Event planning involves making many decisions – choosing the right venue is likely to be the first on the list. Finding the perfect venue for your event is crucial and will inevitably impact on every other aspect – from the date and time, to production and, of course, catering.
As a family run business with over 35 years of experience in the industry, we have grown as a company through repeat custom and recommendations into the successful business we are today. We have catered for many different occasions including events for music stars, sport stars and many others. We make any kind of event extra special and with our professional staff and the extensive knowledge of the industry, we are confident that you won’t be disappointed.
With our 35 years experience and the knowledge we have within the industry we have put together some guidelines about what factors to consider and which questions you should be asking…
Objectives
Whilst it is advisable to start your search as soon as possible, before considering any practical elements, make sure you are clear about the event objectives. What is the purpose of the event? What do you want guests to be thinking/feeling/saying as they walk out of the venue at the end of the event? What is the long-term outcome you wish to accomplish?
Once you are clear about ‘what’ you want to achieve, you should consider ‘how’ you can make it happen.
Size
Knowing the budget will help you get an idea of how many people you’ll be able to invite, which will help narrow down your wedding venue search significantly. Avoid falling in love with venues that are too small or too big, which you can only know once you’ve assembled a preliminary guest list based on your preliminary budget!
It is essential that the venue is the right size – if it is too small, you risk the event becoming overcrowded and uncomfortable, too big and your guests may feel swamped by too much space.
Location
Choosing “where” can be the most difficult decision for many couples, especially if they’ve got very different ideas. Does the venue need to be within walking distance from a particular place? Somewhere with good transport links is ideal, however outside space and parking facilities may also be desirable.
If it’s really important to have as many of your loved ones there as possible you might want to think about going local. Lots of young couples worry that they won’t be able to find a venue in their price bracket in the city, but there are always options especially if you can book far enough in advance.
Style
The look and feel of the venue will affect the overall perception of the event, and by extension the host. What message do you want to send to guests? Historic, modern, quirky or traditional?
Would it enhance the guest experience to opt for a venue which can offer event content such as an exhibition or interactive experience?
With Manchester Catering Company you can rest assured you are in the very best hands when it comes to your special occasion. We can cater for many events throughout the Greater Manchester area. Events catered for include, but are not limited to:
Weddings
Birthday
Christenings
Sports Dinners
Celebrity Events
Promotional Events & Launches
Working Lunches
Marquee Events
Dinner Parties
As a family run business with over 35 years of experience in the industry, we have grown as a company through repeat custom and recommendations into the successful business we are today.
We have catered for many different occasions including events for music stars, sport stars and many others. We make any kind of event extra special and with our professional staff and the extensive knowledge of the industry, we are confident that you won’t be disappointed.
Our mouth-watering menus are freshly prepared on the premises and we offer a bespoke service to cater for any individual requirements; making sure all your favourites are on the menu, no matter the scale of the event, the number of guests or the dining preferences.
Manchester’s Leading Caterers
As the leading caterers in Manchester our emphasis is not only on providing world class cuisine but also maintaining a great client relationship. Our ethos is that we will always go the extra mile for our customers and our staff are always on hand to solve any issues or concerns you may have. Through this, we now provide outstanding food for some of the most successful and high profile companies in the North West as well as worldwide organisations.
We deliver to Manchester, Manchester, Cheshire, Trafford Park, Salford, Bury and Bolton and more.
So why not put us to the test? Call us today, for free.
Monday to Saturday from 9:00am until 5:00pm
Orders can be taken by telephone, text, via this website (using the online query form on the Contact Us page) or by emailing your order and specifications. All orders will, of course, be confirmed by us before the date in question.Orders need to be placed with 24 hours’ notice to ensure that you receive only the very best from one of the premier catering services. We look forward to hearing from you.
When it comes to diets, different people have different preferences. There are many different diets you can follow, but three of the most common are vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.
These diets all have one thing in common; they restrict you from eating specific things. While they can be somewhat similar, there are differences between the three as well.
A vegetarian diet follows the idea that meat shouldn’t be eaten. A vegan diet is where no animal products are consumed at all, while a gluten-free diet involves eating foods that don’t contain gluten.
Vegetarian Diet
With a vegetarian diet, meat and meat products aren’t consumed. This type of diet is commonly a choice; you choose to stop eating meat, for one reason or another. Meat products refer to any foods that contain ingredients that come from meat. An example of this are sweets that contain beef gelatine. This is a product from beef, so it’s not vegetarian-friendly.
While meat products aren’t consumed, other animal products are still eaten. This includes eggs, milk, cheese, honey, and anything else that’s made by animals for us to eat. For this reason, vegetarian diets can be relatively easy to understand. In essence, the only foods that can’t be ingested are ones that contain meat or meat products.
When it comes to what you can eat, here’s what’s available:Fruit
Vegetables
Rice & Grains
Beans & Pulses
Dairy products (milk, cheese, etc…)
Bread
Oats
Gelatine-free sweets
Cereal
Pasta
Noodles
PotatoesOf course, there are many more things to add to this list. The main thing to remember is that no meat can be eaten.
Vegan Diet
A vegan diet often gets mixed up with a vegetarian one. Much like vegetarian diets, a vegan diet won’t include any meat consumption at all – this includes meat products. Where the two differ is that you can’t eat any animal products in a vegan diet at all. Some vegetarians may choose to cut out a few animal products, but vegans strictly don’t eat any.
As such, the list of foods you can’t eat is much longer than that of a vegetarian diet. Vegans don’t eat any of the following:Meat
Meat products
Dairy (Milk, cheese, yoghurt, etc.)
Eggs
HoneyConsequently, alternatives for these things are a big part of vegan diets. A lot of vegans will look for meat alternatives to satisfy their cravings, along with dairy-free options for milk and yoghurt. Here is a list of some things a vegan can eat:Vegetables
Dairy-free milk alternatives (soy, oat, rice, nut, etc…)
Bread
Vegan sweets (gelatine and animal product free)
Natural sweeteners (molasses or agave syrup)
Fruit
Beans & Pulses
Rice & Grains
Potatoes
So, while a lot of common foods can’t be eaten, there is still a lot of things vegans can eat. Mainly, it’s all about finding alternatives to the things your diet restricts you from consuming.
Since dairy can’t be eaten, this also means a lot of sweet treats are off the table as well. Chocolate is made using dairy, and lots of cakes or brownies use eggs and milk in their recipes. As a result, people following a vegan diet need to pay close attention to the ingredients in everything they eat. While it can be clear that something doesn’t contain meat, there’s always the risk that another animal product is in there.
Most people opt for a vegan diet as a personal preference. However, lots of people who are intolerant to dairy might choose to follow a vegan diet for health reasons.
Gluten-Free Diet
Vegetarian and vegan diets share plenty of similarities. But, a gluten-free diet is remarkably different to them both. As the name suggests, this diet involves eating things that don’t contain gluten.
Gluten is a protein that’s found in wheat, barley, and rye. As a result, it’s located in lots of different types of food. This can make a gluten-free diet very restrictive and prevents you from eating a lot of your favourite foods.
Here are a few common foods that contain gluten and can’t be eaten:Bread
Pasta
Noodles
Cereals
Crackers
Biscuits
Pies
Gravy
Some sauces
PastriesYou also need to stay clear of the following drinks too:Lager
Ale
Beer
Stout
Barley squashes
As you can see, a gluten-diet can cut out lots of things you might eat regularly. However, it is possible to enjoy most of the foods containing gluten by looking for gluten-free alternatives. A lot of pastries, bread, and other baked goods can be eaten if they’re made with a different type of flour. Rice, corn, soy, potato, and chickpea flour are all gluten-free, making them safe to eat.
The same goes for pasta and noodles; there are gluten-free versions available as well. These are recognisable as they’re labelled ‘gluten-free’. Common types of pasta that are made without gluten include lentil pasta, chickpea pasta, and edamame bean pasta. Rice noodles are the most common type of gluten-free noodle.
Along with finding gluten-free alternatives, people following this diet can still eat the following:Dairy products
Fruits
Vegetables
Meat
Fish
Potatoes
Rice
Some people choose to follow a gluten-free diet because they’ve heard it could have health benefits. However, most people are forced to follow this diet because they have an intolerance to gluten. Gluten intolerance is referred to as coeliac disease. This is a condition where your immune systems react badly to gluten, causing stomach pains and digestive issues. It’s not a condition you can cure; the only solution is to adopt a gluten-free diet to prevent any symptoms.
Anyone following these diets needs to be made aware of the ingredients in any food they eat. It’s always recommended that you ask for nutritional information before you put anything in your mouth. This prevents vegetarians from accidentally eating something with meat in, vegans from eating food with hidden animal products, and gluten-free people from eating gluten.
At Manchester Catering Company, we service different dietary requirements. If you’re looking for business lunches or catering for specific events, then feel free to contact us to learn more about how we can cater to your diet.
Besides the way you present your business, the quality of the food you serve also reflects well on how guests perceive your business. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing your guests are satisfied with both of your business ideas and the food they had.
At Manchester Catering Company, the satisfaction of every guest is what we focus on. We understand how important it is for the host to leave a good impression on their guests, and we help them achieve that by serving sumptuous and high-quality meals suitable to their taste.
If you are hosting an upcoming corporate event, the practical and reliable tips below are a tremendous help in making it successful and impressive to your guests.
Consider your guests’ preference
Understanding the people or business you are catering to is an important part of every successful corporate event. It is important to note if the company is health-oriented or some guests have special dietary requirements. Knowing these things and preparing food that is suitable for their lifestyle will make them happy and leave the event satisfied.
Know your budget
Having a budget will let you create a plan on how you spend money on food and other necessities. It is the very first step in finding the right catering package for your event. This will also help your hired caterers ensure that your expectations are fulfilled.
Assign tasks
Dealing with all the aspects of corporate events, from planning to preparing and serving food, is an exhausting task and is something you can’t do on your own. Seeking help from the experts of each field will help you ensure the event runs smoothly and prevent problems that can hinder its success.
At Manchester Catering Company, understanding the need of our clients is our expertise. We offer a wide variety of packages to suit different preferences and budget requirements. We also prepare specialised menus for vegans, Celiacs, and other dietary requirements.
As one of the most important parts of your wedding day, knowing the total expenses that will go into catering should be taken into serious consideration when planning for your big day.
How the foods are served and how they taste makes a huge difference in how your guests enjoy the banquet. But it is not always easy to understand the cost, especially if you are not working in the hospitality sector. Aside from the ingredients of the food to be served, other factors make up the whole wedding catering cost.
Need help in creating a reasonable estimate for your wedding catering budget? In this article, we will explain the most important factors of wedding catering cost. Reading through this article will help you work out your menu, choose extras to avail, and sort out your budget.
In-house or external caterers
Some couples, with the help of their families, prepare a DIY catering for their wedding. This creates a lovely and casual atmosphere during the banquet. However, unless you have family members or friends who are experts in cooking and you only invited a small group of guests, DIY or self-catering can cause real stress.
For most couples, hiring a professional catering service is still the best solution. According to a survey, the budget for wedding catering is just over 12% of the average budget for the entire wedding. Depending on how food is important for you, you should not hesitate in allocating your budget for it. You may spend more on food and cut down the budget in other areas, it entirely depends on your preference.
Number of guests
Your wedding catering cost greatly depends on how many guests you will be serving food to. Most catering companies quote costs as a per-head price. So if you want to spend less on the catering, one of the best ways to do it is to have a small guest list. This way you can treat your guests to more food at a lower cost.
But if having a small guest list is impossible, you can search for a caterer that can work within your budget. Some caterers, especially those who have been in the industry for so long, have their way of creating fabulous menus that can cater to a large group of people.
To stay within your budget, make sure to avoid guest-list-creep or constantly adding guests to your list. Or if you do, make sure to inform your caterer and update your budget.
Courses and ingredients
Having multiple courses can cause a huge increase in your catering cost. The ingredients on your menu are also a huge factor.
To cut off on the cost, make sure to choose carefully and avoid adding more courses. You should also speak with your caterer on how you can avoid using the most expensive ingredients or ask about any food swaps you can do while keeping the overall taste at a high-level and enjoyable.
The extras
While extras, such as food stations and dessert tables, can enhance and make your wedding banquet more special, but they can also increase the wedding cost. Depending on your preference and budget, you can ask your caterers to have them added to your wedding catering package.
Our mouth-watering menus are freshly prepared on the
premises and we offer a bespoke service to cater for any
individual requirements; making sure all your favourites
are on the menu, no matter the scale of the event, the
number of guests or the dining preferences.
National & Regional Caterer Of The Year
