Must-have Food Hygiene Facilities For Outdoor Catering to Look Out For

By Catering Staff | September 19, 2016

Before the catering company arrives at the venue of your public or private event, you should have discussed about the facilities for ensuring effective and efficient food hygiene with the catering supervisor. You want to ensure that, indeed, your guests will be protected from the adverse effects of improper food handling, such as food poisoning and food-borne diseases. Here are the things that you should look out for.

Well-trained Catering Staff

Keep in mind that all matters related to food hygiene and handling starts and ends with the appropriate training of the wait staff, chefs, and others involved in the event. You should ask the catering supervisor about the staff’s training regarding the principles and practices of proper food handling especially in terms of:

• Washing their hands regularly especially after using the toilet, handling raw vegetables, poultry, and meat, and preparing and presenting the food and drinks
• Wearing clean clothing and protective gear, such as hairnets during the food preparation.  
• Avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol just before and during the catered event.

If possible, you have to ask the catering supervisor for the staff’s training certificates as well as observe them at work, such as in the restaurant where they work.  

Well-kept Equipment and Materials

You should also observe the condition of the equipment and materials used by the catering company on the site, from the dining and serving utensils to the tables, chairs, and work surfaces. Your keen eye should ideally look out for:

• Food stalls and vehicles should be maintained in such a way as to eliminate the risks of food contamination. The interiors and exteriors of surfaces in the counters, shelves and tabletops should also be kept as clean as possible.  
• Outdoor sinks should be provided for the catering staff for cleaning and disinfecting equipment, especially the ones in contact with the food and drinks. The sinks for washing the food and equipment should ideally be separate to prevent cross-contamination. Detergents, sanitizers, and cleaning cloths should also be available in sufficient amounts.  
• Hand basins with hot and cold water should also be present. Soap and paper towels must also be on hand.  

Of course, the catering company should have effective food hygiene and handling practices in place, which should be discussed before the event. You may want to observe the catering staff in action in other catered events so as to determine their implementation of good practices, such as separate refrigerated storage for raw and cooked food.

In conclusion, it’s always best to hire a restaurant with a reputation for delicious food and drinks sans the risks for food poisoning and food-borne diseases, such as Buffalo Wild Wings. You will never go wrong with this choice!