If your business or brand has just booked a large catering event, this is a fantastic moment. It is an opportunity to make a lasting impression and ensure your customer remembers you. You can show off your culinary delights and impress when it comes to service.

But, you will also be aware that a lot of planning goes into catering for a large event. You will have to ensure you know how to handle everything so that nothing goes wrong on the day. Here are five common catering event problems and how you can deal with them.

Running Out of Food

One of the most common problems is running out of food and beverages at a catering event. This can happen for a number of reasons. Some guests may have eaten more than they should. Perhaps the maths was not correct and staff did not prepare enough dishes for everyone. Either way, you are going to have to be prepared for running out of food.

Of course, the best way is to prepare slightly more dishes than are needed. This is going to cover you for a range of problems. Either there is an accident and something is dropped or more guests suddenly appear, your catering business is going to be able to impress by saving the day.

Broken Refrigerators

One of the worst things that can happen in a catering event is something going wrong with the refrigerators and freezers. Unfortunately, this can happen and it will mean that all of your food and dishes will be spoiled. It can be like the end of the world.

Thankfully, there are services you can hire in emergency situations that are going to save the day. For example, there are cold room and walk-in chillers that can be delivered the same day. This is going to make sure that all of your food is not going to spoil and your catering event will not be a disaster.

Bad Weather

If you are running an outdoor catering event, the weather is always going to be a concern. We all know that the weather can change overnight in the UK and this means you have to be prepared for everything. This could be rain and wind, as well as snow during the winter time.

Depending on the season, you are going to have to think about what you are going to do if adverse conditions arrive. For example, perhaps it is time to set up tents and create sheltered seating. Maybe your staff should wear rain gear to stay warm and dry. It may even be better to have a contingency plan in case the worst happens. The key is to plan in advance and this will give you peace of mind.

Guest Allergies

Unfortunately, there may be guests that have allergies coming to the event. Most of the time, a client is going to let you know in advance. However, there can be occasions when even they are unaware that someone attending has allergies. The last thing you want is for someone to become ill at the event.

The best thing you can do is prepare in advantage for possible allergies. Even if none have been pointed out to you, there are well-known dishes you can select that are going to be safe for common allergy sufferers. It is best to have them in reserve in case this is brought to your attention during the event.

Sudden Menu Changes

You can spend a lot of time choosing the menu on offer with your client. They can very happy with their selection, but when it comes to the day of the event, things can go wrong. For example, there can be food shortages and deliveries of ingredients may fail to appear. This is bad luck and it can happen to any catering business no matter how prepared you thought you were. Sometimes, ordering ingredients in advance just does not work out as planned. To mitigate such risks, it’s crucial to have contingency plans in place, such as sourcing alternative suppliers or maintaining a reserve stock of essential ingredients. Additionally, focusing on non-perishable favors or gifts, like the best bridal subscription box, can help enhance the event experience even if minor hiccups occur. Ultimately, adaptability and quick problem-solving are key to ensuring your clients remain satisfied despite unforeseen challenges.

However, sudden menu changes do not have to be the end of the world. In fact, you can still make your client very happy. One of the best ways to do this is to arrange an emergency menu with them. This is going to provide an alternative menu if things go wrong. It should differ in ingredients so that there is not going to be any overlapping problems. This means that when it comes to the day of the event, there is still going to be delicious food on offer.