Catering Displays: Ignite Engagement & Taste Buds
Guide
Food is an amazing way to bring people together, and corporate events are no exception to this rule. Whether trying new food together or a unique catering presentation like an action station, meals are a bonding experience.
Catering displays can keep guests engaged during the event. They can provide entertainment, action, and excitement. Depending on the display used, these displays can also serve as beautiful focal points.
In this article, we will explore the importance of catering displays at parties and events. We’ll also discuss types of displays that can excite and engage your guests.
The Importance of Catering Displays
The saying is true, we do eat with our eyes. Our senses are a valuable part in enjoying food, whether it’s taste, sight, or smell. A visually appealing catering display, one which engages all senses, takes any meal to the next level.
Catering displays, in this regard, are important in event design. The action of preparing cuts of meat in front of the guests, the smell of a flambé station, or the beautiful sight of a well-designed dessert table serve as delights to multiple senses.
Engaging multiple senses in food presentation aids in furthering the enjoyment of the event. So, too, does turning a meal into an experience make your event all the more successful. Whether you’re looking to up the visual appeal of your catering (as shown in our gallery) or give your guests a truly unforgettable dining experience, there’s no shortage of unique forms catering displays can take.
We’d like to present some catering food display ideas that are sure to take your event to the next level.
Types of Catering Displays
Action Stations
Action stations catering combines food and entertainment into one unforgettable experience. These are catering displays where the chef prepares food in front of the guests. The action comes into play through the chef presenting the food.
Ice cream prepared before a crowd, flambé chefs, or teppanyaki stations are other action stations. You can turn whatever food you like into an experience.
These action stations are engaging and exciting and make the action of serving food into an experience. They engage every sense and serve as an entertaining, active food display.
This type of catering display is a great way to improve how you serve food. It involves your guests in the preparation and serving process. This approach engages multiple senses and makes the experience more enjoyable.
Types of:
- Hibachi Grill
- Flambé Station
- Teppanyaki Stations
- Build-Your-Own Stations
- Pasta Wheel
- Nitro Ice Cream Station
- Carving Stations
Chef-Centered
Chef-centered action stations, like Hibachi grills or carving stations, are a fantastic way to engage and excite your guests. They act as a central point for your catering.
Chef-centered stations bring guests together to watch the preparation and serving process. Displays like this spark the appetite of your guests by engaging every sense. The immediate preparation and presentation also ensure the food is warm and fresh. Interactive food like this makes the meal even more engaging and enjoyable.
Guest Centered
Guest-centered action stations enable your guests to be a part of the action. By preparing their own fish and serving themselves, these catering displays make the meal even better. This approach gives them an essential role in the dining experience.
These food stations also enable guests to customize meals however they please. The customization amplifies the experience by allowing them to prepare their meal precisely how they desire. These action station ideas engage your attendees’ minds and senses and serve as an exciting focal point at your event.
Buffet & Bars
Buffets and food bars are two equally engaging catering displays because guests serve themselves at both. Guests can pick from a long line of various prepared dishes at buffets, making them better for variety. Buffet table food display ideas are vast, from buffet-style dessert bars to a classic BBQ spread.
Food bars are tables laid out with ingredients for guests to make their own dishes (which you can combine with an action station). Common types include salad bars, cold food, and pasta bars.
Buffets are the best choice if you’re looking to offer a wide array of dishes. Meanwhile, food bars are the best for creating a customized, personalized dining experience.
You can customize serving platters for both to fit your event theme. Confections served in mason jars can create a memorable experience for your guests. Both can be self-serve or staff-served, depending on your wishes.
Benefits of a Buffet
- Allows for guest interaction when guests are getting their food
- Can be adapted to be either formal or casual
- Allows for plenty of variety in dishes
- Guests select what they want from prepared dishes
Benefits of a Food Bar
- Allows for customization of ingredients in guests’ meals
- Can aid in allowing for dietary restrictions by making ingredients optional
- Can combine with an action station for guests to watch the food preperation
- Food prepared as needed, limiting excess waste
Tips for Making Your Buffet or Bar Shine
Lighting is crucial in displaying foods, but especially those at buffets or food bars. Spotlighting your dishes will significantly impact your guests and engage their sense of sight, boosting their appetite. Be sure your event production company understands where food displays will be to add white spot lighting to increase food appeal.
Dessert Table
Dessert action stations and tables are a great way to excite and engage your guests for a corporate meal. These catering displays highlight the beauty of lovely desserts. They are beneficial to display attractive sweet options. Whether you’re looking to display luxurious cakes, bite-sized tartlets, or branded cupcakes, giving them a seperate display table will surely spark your guests’ interest and appetite.
Ideas for dessert stations include sundae bars with vanilla ice cream, bananas, and whipped cream or a cake pop station.
Tips
We’d recommend making your dessert table tiered. Elevating pastries and confections makes them more pleasing to the eye and lends an air of sophistication. This is a common way to display pastries and confections because it allows the caterer to showcase desserts of various sizes and brings them closer to the eye so guests can see the fine and delectable details.
Other Methods
Several other methods to spice up your catering displays are available. One way is pretty well known: hand-passing serving trays.
Hand-passed appetizers lend a personal touch to your event. They create a link between guests and food service staff. This helps guests fully enjoy the catering experience.
A more unique way to distribute food is strolling tables. Strolling tables are table displays that servers wear, often like a skirt. This type of custom food display for events is sure to be unforgettable.
These unique displays spark conversation as they move through the room. You get all the benefits of a tray-passed appetizer. Plus, you can carry much more, like plated dishes, around the room.
Benefits of Hand-Passed Serving
- Gives a personal touch by offering bite-sized or small portions directly to guests
- Presents an air of sophistication in serving
- Allows for timing in giving guests fresh, hot food as soon as it’s ready
- Is perfect for menus with plenty of hors-d’oeuvres and appetizers
Benefits of Strolling Tables
- Allows for a decorative element and striking presentation
- Enables guests to get food as they please and at their own pace
- Allows for a wide variety of foods because of its size
- Is efficient for serving large groups
Tip: include branding into your napkins, trays, the food itself, and/or on the aprons of the serving staff.
Food Can Tell a Story
Food is truly the greatest way to connect people across all walks of life. Its display is essential in setting the scene of camaraderie and networking at corporate events. Well-executed catering displays can leave a lasting impression on guests and give them something unique to reminisce about.
Creativity and innovation are essential in catering displays and food service. These factors, along with good service and tasty food, greatly affect guest experience and event success.
Looking for good food to have catered for business meetings? We’re here for you!
If you’re looking for a food and beverage catering team who know how to utilize catering displays to elevate your event, we are here. We have 40 years of experience in cutting-edge catering displays and crafting amazing dining experiences. Our team are experts in food and beverage services and can answer all your questions, including if you should include alcohol at your business event and how to best approach it.
To get in touch with our team, simply fill out the form below. We can give your guests an amazing dining experience with a catering display they will never forget.
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