Dealing With The Catering Dangers Of Summer

By Catering Staff | August 31, 2017

Summers are a fun season filled with trips to the beach, picnics at the park, and al fresco events! But there are also dangers associated with the sunshine-filled season, particularly where food and drinks are concerned. The hot and humid environment increases the risk of premature spoilage for raw and cooked foods, a cause for concern for both the host and caterer of the event.

Let’s then take a look at a few of the sensible tips to keep your guests safe, food-wise, if you’re the host. Keep in mind that you and your caterer should work together in ensuring that the food and drinks are, indeed, safe for consumption aside from being satisfying and filling.

Watch the Temperature

Let’s assume that your caterer is the local Chipotle restaurant. You should check with the catering staff whether your ordered food will be delivered in the appropriate transportation equipment. Your food may just arrive in less than safe condition, no thanks to the spoilage brought by the warm temperatures.

Your caterer should then have the appropriate transportation equipment, such as holding cabinets, refrigerated trucks, and coolers, especially when your venue is far from the restaurant. You should coordinate with the catering staff to ensure that, indeed, the food and drinks are kept cool or warm depending on their desired serving temperature.

Skip Certain Foods

You should avoid ordering foods that will easily spoil due to the heat of summer. These foods include potato salad with mayonnaise, hard-boiled eggs, and fish and shellfish, among others.  Your caterer can make a list of so-called danger foods so that these can be excluded in the menu.

Instead, you should ask the caterer for a list of summer-worthy dishes and desserts that can be delivered to your venue in good condition. You will find that fresh fruits and fresh vegetable salads with separate containers for the dressings are great for a summer al fresco party.  Your guests will also appreciate fresh fruits, especially fluid-filled fruits like watermelons and grapes, because these will quench their thirst while also satisfying their hunger.

Of course, don’t forget the favorite fast-food fare from your favorite Chipotle restaurant on your menu. While the fresh fruits and iced drinks are great for summer, there’s nothing like the familiarity of pork carnitas, barbacoa, chicken, sofritas, steak, and chorizo as well as rice, beans, and salsa. The mix of foods will definitely make your party a success, even when there was minimum effort on your part.