Tea Party Sandwiches

Essential Tips For Afternoon Tea Catering

Author: Helen Carter   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Blog   |   Tags: •

A tea party is probably the most convenient and elegant way to tackle afternoon events. You can use it for anything from an anniversary, baby shower, birthday party, social gathering, and pre-wedding event. Traditionally, afternoon parties are perceived to be quite formal, but that doesn’t have to be the case nowadays. You can work with a catering service to make sure that you get the most fun and interesting tea party, no matter the event.

To make a proper tea party, there are a lot of things you need to consider. For example, you need to think about the type of foods you’re going to present with the tea. Do you want to go for the traditional English scones with jelly, or do you want it to have a unique twist with delicate tapas dishes instead? What about the dress codes? How do you make sure that everybody is dressed appropriately to your theme?

If you’re concerned with these issues, then you’re in luck. We have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to hold an afternoon tea event below. You can discuss these steps in details with your catering service to ensure the most memorable tea party ever!

Invitations

To start off, you need to think about the theme of the event. Think about the formality and the theme of the event and arrange your invitations accordingly. Each style of invitation has a different level of formality. For example, an email invitation is usually perceived to be more casual and homely, while a serious calligraphed invitation is obviously more serious and formal. You can also include a dress code in the invitation to ensure that every attendee gets the memo as well.

Food Preparation

Afternoon tea parties and finger foods are inseparable. Traditional English afternoon tea catering usually consists of sweet pastries like scones, cakes, bread, and fruits. If you’re looking for a more international event, you can offer tapas dishes, cold cut plates, cheeses, and sandwiches to tie your guests over. You need to make sure that it’s consistent with your theme, as you’d want your party to be coherent to ensure that the event is classy and graceful.

Arranging Your Table

Moving on from the food to the arrangements. First, you need to think about the venue. Is it indoor or outdoor? Will there be a speech podium of some sort? How can you arrange the tables so that everybody has easy access to the food? How is the table going to be decorated? We also suggest that you have a themed food table as well. For example, an English tea table should be where the scones and English cakes are, and the oriental table is lined with green tea and Japanese sweets. Your guests are guaranteed to be satisfied this way.

Serving Hot Beverages

As tradition dictates, the teacups and saucers are to be placed on the left of the teapot. If your afternoon tea event is a rather formal one, then you should keep these classic tea traditions in mind. Additionally, you should make sure that the tea is brewed ahead of time so that the guests can refill their pot easily. This will help the event to go smoother and ensure that all of your guests have enough tea to enjoy. Also, make sure that you provide each table with a way to discard their teabags and spoons so that they don’t pile up on the plates, making it looks messy and dirty.

Decorations

As for the decorations, we suggest you talk to a florist. You can tell them the event’s theme, budget, and preferred colours. This will help to keep the decorations that fit with the rest of the party.

Hiring High Tea Catering Team

We understand that all of this can be overwhelming to think about, which is why you might need professional help. A high-tea catering specialist can help you to come up with an appropriate theme for your event. What’s more is that you can be a part of every process and this will ensure that the party has your characteristics in it. So, if you’re looking to come up with an idea for an afternoon tea party, give Elegant Touch a call today.

Related Article: Entertaining Indoors This Winter Season.

Why Finger Food is Great For Parties

Author: Helen Carter   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Blog   |   Tags: • •

Upon hearing the term “finger food,” chances are one of two things come to mind. The first is delicate cucumber sandwiches that you can eat in two bites at elegant affairs, even while dressed to the nines. The second is a bowl full of buttery popcorn and an oozing grilled cheese sandwich that you unceremoniously shove into your mouth as you catch up on the latest episode of your favorite show.

What is finger food, really? And why are people so crazy about it?

People have been eating food with their hands for a lot longer than they’ve been eating with forks and knives. In South Asia, it’s actually more common to eat with your hands than it is to eat with utensils. Many people consider it to be completely hygienic and even tastier than eating with a fork and spoon. Even in the west, finger food is rising in popularity. Not only is it easy to eat, but it’s convenient to serve.

Finger Food Catering in Event Planning

Quite a few organizations turn to professional event planners to help them plan the perfect function. Event planners ensure that there is someone responsible for every task so the whole event can be pulled off seamlessly. Finger food catering is a service increasingly offered by event management companies and caterers all over. Regardless of whether you are hosting a birthday celebration, a wedding, or a business meeting, you may find finger food catering to be a great option.

Not only does finger food come with more variety and flexibility, but it’s quite affordable. You don’t have to pay for utensils and other pricey tools and you get a unique dining option.

Advantages of Using Finger Food Catering in Event Planning

Here are some reasons why people choose finger food catering in event planning:

1 – It’s convenient

The best thing about finger food is that it’s incredibly convenient. Cooking, serving, and even cleaning up is easier than it would be with cocktails or sit-down meals.

2 – There’s a lot of variety

One of the challenges about catering for an event is trying to make sure everyone is satisfied. Finger food can make it easier by offering lots of variety. The guests, and therefore the host and the event planner, will enjoy the variety that can be offered with finger foods. The possibilities are endless. Sausage rolls, chicken wings, cheese, olives, spring rolls, samosas, sandwiches, potato wedges, bread rolls, fruit, and even pizza are popular options when it comes to finger food. You can even integrate dessert by offering cookies, pastries, cake pops, and ice cream. The variety will leave your guests spoiled and happy to choose what they want from the options.

3 – It’s easy on your budget

The money you spend is an important consideration for any event. You can find finger food offered for a range of prices, and often just a few tweaks in the menu can result in major cost savings. This flexibility can allow you to stick to your budget so that you have enough to spend on other components of the event.

4 – It can be customized

Want all the sandwiches to be arranged in a giant “50”? Sure! Finger food can easily be customized in any way you want. Whether that means offering vegetarian options or arranging the food in a manner that suits the event, you’ve got tons of options.

5 – It eliminates the need for a sit-down dinner

You don’t need to provide large dinner plates and all the utensils that you would have to for a sit-down dinner. You don’t even need the same large tables! This means savings on equipment, space, and even the effort that it would take to create seating arrangements.

6 – It makes the entire affair more laid-back

Although some people do have impeccable table manners, many are not well-acquainted with them and may have no idea what to do with the three different spoons. Finger food catering means that your guests don’t need to worry about cutlery and about teaching themselves table manners before the event. This makes the affair a lot more casual and enjoyable for many.

If you’re planning an event in the near future, consider finger food catering. Not only is it easier for you, but it means that your guests get to enjoy options and a more laid-back atmosphere. If you’re looking for the perfect finger food caterer for your event, get in touch with Elegant Touch today!

Related Article: Finger Food Platter Ideas

7 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Catering Company For Your Next Event

Author: Helen Carter   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Blog   |   Tags: •

Great parties are a joy to plan. That being said, it’s hard to pull off an amazing party without putting in a great deal of time and effort into the planning. One of the big parts of any great party is the food. Unless it’s an intimate home dinner party, there’s a lot to gain from hiring a caterer to handle the food. Let’s look at seven benefits of hiring a catering company in Perth:

1 – You won’t be as stressed

There are a lot of other things you’ll have to stress over during the process of party planning. Why make the catering one of them? By having professionals worry about the food, you’ll be able to pay attention to the other facets of the party. Not only will this lessen your load, but it will lessen the loads of the friends and family who you’ll inevitably ask to help out.

2 – You’ll save precious time

Let’s face it – catering an event is incredibly time-consuming. You start by planning out the menu, then you’ve got to pick up the ingredients, and cook. Then, you’ve still got to figure out the logistics of food delivery, not to mention the presentation! If you don’t cater regularly, you’re probably going to find it to be quite a challenge. A professional will save you precious time by taking all those tasks off your plate.

3 – You’ll be prepared for everything

Whether it’s the lemon slices for garnish or the candles for the cake, there will inevitably be something that you forget. Professional caterers, on the other hand, have been through the process hundreds of times. They know what to have on hand to ensure that your party goes off without a hitch!

4 – You’ll be able to provide more options

If you’ve got a couple vegetarians, a vegan or two, or even someone following a keto diet, you may have trouble preparing food that will satisfy everyone. You may end up cooking many more dishes than you initially planned for! By hiring a caterer, you can rest assured knowing that an expert will come up with great alternatives for those with different needs.

5 – You can serve more people

It’s hard enough to cook for a family of four – how much more for an entire party? Chances are your stove top, oven, and kitchen space won’t be enough. Not to mention all the energy and time you’ll have to spend in the kitchen! Cooking for a big group is very different from cooking for the family, and you’ll definitely run into issues cooking high volumes of food. Caterers know how to do this and will be willing to do it for you.

6 – You’ll be able to class up the party

You’d be surprised at how much you can upgrade your party vibe just with great caterers and wait staff. It’ll add a level of elegance to the affair and take the burden off everybody so that they can let loose and have fun.

7 – You’ll save money

Chances are one of the top reasons why you are hesitating to hire a caterer is because their rates can seem daunting. However, you’ll often find that hiring a caterer is the most cost-efficient way to go. When catering yourself, you’ll have to buy food, drink, equipment, and decor that you probably don’t have at home. Caterers have a lot of these things already. As for the things they need to buy, they know where to get them at the best prices, and will therefore be able to offer you a relatively good price. Their experience also makes them great at budgeting and estimating based on the number of people so you won’t waste as much money on leftover food and unneeded equipment.

Elegant Touch is a catering company in Perth, we work well for private functions, corporate events & weddings! Get in touch today to see how we can help.

Related Article: What to Consider When Hiring a Professional Caterer.