There’s a lot of room for error when you’re planning your own party catering. On top of the many demands of hosting a fun, fabulous party to remember like coming up with a playlist, deciding on a theme, sending invitations, and decorating, organizing and preparing food for any number of guests can be a daunting prospect. From decades of experience with Toronto event catering, we’ve seen our fair share of party catering mishaps.

What are the Party Catering Essentials?

1. Provide Enough Food for Your Guests - Count up your RSVPs and, depending on the size of your guest list, add about ten more people to that for last-minute yeses and unexpected plus ones. This is the number you should use when deciding how much food to buy. Leave room for guests who show up starved or horde their favourite apps in their handbag for later. If you love leftovers as much as we do, you’ll agree that more is always the way to go when it comes to food.
2. Consider the Venue - Think about which dishes need to be served warm or cold, and what can be kept at room temperature. Will the party be indoors or subject to the natural elements outside? Leaving party catering dishes such as a creamy cheese platter out in the sun all day is not the best way to win over hungry guests.
3. Accommodate All Preferences - The days of simple hamburger and hot dog summer barbeques are over. With dietary needs ranging from lactose, gluten, or nut-free to meat abstainers and health-conscious guests, your party catering menu needs to be diverse. Small, intimate parties where you know your guests well enough to cater to their individual needs are easier while big parties should always feature a wide variety of foods to accommodate every possible taste or need. You don’t want to forget about your best friend’s boyfriend’s recent conversion to veganism only to realize that he’ll have to spend the night devouring the entire fruit salad.
4. Keep Your Sense of Humour - Even if everything seems to be going smoothly in the hours and minutes before the party, don’t count out the many unforeseen accidents and serendipitous events that could get in the way of your perfectly planned celebration. From storms to pets getting into the meats to a misplaced step that sends trays flying, remember to keep your spirits up and your laughter strong. Don’t stress, because this is when your Plan B comes into effect.
5. Have a Plan B - Plan for all eventualities and you’ll be more calm and confident every step of the way. If you’re set on having an outdoor party, concede that nature is unpredictable at best. Have a space to move indoors if it starts to rain. Be sure to have extra coolers, power cords, and ice on hand at all times. Be ready to prepare or order more food at a moment’s notice, and always have simple staples like bowls of nuts, extra fruit slices, or party mixes available as backup. If one of the courses is late, guests will appreciate even straight-from-the-bag alternatives to munch on while they wait.

For large parties or business catering, don’t DIY! From our days as an over-the-counter cafeteria to handling event catering for numerous individuals, organizations, and businesses in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, we’ve learned from our mistakes so that you don’t have to. Good food is about more than what you bring to the table. With ideas for venues and themes, and coverage of formal and casual events, Pumpernickel’s will give your guests something to talk about.

Contact us today for party catering

About Pumpernickel's

Since 1986 Pumpernickel's is a leader in corporate catering. It has been one the premier deli and caterers in Toronto, with thousands of satisfied customers in the GTA.  Many of our kitchen locations are located within Toronto's financial core to provide timely services for catering in downtown Toronto. We use only the freshest ingredients, and promise excellent customer service and value for all of your catering services. As soon as you become our regular customer we will not let you down. We are one of the leading corporate catering companies in Toronto, which also offers breakfast catering and sandwich catering. Visit us on Google+.