Whatever type of event you’re throwing, whether it’s a work do, a party or a large anniversary celebration, how you feed your guests will have a big impact on its success. Our marquees can be erected to suit a range of options, from a sit-down meal for hundreds of people to canapés and nibbles for a select few. We’ve put together a quick guide below with a few things to think about serving food to your guests.
Space to work
Most of the events we supply our marquees to require some level of catering. This might simply be tea, coffee and biscuits or a three-course meal with all the trimmings. Both options require power and additional space. However, if you’re going for a full meal, your caterers will also require a working kitchen, as well as water and heating. Non-slip flooring is also essential in any kitchen workspace. Our expert staff can advise you on your specific event, and we offer a selection of marquee options, with space partitioned off or even separate marquees alongside your main one, to suit your needs.
Additional serving space
It’s not just creating the food that requires extra room. Once the food is plated up, there needs to be space in the party area where it can be laid out, ready to be quickly collected by waiting staff. Alternatively, if your event is a buffet, you will need a larger area where your buffet can be laid out, ready for guests to help themselves.
Waiter service or help yourself?
Which brings us to our next choice, would you like food served to guests or are you happy for them to help themselves? For a formal event, waiter service is traditional, but this obviously comes at an additional cost. It also requires more space for plated food and a separate area for serving staff to sit when they’re not required. If you’d prefer a more informal buffet, this needs space to be laid out plus someone to coordinate who goes up and when. Plus, you’ll need ample space for guests to queue up, too.
Food, glorious food
When it comes to the style of food, we can recommend great caterers who serve everything from pizza and pasta to the very best Michelin-starred cuisine. Having a selection of food vans at your event is also a big trend. Normally food vans arrive with everything they need and serve their food up ready to go. However, if you like this option, you might also require a cutlery and condiments station, as well as additional napkins and plates. Guests will also need a mix of informal indoor and outdoor seating where they can eat.
Meat, veg, vegan…
It’s also important to consider guests’ dietary needs. If you’ll be serving a mix of meat, vegetarian and vegan items you might want to consider separate tables, so it’s very clear which items are which.
Cutlery and crockery – real or paper?
We can arrange both the hire of real plates and cutlery or supply recyclable paper plates and utensils, so the choice is yours. We suggest being guided by your budget and the formality of your event. For a once-in-a-lifetime celebration or wedding, we would generally recommend going for the real deal but for a relaxed work do or group meeting, recyclable options that are quick to clear away are perfectly fine.
Then, finally, the clearing up
This is the last thing to consider when it comes to marquee space requirements. Caterers will need washing and cleaning facilities to get everything tidied away at the end of the night. If you’re going for the paper plates option then you’ll also need extra waste bins, recycling bins and somewhere for food waste too.
However you’re picturing your event, we can help. And, if you’re not quite sure which food style to go for we can talk you through the options to find the best one for your do and your budget. So, give us a call on 01932 620060 to chat more about your specific needs and let us find you the right marquee at the right price. Alternatively, try our clever Marquee Calculator to get an initial idea of costs.
