Christmas webpage here.
