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WHETHER ON-PREMISE OR OFF, CATERING CAN BE A LUCRATIVE extension of your brand. But just as with the in-restaurant dining arena, the economic downturn has changed the rules of the [...]

Who are these people who ... we hire to face death for us? What does that do to their own lives--to grow up in a home where there are dead [...]

A la Carte If it's good enough for the Queen of England, chances are your guests--presumably of less cerulean blood--will approve of A la Carte's fine vittles. The choice caterer […]

BANQUET BUSINESS, better-known nowadays as private dining, continues its rise as a boffo opportunity for restaurant operators to build on-site sales. A bevy of casual and upper-tier chains, as well [...]

ASK A GROUP OF CATERERS what 'tapas' means, and the answers will vary from 'little plates' to 'covers' to 'bite-size appetizers.' Ask that same group how to plan a tapas [...]

The people who view cooking for parties as a tiresome chore can now opt to shift this burden onto the capable shoulders of a caterer or personal chef. The budget and the number of expected guests must be estimated before hiring a caterer or a personal chef so as to get the best services as per the given requirements.

Catering is an alluring art. When done well, it whets the appetite, dazzles the eye and satisfies without surfeit. If lifestyle and economy impact entertaining, the direction of catering this [...]

JIM MCKINNEY, CHEF-OWNER of the upscale Club Grotto in Louisville, KY, was preparing the five-course wedding rehearsal dinner when the father of the bride delivered the news. 'The bride discovered [...]

Following a radical restructuring of the industry over the past five years, the gloves are now off for a global commercial war As airlines preoccupy themselves with strategic alliances and […]

All types of restaurants are discovering that catering can net major rewards. Catering's benefits include purchasing efficiencies, improved food costs, better margins and more productive utilization of facilities and personnel. Catering is also a good marketing tool, because it introduces a restaurant's product to many people who may not have previously experienced it., If you want to make more money in the restaurant business, make sure more customers don't come to the restaurant. This point, or at least a variation of it, has [...]

A study focusing on the perceptions of managers in the UK hospitality sector in connection with changes that have happened to the manager's role since 1982 is presented. The result revealed that there is change from the operational to a business concentration and a greying of the boundaries between hospitality and other service sectors. In order to aid in discovering the dynamics of these changes, the study employs a content analysis of the transcripts of several focus groups.

Most types of restaurants can provide food/beverage service to parties and other special events, but operators must be prepared to meet customer's higher expectations concerning catered and banquet fare. Scottsdale, AZ's Old Town Tortilla Factory derives about 20% of its sales from on-site or catered special events. Chicago's Four Seasons Hotel is trying to make its banquet service more like restaurant service., A lot has changed since the good old days when chasing down catering dollars meant nothing more than following the fun. Special gatherings required little special attention: A corner set [...]

Tucked away on the ground floor of an unobtrusive brick building in the Bucks County Business Park is a retail concept that promises to become a prepared foods mecca for [...]

Caterer Ring & Brymer needed 12 satellite kitchens, all linked to a central kitchen, when it prepared food for 30,000 racegoers at Ascot, England, in Jul. 1996. Ring & Brymer has a number of racecourse contracts and shares the catering at Ascot with Searcy's and Letheby & Christopher. Ring & Brymer has to cater for everyone from the Queen to the ordinary racegoer and contend with Ascot's strict security measures that make distribution a nightmare. Ring & Brymer brought in more than 400 casual staff from as far away as South Wales to complement a team that operates like a well-oiled machine.

Pigs' heads, known as pigs' cheek on menus, are becoming more popular in the UK amongst chefs. According to Sean Davis, head chef at St. James's, London, pig's cheeks with spinach and potato pie is popular, but it was not chosen when described as braised pig's face meat, tongue and brain. Some ham curers and master pork butchers supply Bath Chap, which comprises cheek and tongue. At L'Odeon restaurant Bruno Loubet just orders cheeks, which he serves braised.

David Turner, director of operations for contract caterer Gardner Merchant (GM) in Singapore and Malaysia, explains that most Singaporeans regard eating as an art form. GM won its largest contract in Singapore in 1993 when it beat competition from street hawkers to provide a food service for employees of US electronics giant Motorola. GM provides both Western and Chinese food in its two main restaurants on the Motorola site, at prices lower than those charged by the street hawkers. GM also has a dedicated Hallal kitchen and restaurant to cater for the 20% of Motorola employees who are Muslim.

Cost-cutting and branding are the mantras of today's airline managers and nowhere are the two more entwined than in the catering product - one of the main elements of inflight [...]

Steve Miller, leading cook on the Royal Navy's hunter-killer submarine HMS Sceptre, faces a very particular kind of culinary challenge in that he has to feed 116 sub-mariners for up to 70 consecutive days on just one delivery of food. HMS Sceptre's supply officer Nick Dodd explains that food is an important part of crew morale on a submarine, and he works with the head chef to work out what food is needed for the voyage. The supplies are a mix of frozen food, chilled food and ambient staple foods, but restricted storage space means that chips and bread are made fresh rather than being bought ready-prepared.

A growing number of managers and junior directors are giving up the security of a job with a large contract caterer to establish their own contract catering operations. These include Liz Beauchamp and Ruth Nightingale who launched The Flexible Food Company and Jon Hewett and Stuart Everson who formed Everson Hewett in early 1996. Both companies stress the flexibility that they can offer. Neither has yet won its first contract but it was a company's belief that being the first client would ensure terrific service that won Harrison Catering Services its first contract.

Maddalena Bonino is the head chef from Bertorelli's restaurant in London, England. She became a freelance caterer aged 27 years old, after travelling to London to study English. She focuses her work from 8.30 am to 6 pm and has a brigade of 12 staff to carry out her orders. She will be involved in a second restaurant to be opened on Bertorelli's original site. She aims to educate people about food and is concerned that children should not eat junk food.

Over dinner in Chicago last May, Michael Pecora revealed so many strategies his catering facility uses to wine and dine South Florida brides that the question begged to be asked: [...]

Airline food is prepared daily by large catering firms, fresh down to the herbs and spices, contrary to the belief that in-flight food is pre-packaged. Most airlines believe that food service is one of the main features that attracts people and, therefore, allocate a substantial amount to it.

The catering industry in Colorado is showing remarkable growth, despite strict health regulations. At the forefront of this boom is Colorado Catering and Events Specialists Inc., composed of seven caterers as shareholders. They service both corporate and private functions., Despite stiff regulations and competition, the catering industry has shown tremendous growth nationally in the past year, And COLORADO CATERERS ARE EATING IT UP It's an early August morning in [...]

The executive chef, managing director and cellar manager of Grand National describes the ways in which they function. The executive chef states that the biggest challenge is in trying to keep a very high standard throughout the site.

LIKE OUR MAGAZINE, A NUMBER of people from past issues of Colorado-Biz are still in the game. Here's a look at some of them: The 1970s PR IN A FLASH [...]

House of Commons Refreshment Department director of catering Sue Harrison is interviewed about managing the refurbishment of the refreshment department of the Westminster Palace, London, United Kingdom. The importance of benchmarking in managing a high profile catering department is stressed.

Up to 660 people will be needed to staff the elaborate celebrations being planned for Millennium Eve at the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia. An anticipated 15,000 people will attend several different functions taking place at the opera house, requiring a military-style operation from caterer Sodexho Food, which is in charge of catering for the event. The staff bill is expected to reach 24,800 pounds sterling for the one night.

For San Diego caterers Teresa Villa and her brother, John Crisafulli, shop talk seems inevitably tinged with glamour. Since 1991, Villa and Crisafulli have owned Behind The Scenes, Inc., a [...]

The UK's leisure operators are becoming increasingly aware that catering forms a key element of the visitor experience. Operators are therefore placing greater emphasis on catering standards and on ensuring that catering operations are in line with the overall ethos of the attraction. There are a number of ways in which leisure operators can boost their catering revenue, including pre-selling catering operations by offering concessionary deals to coach parties and packaging the food items into meal deals.

Raymond Capdevila is using his experience as a military caterer to branch out with catering contracts for NATO forces, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Carnegie Hall and Flushing Meadows, Wembley and Twickenham stadiums and at France's Charles de Gaulle airport. Capdevila said the key to success is making commercial and industry catering being innovative.

Ensuring all food is fresh is the main objective of management in charge of preparing a gala dinner at the UK Chef Conference held in March 1999. Chefs make a special journey to Brixham fish market to ensure only the best and freshest fish is chosen for the gala meal. The menu consists of red mullet on a bed of dressing and noodle cakes. Beef marinated in thyme is the main course, followed by Millennium trifle.

Delegates from UK hospitality attended a customized management course at the Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida. The aims were to understand values that underpin the Disney culture, seek best practice and learn how Disney maintains consistency. Items on the agenda included service mapping, a way to examine how service is delivered, interviewing techniques and induction and training techniques.

Michael Aldridge, director of catering for the Railways Representative Structure (RRS), overseeing food service on board Eurostar, has responsibility for realigning the catering to suit the new structure of classes available. Aldridge worked alongside Albert Roux when the House of Albert Roux was set up, and he felt that the opportunity to be involved in upgrading the catering on Eurostar presented a huge challenge. He aims to provide the same service as would be expected in a quality restaurant, and offer a wide selection of food and wines.

Zurich, Switzerland-based caterer, Gate Gourmet, earned $891 million in 1996, an increase of 14% over 1995. The company reorganized on Jul 1, 1997 to facilitate support activities. The company is continuing to expand throughout the world with the acquisition of other in-flight catering companies. The company continues to try to increase its efficiency and competitiveness in meal distribution/production., Gate Gourment continues to focus on global expansion Zurich--In-flight caterers--a fragmented international fraternity--are no less subject to cost-cutting pains and branding pressures than are airlines themselves, if not more so. [...]

Buster's Catering prepares meals for people working on film sets. This involves an early start to prepare a full English breakfast, cooking a selection of hot and cold meals for lunch, having sandwiches and drinks available all day, and being prepared to adapt menus to weather conditions. It may also involve working during the night, going on location to foreign destinations, or working as personal chef to a major film star. Buster's owner Peter Titterrell believes an important aspect of the service is the staff, who have to be reliable and adaptable.

The caterers who work at Barclaycard headquarters provide a wide range of menu choices for up to 2,700 staff. There are hot and cold counters, pasta and pizza counters, a delicatessen, salad and patisserie section, plus a wok section. The food is prepared by 35 staff, of whom 11 are chefs, and the design of the kitchen area is such that customers can watch most of the cooking process. The chefs ensure that the food is well prepared and tastes good, and if customers opt to take food home with them, then the chefs will chill it for them. Details of the kitchen design are given.

Hotels are offering catering services as an additional source of income and to address the demand for off-site accommodations by customers. Hotels such as the Newport Marriott and Hyatt Regency have entered the market for catering services, placing them in direct competition with independent caterers. Their services include a few extras which cannot be furnished by ordinary caterers such as complete equipment, decorations, and staff. Areas that need special consideration in such ventures include additional staff and uniforms, special food equipment, weather and food spoilage, and quality control of service.

The managing director of a company which specialises in catering for executives explains the differences between this type of catering and normal contract catering. Chefs have the opportunity to demonstrate a high standard of culinary expertise, costs are higher and the staff to client ratio is smaller. The dining areas are luxurious and crockery and cutlery must be of the best quality. Clients expect a good selection of wines and the menus offer more unusual dishes, such as pigeon and crab. Executive dining rooms must be secluded and staff need to avoid unnecessary interruptions.

Catering facilities have changed within companies from several tiers to just one, with separate amenities for entertainment of visitors. This is partly due to the changes in eating habits, but it is also seen as advantageous in mixing staffing elements. The trend is for clients to employ an independent catering consultant who will deal with every aspect from menus to equipment, to regulations.

Supermarkets are beginning to enter the casual catering market. Casual catering includes events such as graduation-day barbecues and picnics which are typically suited to the service levels and style of prepared-food programs. Many supermarkets are offering more upscale prepared foods, such as chicken cordon bleu and whole rotisserie chickens, along with traditional items such as Buffalo-style chicken wings and lasagna.