What Are the Most Needed Catering Supplies?

As a catering business, it’s essential to have a variety of supplies to serve the customers. No matter whether you’re delivering items for a small, corporate meeting or providing the food and refreshments for a wedding reception, the items listed below can help you meet customers’ expectations and mitigate unexpected incidents. Read on to learn what the most needed catering supplies are so you can ensure your business is ready for the next event.

Catering Containers

Having catering containers may seem a little obvious, but that doesn’t make them any less important to highlight. You need containers that will allow you to easily transport food to your customers’ locations without experiencing damage during transit. I

It’s also important to select customizable packaging, so you have the option to showcase your business’s logo on the sides of each container. This allows guests at the event to remember your business’s name after enjoying the delicious food and incredible service.

One great option you have is a Catering Box, which is available in half, sidebar, regular, and jumbo sizes. These handy cardboard containers will help keep your prepared meals at their ideal temperature, so they don’t become too warm or cold during transit. Additionally, these boxes can accommodate a wide range of items, including aluminum pans for hot food, baked goods, and silverware.

Serving Tongs

When guests at a wedding reception, birthday party, or corporate event step up to a table to serve themselves your delicious catered food, they should be able to do so in a hygienic manner. Otherwise, you may see some guests using their hands to pick up food, which others may find appalling. That makes serving tongs another example of the most needed catering supplies.

By having these tongs handy, you will make it easier for your clients’ friends and family members to pick up the food they want. These may include pieces of chicken, servings of pasta, or cookies. Throughout this process, you will ensure that the event stays more sanitary for your customers, which they will appreciate.

Disposable Silverware

Something else that your clients’ guests will need as they enjoy your catered food is utensils. In most cases, they will likely choose to use disposable silverware at their event, rather than metal flatware. There are several reasons why it can benefit both your client and you, the caterer.

One reason is that disposable silverware is less expensive to use than reusable silverware. This option gives clients a reduced cost for the service. Using disposable silverware also makes guests feel more comfortable, as it enhances the sanitary aspect of the event.

Instead of having to think about how a previous guest may have used the utensil or whether a worker cleaned it well enough, guests will feel more at ease with a single-use utensil. Some of these products even come with wrapping, which will allow guests to feel even safer.

Disposable silverware can also provide caterers with advantages, since they won’t have to worry about cleaning or storing the silverware afterward. Instead, they can dispose of it while attending to their other duties at the event.

Napkins

When people eat food, they’re bound to need napkins. Whether they need it to wipe off the corners of their mouths or clean their hands, caterers must keep these products ready to go. Fortunately, you have a variety of products that you can stock to help guests maintain cleanliness and look their best.

Purchase regular paper lunch napkins or moist towelettes. Caterers should also consider keeping a strong supply of beverage napkins on hand. These can also help prevent beverage condensation from soaking through and causing stains on tables.

Table Covers

Speaking of tables, caterers should also stock up on table covers. Not only do these coverings help protect the tables that you provide for events, but they can also help make them look more aesthetically appealing, which will make your clients happier.

Consider purchasing plastic table skirt products or an entire cover roll before your client’s next gathering. You can even buy place mats that sit underneath the clients’ plates, helping to safeguard tables from scratches that can occur while they eat.

Plates

Just as your clients will need cutlery, they will also need plates and bowls to enjoy their meals. Once again, you can provide them with disposable products that come in various materials and styles to meet their needs.

For example, if your customer wants to use an eco-friendly option for the plates at their event, provide plates made from sugarcane. Manufactured from bagasse, a byproduct of sugarcane stalks, these plates are compostable and biodegradable. Include a recycling bin at the event, so users can dispose of the plates and benefit the environment.

Safety Gloves

Disposable gloves are great for protecting the integrity of the food and maintaining hygienic conditions while cleaning up messes. Be sure to stock up on hundreds of gloves, so your staff never runs out. Use them for one task, then put on another pair to complete another task to prevent cross-contamination.

Furthermore, you may also need to purchase terry cloth oven mitts. This will protect associates’ hands as they’re working with scalding hot foods and pans.

Cleaning Supplies

The last thing you want to do is leave the event space a mess after serving food. When the event ends, the client may depend on you to provide janitorial services to clean up the food, plates, and any messes in the event space. This makes it important to stock up on all the necessary tools needed to tidy it up to their satisfaction.

Make sure you invest in spray bottles and paper towels, so you can wipe surfaces clean after people finish dining. Additionally, purchase trash bags. This will help you easily remove waste from the site and avoid leaving another task for the customer to handle.

Now that you know what wholesale foodservice supplies you need when operating a catering business, you will be ready to accommodate the client and their event. Being prepared always makes a great impression. Compile all of these supplies, offer exceptional service, and benefit from numerous satisfied returning customers.