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Managing a staff canteen

Many organisations find running their staff canteen to be an arduous and time consuming chore. If you aren't in the business of food service it can be complicated to work out exactly what to serve each day to offer tasty but healthy meals while sticking to a budget. Often it's just as easy and cost effective to outsource the running of a canteen to a food services company that specialises in these sorts of tasks. This blog discusses some of the pros and cons of running your staff canteen in-house compared to outsourcing the operations to a specialist company. I hope it's useful other business owners and adminstrators.

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Managing a staff canteen

Party Planning — Four Often-Overlooked Things You Might Leave Off Your Checklist

by Annie Howard

Party planning can be fun as well as stressful. There are some basics that we all know we need to figure out when party planning — such as theme, time, date and decorations. 

But there are some important things that often get overlooked when planning a party or event. Here are four not to forget.

1. Checking Guests Dietary Requirements In Advance

When planning a party, most of us remember to plan a menu. But some overlook the finer details. But there's nothing worse than when a party guest arrives who can't eat any of the food supplied. You need to know in advance — not just on the day — of your guests' specific needs. Dairy-free, nut-free, vegan and halal food are all options that your guests and their plus-ones may require. You can make dietary catering requirements part of the RSVP or even send menus out to guests in a separate letter or email. Your caterer will be more than happy to clearly label food items so that your guests have peace of mind. 

2. Pre-Preparing Food That Can Be Frozen

Most party planners will remember to have food arranged and/or delivered on the day of the party. But this can make a lot of work for you at the last minute. It's a good idea to look over your menu and figure out which items can be made and frozen a week or two before your party so that you can free up time — and bench space —  on the day. Pies and pastries are key items that can be made in advance. Event caterers can deliver and supply food in advance as well as on the day of the event.

3. Planning Your Parking 

Parking is one of the most overlooked — yet most important — aspects of a party. Having more guests means having more cars on your street. If this is not well-organised, things can go wrong quickly, creating a bottleneck or arguments. Firstly, make sure that your neighbours know about your event in advance to avoid any bad blood. Secondly, make sure your guests are notified about the specific spots that they are able to park in.

4. Setting Up Your Drink Stations 

When it comes to party planning, not many people would forget to organise their food menus. But drinks are just as important, especially when it comes to bench space and organisation. For safety and hygiene purposes, it is best to have drink stations where guests can help themselves from a tap in a cooler that is covered and unable to be tampered with. These sort of coolers can be expensive to purchase, but you can find cheap drink party supplies through a catering supplier who can hire them out to you for the day. 

Make your party or event run smoothly by remembering to get everything ticked off your checklist. And don't forget to ask your caterer for help.

To learn more, contact an event catering supply company.

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