When catering an event at work, it’s not a joke to cater to such huge audiences. While it may be hospitality to cater for 50 people, catering for 500 on a schedule, food chart and along with a brand in the mix is logistics. Some caterers will do a boardroom lunch with flying colours and struggle with catering a much bigger event, with the discovery of which is which made on the project. We have catered quite a few huge events (5,000 people and over) in the last 30 years and here is how to find a proper caterer in London able to handle such an event.
Why large events are a different discipline
Thinking big scales up everything that can go wrong. At a big event, the margin of error narrows and the outcome is more significant. Being a few minutes late for ten people is not a big deal; being a few minutes late for five hundred can ruin an entire conference and alienate clients. Big-event caterers who excel treat the event as professionally as they treat the catering.
How to judge a large-event caterer in London
Feeding a huge amount of people is a skill in itself, and also that’s why such a lot of us go to London caterers to do it. For somebody of a hundred visitors or more, you’ll need an entire catering service provider, and a tiny one simply will not cut it. “Locate a food caterer near me” is fine to select based upon your place and the speed they can provide, yet you need someone who has worked at the large place.
The logistics that separate good from great
It really isn’t about the food at such an event with such a large number of guests; it’s about the logistics. Timing, flowing of guests, staffing… Consulting with the chef on what to do is smart, because you need to think of everything involved in order to plan for the execution of the idea. This is where hospitality design is all in the details.
Serving 500 people at one long table of plated food is one long queue of hungry guests that would take the entire lunch hour to fill up that line of people, versus having the food served in several compartments.
The basics still apply, and matter more
They can use our online systems at scale and can interact more easily with the local authorities, so—for example—compliance is not a tick-box process; it is a safety net for the hundreds of people attending the event. Local authorities keep records of the registration of every food business in the UK – check a caterer’s Food Hygiene Rating on the FSA rating search.
Allergen management is much more significant at volume. The 14 most common allergens are declared and labelled to meet requirements like Natasha’s Law (see the FSA allergen guidance). How a caterer manages allergens with hundreds of guests is a good demonstration of the kind of operational discipline of which a large event is capable.
Inclusive menus are essential at corporate scale
Usually, you will find a diverse crowd of individuals at a large business occasion. Your catering service needs to consider more than one sort of cuisine if you don’t want to let down certain individuals on your guest list. We have inclusive menus so that all our meals have been prepared with halal ingredients by certified suppliers. The Mediterranean menu is an excellent example of that: many of the dishes from this cuisine are so inclusive that they may have been created with big business events in mind!
Case study: a 500-guest conference lunch on a tight schedule
From my own experiences (with a little diplomatic masking): Success in the world of big event caterers A company telephoned to tell us that they wanted us to cater for an event in London for 500 people within very tight time constraints: a 45-minute window for the meal, which had to start bang on time, as the whole schedule of events could not be late in the slightest. And as for the guests: a lengthy and immensely detailed list of food allergies, including vegans, halal, vegetarians, and gluten intolerant. This is the sort of challenge that daunts a novice caterer.
A menu is not an operation; it’s the presentation of an operation. Instead of one single file line of all the food going past, we set up a series of stops around the room to allow all 500 diners to be served at once, avoiding the mad rush of people forming a queue and then waiting around, unable to eat until everyone else has eaten. We had a diverse menu and catered to all dietary requirements, and gluten-free and vegetarian options were marked to prevent cross-contamination.
Why EMA Catering delivers at scale
Since 1995, we’ve catered everything from a lunch-time client pitch in the boardroom to an extravaganza of 5000+; feeding that many on a short turnaround just comes with experience. We think through the entire big event so that it arrives at your venue: separate service points, enough of the right kind of staff, and a tailored run sheet to fit in with your program of events.
As a family-run operation, we’re proud of our food hygiene rating, we’re covered with public liability insurance, and the long list of dietary requirements is delivered serenely and with accuracy. We use HMC-certified halal meat and keep that complex Mediterranean diet manageable at volume with streamlined menus. We always plan for the likely event that numbers will change. With EMA Catering, your corporate soirée goes to plan and is exactly how you wanted it.
Questions to ask before you book
Take this to every caterer you shortlist for a large event. The answers reveal who can deliver at scale.
- What is your current Food Hygiene Rating, and which authority registered you?
- Can I see your public liability insurance certificate and cover level?
- Have you catered events of our size, and can you provide references?
- How will you physically serve our numbers within the time available?
- How many service points and staff will you bring?
- How do you handle a long dietary list at volume, including labeling?
- How do you build in contingency for late changes to numbers?
- Who manages the operation on the day, from set-up to clear-down?
Seeking a team that has fed the boards of CEOs and world leaders, as well as thousands of concertgoers? Well, you’ve just found us! Take a look at our corporate and large events catering, have a look at the events we have catered, or send us your date, numbers, and venue, and we’ll get back to you within one working day.
The bottom line
Number one corporate catering company in London for high-volume functions At the heart of high-volume catering is the way it is tackled, not just the specifics of the catering, arrangement, composition, and timings, but the fact that it is dealt with from a logistical point of view—so do not forget to check the caterers’ hygiene ratings and accredited capacity for the size of your function. Then work on the nitty-gritty of your requirements: catering, layout, composition, and timing and inclusive menus to cater to all ranges of needs. When done properly, a large corporate event will run like clockwork, with all guests served on time to accomplish their objectives.
Frequently asked questions
What considerations are there when booking for an event with high volume catering?
Search out evidence of capacity to match the size of your event, good food-safety management, appropriate staffing levels, sufficient outlets (if needed), clear dietary management, and a comprehensive operational plan.
Can EMA cater for thousands of guests?
EMA Catering says it has expertise in providing large-scale catering for over 5,000 people. The numbers of units, staff, and outlets should all be aligned with the estimated footfall and timetable.
How do you make sure the catering goes well when many guests are invited?
Large events need a well-thought-out plan with the flow of service, the number of service points, the right amount of catering staff, and a well-thought-out menu. Your catering choices are reliant on the venue and also the duration of the day.
Can large events include halal, vegetarian and vegan options?
Yes. EMA Catering states that it sources HMC-certified halal meat and offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. The final menu and dietary handling should be agreed upon before the event.
How much advance notice is needed for bigger events?
Big events need to be booked as early as possible, especially during busy festival seasons and summer months when it takes a long time to work on menu planning, employee engagement, and site management.
What is the price of catering for a large event?
The price is determined based on a number of different factors, which include the number of guests to be served, type of service, menu, staffing, location, travel, and other expenses connected with operation. An EMA proposal will be sent out once the date, venue, total number of guests, and type of service needed are fully determined.