With much of the world re-opening slowly, big life events like weddings are starting to return to the average calendar. Whether it’s a small, intimate event or a massive party for friends and family, weddings are one of the most significant events for caterers as well as for couples.
If you’re planning to take on a wedding for the first time as a caterer, or you’re just starting to re-open your business up to wedding bookings, we’ve covered all you need to know. To keep yourself and guests safe, our safety tips are the ideal place to start:
Ensure you’re up to date on food safety standards and training
The best way to ensure you meet current food safety standards is through the knowledge and qualifications you and your team holds. A course in accredited food handling or a food safety supervisor course is ideal for ensuring you have all the latest information for managing catering for weddings and similar events. If you have not yet achieved a formal certification, now’s a better time than ever to invest. With many soon-to-be-wed couples taking safety more seriously than before, it’s a point in your favour to have all the necessary training to keep your staff and guests safe.
Thoroughly clean and sanitise food areas for preparation and serving
Cleaning and sanitisation was already a requirement pre-pandemic, but it’s more important than ever to ensure highly trafficked areas, like catering tables and preparation areas, are thoroughly and regularly cleaned. This may mean doubling up on your typical cleaning schedule, as well as ensuring all staff sanitise before moving between stations to reduce the chances of cross-contamination. Put hygiene first, and you’re meeting your requirements as a wedding caterer while keeping everyone safe in the process.
Make as much as you can in your own, controlled environment
If you’re catering for a wedding with food that can be prepared or even completely made outside the venue, this is an excellent way to improve your food safety. While not everything can be completed hours before serving, some items can be kept entirely fresh if they are made in the morning and served in the afternoon. The less you need to make and handle on-site, the better your hygiene and safety regarding the food you serve during the event itself.
Speak to the couple about additional food safety requirements
If the wedding you’re catering for is very safety-conscious, it’s always worth chatting to the bride and groom about their expectations and requirements for safety. For example, they may want to encourage wearing masks in the catering queue or they might prefer guests to arrive at the food in a staggered way to avoid large crowds gathering in one place. Your food safety requirements should also cover any allergy, cross-contaminants, and dietary restrictions as standard. But for extra insight into the couple’s priorities for safety, it’s always worth asking directly.
Hire additional staff to improve food handling safety
There’s a fine line between too many and too few staff when it comes to optimal food handling safety. While too many people involved in your catering adds additional potential for contamination, too few can mean multi-tasking between different food restrictions and social distancing requirements. Ensure you hire staff who are fully trained in accredited food handling, safety and hygiene, and make sure you have enough employees on-site to cover all necessary jobs safely and effectively.
Provide the correct storage and serving options for warm and cold food
With so many additional precautions around weddings and similar events, focusing on the food itself can be challenging. But maintaining the safe temperatures and conditions for the food you serve is just as essential to prevent food poisoning and keep your food looking its best. Whether you supply hot plates or ensure chilled food is kept in a refrigerator, having the proper storage is a must for the best standards of food safety.
Do you have a wedding coming up? With a bit of insight and communication, meeting standard safety requirements for food is easy. While extra precautions may be in place, appropriate training and experience can help to ensure your next big event goes perfectly. If you need to brush up on your training skills or plan to bring in extra staff, the Australian Institute of Accreditation is the place to start.
Browse our courses online now or get in touch with our team to learn more about our unique courses and training. With a range of options, from supervisor training to Level 1 and 2 certifications, we have the ideal training to suit your needs and goals.