catering dish

Event catering

With such a large variety of catering available it is confusing to decide on which is the best for your guests.

Events range from cheese lunch drop-off to full-service catering. Caterers and their staff are part of the foods service industry. Catering services provided differ based on the event and can include: cooking and delivering food to an outside site; cooking, delivering and serving food; and full-service (preparing food, providing service staff, decoration of event location, prep and clean-up). In many cases of full-service catering, the caterer is called an event managing company.

When most people refer to a "caterer", they are referring to an event caterer who serves food with waiting staff at eating tables or sets up a self-serve buffet. The food may be prepared on site, in other words made completely at the event, or the caterer may choose to bring prepared food and put the finishing touches on once it arrives.

The event caterer staff are not responsible for preparing the food but often help set up the dining area. This service is typically provided at banquets, conventions, and weddings. Any event where all who attend are provided with food and drinks is often called a catered event.

Catering Dishes

Dishes are generally made of ceramic materials such as earthenware, stoneware, bone china or porcelain, however can be made of other materials such as wood, pewter, silver, gold, glass, acrylic and plastic. Dishes are purchased either by the piece or by set which include either four, eight, or twelve place settings. Individual pieces, such as those needed as replacement pieces for broken dishes, can be purchased from "open stock" stock at shops, or from antique dealers if the pattern is no longer in production.

Dish sizes

Dishes come in standard sizes, which are set according to the manufacturer. They are similar throughout the industry. In descending order by diameter size, standard plate sizes are: charger - 12 inches, dinner plate - 10.5 inches, dessert plate - 8.5 inches, salad plate - 7.5 inches, side plate or tea plate - 6.75 inches

Place setting

Place settings for service dining are arranged according to the number of courses in the meal. The tableware is arranged in a particular order. With the first course, each guest at the table begins by using the flatware placed on the outside of place setting. As each course is finished the guest leaves the used cutlery on the used plate or bowl, which are removed from the table by the server. To begin the next course, the diner uses the next set of flatware items on the outside of the place setting, and so on. Forks are placed on the left of a dinner plate, knives to the right of the plate, and spoons to the outer right side of the place setting.

Dish ware types and shapes

Place setting dishes, Bowls, soup bowls, cereal bowls, pasta bowls, fruit bowls, or dessert bowls, Individual covered casseroles or covered soups, Plates, charger plates, dinner plates, lunch plates, dessert plates, salad plates or side plates, Saucers, including teacup saucers, coffeecup saucers, demitasse saucers, and cream soup saucers. Serving dishes, Butter dish, Casseroles, ramekins, or lidded serving bowls, Compotes, Pitchers or Jugs, Platters including chop plates, salvers, and trays, Salt and pepper shakers, salt cellars, Sauce boats, gravy boat or small pitcher, Serving bowls including vegetable bowls and salad bowls, Sugar bowl and creamer, Teapot, coffee pot, Tureen, Tajine, Drinkware, Mugs, coffee or tea mugs, and chocolate mugs.