Thinking Of Opening A Catering Business? 5 Things To Consider

Do you love to watch the many celebrity chef programmes that are currently on the television? Do you catch yourself thinking, “what a fantastic job – I could do that”? If you answered yes to both questions then you may be considering a career in the food industry. Perhaps you’ve recently been made redundant form your place of work? Or maybe you’re struggling to find a job? Or it could be that you’re stuck in a rut in your current job and fancy a change of career? Whatever the reason, opening your own catering business could prove to be a very good business venture. After all, eating and drinking will always remain high on people’s list of priorities and there’s nothing better than having someone else prepare delicious food for you. Here are five things to consider if you’re thinking of opening your own catering business.

 

Abide by the law

Starting up your own catering firm is not as simple as just opening a shop; as you will be handling, preparing and selling food, there are certain legal requirements that must be met before you are able to open. A good place to start is to register your business with the environmental health service. This must be completed 28 days prior to opening. Regardless of whether your food business is run from the comfort of your own home, from an outlet, or from a stall, you will still be required to register the company.

 

In keeping with the registration theme, if this is the first time you have worked for yourself, you’ll likely also have to complete a tax form and register yourself as self-employed.

 

In addition to registering your premises, you will also require a licence under several circumstances. If you’re selling or supplying alcohol, serving hot food and drinks between 11pm and 5am, or selling food from a stall or mobile van, you will need to apply for a licence.

 

Make sure you gain experience

Ask the majority of people what springs to mind when they hear the word ‘caterer’ and they are likely to think of sandwiches. However, being a caterer involves far more than simple preparing a few butties and cocktail sausages on sticks. Depending on the level of your expertise, your culinary skills and training, and your pricing costs, you may find yourself cooking up a banquet for 300 guests. The secret to being a great caterer is to understand the needs of the client. Find out how many people will be attending the event and whether there are any specific dietary requirements to fulfil. Once your business starts to grow, you’ll likely be in need of some extra staff. Take a look at Regent Recruitment chef jobs to find an extra pair of hands.

 

Be as flexible as possible

If you’re going to be catering for events, you’ll need to keep yourself as free as possible in the days leading up to each event. Give yourself sufficient time to meet with the client, discuss dietary requirements and food preferences, source the ingredients, make the food and set it up on the day. On the day itself, you should always be close by and on-hand ready to deal with any potential last minute requests.

 

 

Decide where your strengths lie

In order to work out where your strongest skills are, you should test out recipes that you have created on your friends and loved ones. Ask them which type of food they prefer – do they think you’re amazing at making desserts? Do you put together a fantastic buffet spread? Or are you highly specialised to cater for more upmarket requests? Once you’ve determined which type of caterer you are, you will find it easier to advertise your services.

 

Market your business venture

You may find that at the start, you’ll get along fine on word-of-mouth recommendations, but over time, this will not bring in enough business to sustain your livelihood. They key to making a successful career out of catering is to make sure that you can be found. The cheapest way to advertise your services is online – set up social media pages for your business, write a daily blog and create your own website. Once you’ve done all of that, make sure you keep everything up-to-date with the latest information and include contact details. After that, get your friends, family and acquaintances to share links to your pages and the rest is history.