Secrets to Successful Food Tastings

Ok, I do hate to admit this, but for quite a few years, I hated to do food tastings…having catered thousands of weddings since the late 1960’s I’ve seen huge changes in the way weddings are planned.  For many brides in my early years, their menu planning thoughts were, “Bill, whatever you think our guests would like…we trust your judgment and experience!”  Fast forward four decades and things have changed…wedding couples are much more educated thanks to Martha Stewart, Colin Cowie, The Knot and myriad other wedding planning gurus on TV and in print.

This coming Wednesday, I am doing a food tasting for close to one hundred clients and friends.   This is a great time for my team to exhibit what we do best, as well as find out more about what our clients like and even dislike.

Here are a few iron-clad tips for “food tasters” planning weddings and special events.

1.     Rely on your caterers suggestions as to what will work and what will not work.  Remember, we’ve seen many more weddings than you have…the good, the bad and the ugly.

2.     Aim to please, not to impress…one bride for whom I catered tried to impress her guests by passing around bottles of Johnny Walker Blue with the bottles prominently displayed  on silver trays…obviously trying to impress her guests…it didn’t work, and interestingly enough, many of her invited guests did not even show up.

3.     Just because you’re a vegan or some type of vegetarian, that does not mean that your guests will like what you eat and like.  Remember, aim to please, not convert your guests into your way of eating….if you do, there will be a long line at the closest steakhouse once your wedding is concluded.

4.     Don’t be afraid to ask your caterer to prepare special dishes and recipes.  Good caterers enjoy the challenge of using Aunt Millie’s recipe.  Ask your caterer first to make a trial batch so that you can taste it and adjust if necessary.

5.     Don’t try to make a large batch of something for your wedding unless they have commercial cooking experience, and that your caterer will allow it.  One disaster, a few years ago, occurred when the mother of the groom, made a large pot of special soup for 80 guests, and put it in a home style refrigerator overnight.  When we were given then soup to heat up before service, the soup had spoiled since the small fridge was not powerful enough to cool it to a safe temp.

6.     Lastly, it is your wedding and you should have the foods you want that will please your guests.  Only use caterers who understand that idea.