Restaurant Quality Catering Stratford NH NH

What to know about Catering Staff for Your NH Event

We get the question often…. “Do you have catering staff?” The short answer is “yes we do.” Many of our staff have been with us for years. But there are things you need to know about Catering Staff as you plan your event.

At Twelve 31… ALL of our staff that work our events are employees of our company. What does that really mean? Simply… it means… They collect an actual paycheck for working.

We do not use 3rd party staffing firms. Mainly because your event… whether catering your wedding, a company party or a celebration of life demands the best we can offer. Continuity and people schooled in the “ways of Twelve 31” are a must at events. Of course, we bring on new people if we can see they’ll be a good fit. We always pair new catering staff with those who have been with us for years. Many of our event catering staff are part-time. Several also work full-time in the food/beverage industry or have previous experience in our industry.

Our catering staff earn great wages thanks to our awesome clients and compensation structure.

For your event… the fact that our staff are W-2 employees of our company means they are covered by our workers’ comp insurance. It is a serious topic and people sometimes forget about it when planning memorable occasions… But… Every event creates some sort of liability.

You want to deal with vendors who are “fully insured” of course… That means comp, liability, auto and bar insurance. You will want to be careful when a vendor is bringing people on as “independent contractors” to work under their (the vendor’s) direction at your event. Many small businesses mistakenly classify their help as“independent” to get around payroll services and payroll taxes. This is a big mistake. This practice doesn’t only create a liability for the small business (taxes and penalties for misclassification mostly), but it also creates a liability for you. Yes. You.

As you plan your important event it is a good idea to deal with vendors who have their “house in order” when it comes to this stuff.

We are so thankful for our amazing catering team. For example… The weekend before writing this post we were able to serve 365 at an event in Concord and another 80 at an event in a different region of New Hampshire. We also had some things going on earlier in the day too! You can’t pull that off without a great team.

Charcuterie Delivered

We have a great option to help you get Charcuterie Boards Delivered.

We call ours “Grazing Tables.” These have been one of our most popular offerings for several years now especially during wedding catering.

We never saw Charcuterie as a fad. We have always done it.

Arranging a delicious and beautiful display of gourmet meats, cheeses, veggies and more are what go into our Drop-Off Charcuterie Grazing Trays.

For the longest time we only did these as part of larger staffed catering events. But we received so many requests to “just have them delivered.” So we answered.

They have been a great addition to our catering services.

Catering and Event Planning Email Tip

When it comes to planning your event – you might be interacting with a few vendors.

While we communicate by phone, text and email with clients, we find email is the best way to stay organized.

All important details should be discussed by email… Catering Menus, Timelines, etc.

Using the date of the event and the vendor in the subject line is the way to go.

Example… “9-28 Catering.”

Many times we just use the date because we know it’s catering… LOL.

But if you’re initiating the email thread with a vendor… certainly use their specific job in the subject line.

The other reason why we like to use email is because you can easily find information by searching your box.

It will be even easier to find things if you keep your email threads to one. You’re better off having an email thread with forty replies back and forth than twenty back and forth spread over ten different subject lines and conversations. Our standing record for replies back and forth in one email thread for one event is 75.

Always feel good about communicating with your vendors. A lot of planning goes into creating the perfect day and an open exchange is what you need.

Happy Planning!

Table Space for Catering

We often get the question… “How much table space do I need for food?” The answer depends.

Let’s say you’re going with a buffet-style dinner. The general rule is “Two Eight-Footers.”

This is plenty of room to fit salad, sides, and main dishes. We will always list the table space needed in our contract.

Maybe prior to dinner you have some displayed apps… cheese, veggies or maybe a Grazing Table.

The quantity you order will determine the table space needed. Usually, six foot tables are best for appetizers. Based on how many displayed apps you order for your event, we will let you know how much table space is needed.

Plated Dinner? None at all. Just the work/table space in the catering area matters on a plated meal.

What about for drop off catering service?

Depending again on the size of the order the general advice is “be sure to have plenty of table space.”

Of course, once an order is in place it is easy to advise a client on how much space they should prepare for. Since drop-offs can be all shapes and sizes with a few variables, we don’t usually specify until an exact order is received.

A Fork Secret Catering Tip

When setting up for staffed catering events all over New Hampshire that have china, flatware, water service etc., there are steps we take as soon as we arrive.

Get ready for cocktail hour. Start building any app displays, get ready for passed apps. Set the room. Folding linens, placing silverware, filling water goblets.

It’s very focused time. But what about for a more laid-back event?

If you’re using disposables… placing your plates, forks, napkins on your food table is the way to go, usually.

But there’s a little secret when it comes to “where to put your silverware?”

If guests are going to go through and help themselves to your main course, put your plates in the front of the line and place your forks, napkins, etc. at the end.

It’s a little “fork secret.” This way, your guests do not have to carry their forks down the food line… they’ll just grab them at the end.

Catering Planning Season…

Collaboration is key to lay the groundwork for successful events.

We take pride in returning emails and text messages promptly.

And Phone Calls are great to hear friendly voices and bounce things around.

Never Stress about Guests Catering and Successful Event Tips

Everyone has dietary needs or at least some preferences.

Some of your guests may need you to carefully consider the food you order for your event.

But… Do not stress about these guests!

Maybe it is the need to eat gluten-free.

Perhaps Vegan or Vegetarian.

And a few more. Not to worry.

The best place to start is with your menu selections.

So many of our clients are relieved to see that the menu they selected actually checks all the boxes. Basically… every guest can eat anything on the menu.

If plan “A” doesn’t work out… Plan “B” is…

You can simply order separate meals for these guests. We just pack them up separately and label them. Easy.

The food is going to be the simplest to plan and one of the best parts of your event… that is always our aim.

Grazing Tables and Charcuterie Boards

For the longest time our displayed apps like Artisan Cheese, Antipasto, Veggie Crudité, Mediterranean Trio and Fruit have been put out with the utmost attention to detail to be appealing to the eyes and taste buds.

A couple of years back we introduced our “Grazing Tables” that have a combination of meats, veggies, fruit, the best cheeses, etc. The colors, the contrast and the various elements that go into building them make it so enjoyable. To see the look on the face of the catering client and their guests is always the best part (for us anyway). Grazing Tables are our version of charcuterie boards.

Twelve 31 does not see this as any sort of “fad”. We plan to keep our grazing tables as an option for years to come.

It is fun to match the tables a little to the event when possible too.

Once we were able to hit St. Patrick’s Day and a Baby Shower all within 72 Hours of each other.

Catering Service on Short Notice

We love the opportunity to offer you “Catering Advice” that can also help you on all aspects of event planning.

Let’s talk about “Short Notice.”

Yes… it is possible. And a great example to use is how we are able to help our client, Eversource at the last minute.

Eversource expects a lot of their employees and subcontractors when storms threaten to knock out power. Therefore… They treat them well! They set up meals for them all day for multiple days.

While this is hard work for sure… we are able to pull off feeding a lot of people with catering services on short notice.
Since mother nature does not plan events, this is expected. But you have a little more time (probably).

While we probably can pull something off for you, what are the cons of short notice if you were to “procrastinate?”

Availability. We can not be there for every situation like we are for the power company.

Product Availability. As you get closer to your event if you don’t have the details of which food nailed down, there is a chance it may not be available, thus limiting your options.

Prep. Some selections require much more prep time than others if it is available.

If you have the luxury of time… use it!

The time of year to book catering

Winter is time of year for bookings and reservations for Catering Spring, Summer and Fall 2023 Events.

While we have made many last-minute catering requests work over the years…
resulting in our standing record being 4 Weddings on the Same Day!

The Advice is to book early to not be locked out.

We provide food for the most important events in peoples’ lives.

That’s why we take so much pride in what we do. The Food will be as Memorable as the Occasion.

Pinterest and Instagram Might Steer You Wrong

When it comes to catering for your event, you need to be careful about putting too much faith and trust in Pinterest and Instagram.

These platforms are great for getting ideas.

Some of the images can be very inspiring when it comes to giving you direction for your food display and decor themes.

But there is always a catch! The fact is the people posting these photos are looking for views and shares… that’s their objective! They are not interested in the quality of your food.

You have to find the balance between art and function.

In fact, you can achieve a beautiful food display without compromising the quality of your food.

You need to trust your caterer’s advice!

One thing I will never do is present our food in a way that will sacrifice its quality and taste.

Example… that mini pancakes on a toothpick sitting on a nice platter picture might look really cute, but in practice who wants to eat cold pancakes?

Of course, this is just one example. I come across so many pictures that look great, but make no sense at all.

I have twenty, plus years in this industry. I have worked in some of the best restaurants in Boston and have managed 1000’s of events at hotels like: The Westin Waterfront, The Hyatt and The W. I would never steer you wrong or give you advice that would compromise the quality of my food.

Best,

Melissa

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