Corporate and Special Event Catering Blog

5 Tips for Party Platters Catering

  

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OK, you’re going to have a party and want the food to look wonderful. How do you do it?

First, list all the food items you plan to serve indicating what will be hot and what will be cold.The hot items will have to go in some sort of heat supporting presentation while the cold or room temperature food can go or be arranged on just about anything.

Now, on to the cold food. Cold and room temperature foods like fruit and cheese trays, fruit platters, cheese displays and meat and cheese trays can be a centerpiece by itself just because of the colors. Designed properly, these can be amazing and impressive.  To decide how to arrange the food you want on this platter, consider the shape, color and size of the item along with what will compliment that food.

Then there’s the “wet” or “dry” distinction to take in consideration. If your menu item is a “wet” food item  like fruit than putting that with a “dry “ item like a sandwich won’t be ideal since the moisture of the fruit will impact the sandwich, possibly making it soggy.  Try and keep wet things with wet, dry with dry and you’ll be better off and preserve the integrity of the menu items.

Different shapes, colors and sizes on one platter is what create the eye appeal of the party tray.  Take fruit, if you cut one fruit into one shape, and another fruit into a different shape then add berries and grapes, you’ll end up with 4 different shapes and colors on the platter and that’s what you want.  Different shapes, different colors all arranged on one serving piece to create an eye appealing presentation.

You can also put one of the fruits on a smaller platter or even a charger, another one on its own platter, bowl or charger, and a third on a completely different plate, and then cluster those around the table at different heights and end up with a beautiful look too.

You can use simple house hold things to raise an item on a buffet. A Hurricane or vase is easy to use to elevate a buffet plate or platter.  Just be sure it’s sturdy enough for the food item being placed on top.  An upside down bowl, a decorative box or tin can also be used to raise food.  Just use your imagination to achieve different heights when presenting your food.