Christmas Menu


No one wants to think about CHRISTMAS (there, I’ve said it) when we should still be enjoying the last heady days of Summer. But like it or not, it will soon be upon us. Running a catering business means that you do have to think a long way ahead about Christmas & the food you are going to offer your clients. While everyone else is uploading photos to Instagram of their suntanned hands holding a glass of chilled cocktail aloft with a beautiful beach & sea as the back drop, we’re thinking about all things festive. Personally, I can’t even begin to think about Turkey until my eldest’s son’s birthday is done, which is the end of October. When my children were small, I used to be one of those super organised Mum’s but in latter years it’s all been done in a “by the seat of my pants” manner which I have to admit doesn’t sit well for a control freak like me.

VENUE
The starting point for any event. Where are you going to hold your festive party? If you’re planning to book, or have already booked, your Christmas do at a restaurant or a hotel or even with one of the numerous party event companies, then you can put the kettle on, put your feet up & be smug in the knowledge that all you have to plan now is what you’re going to wear on the night itself. If you have been put in charge of organising the works Christmas party to be held in the office or the annual family get together, then read on. In the past we have catered for lots of different styles of events at Christmas, in lots of different venues. Offices, residential homes, church halls, community centres, barns (converted & even one in its original condition – that was a chilly night, I can tell you), even the odd stately home.

INVITES AND THEMES
Is your event going to have a theme or a colour scheme? If so, make sure your guests are aware. No one wants to turn up at a Caribbean themed fancy dress Christmas party dressed in a dinner jacket. Send your invites out in plenty of time. Electronic invites are very much the thing, no more relying on snail mail, however busy people sometime skim through their emails (guilty as charged!) so make sure it’s bold enough to get their attention. And chase, chase, chase for replies. Book your themed entertainment in plenty of time & make sure you confirm how long they will be at your event for.

SEATING ARRANGEMENTS
In my organised years, the idea of having mis-matched chairs around my Christmas table would fill me with horror & bring me out in a cold sweat. I used to be extremely picky about everything matching and looking “just so”. Not anymore, now the quirkiness of having different styles, shapes & colours of chairs around my table doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, I’ve grown to love it. If you’re the same then beg, borrow or steal chairs to seat your guests at your table. If, however, your event dictates a room full of round tables, with pristine white cloths & chairs bedecked with beautiful covers, then an event hire company should be your next stop.
We regularly use https://www.firstlinegroupservicesuk.co.uk/ They will usually deliver all your hired goods the day before your event & arrange to collect them the day after. They can also supply glasses, cutlery, crockery etc & even offer a return dirty service which means no one has to do the washing up, bonus! Some high street supermarkets also hire out glasses, however they expect them to be returned clean & unfortunately experience has taught me that everyone has a different idea of what clean actually is. There have been numerous occasions where we have had to wash glasses which should be clean before we can even begin laying up so always check the glasses before you load them into your car.

MENU
Now we get to the crux of the matter. What sort of food is going to be served at your event? Sociable canapes & drinks, casual bowl food or a sumptuous three course sit down meal. Let’s be honest, the food is the main event at any Christmas get together & you want to get it right. The beauty of organising your own Christmas event is that you can have a say in what food is served. At a party night or hotel, you’re governed by whatever is on the menu. Employing a caterer means you can discuss your requirements & tailor a menu to suit (everyone knows it’s always good to get what you want)! Obviously, your caterer may have to steer you towards a menu that is suitable for your guests but also one that fits in with the catering facilities at your venue. Even the best chef in the world will struggle to serve up something amazing for 60 guests using just a standard household sized oven. I’m not saying it can’t be done but your menu might need some tinkering with if this is the case.  See our Festive menu and please contact us for more information Contact

 

 

 

So however, you’re planning to celebrate the festive season, the most important thing is to have fun and if you think Millstream Catering could add that extra “something special” to your event, then get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!!
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