Creating a custom menu that accommodates every guest attending your private dining event is one of the most difficult elements of event planning. To strike the right balance with your custom menu, innovation and creativity must be blended with the diversetastes and needs of your guests…
- Know Who Is Attending Your Event
Are you hosting an event for a specific demographic? Even if you do not know every person on your guest list, based on demographics, you may still ascertain that certain groups have common tastes and preferences regarding food.For example, if your attendees largely focus on healthy eating, you know to provide healthful menu items that feature a variety of fish, seafood and vegetarian options. Within this framework, you may then create a custom menu with these food items prepared in a variety of ways.
If your guests are older, they tend to have milder, more meat-and-potato-based menu preferences. Focus on creating a custom menu featuring a variety of proteins and simpler side dishes that set the spice level at mild to medium. For younger or middle-aged groups, it is more acceptable to offer adventurous meals with higher spice levels and innovative flavor profiles.
In any custom-menu framework, the goal is to offer a variety of tastes, temperatures and textures to please everyone.
- Anticipate Your Guests’ Dietary Needs And Restrictions
Today, there are a number of special dietary needs and food restrictions that every event planner must take into consideration when creating a custom menu.Guests with food allergies or intolerances, gluten sensitivity, religious/ethnic dietary needs and more must always be accommodated, even if you do not realize their needs until they are sitting down at the table.
When possible, establish your guests’ dietary needs ahead of time. RSVP cards are a great way to collect this information, by providing attendees with an open field on the card to list any dietary preferences or restrictions they may have. With this information handy, tell your venue in advance so they are prepared to meet these dietary requests.
Also, be sure to check with the event planner at your private dining venue to learn how they handle every food allergy, preference or restriction, especially when it comes to last-minute requests. Avoiding last-minute, special request issues ensures a smooth meal service.
- Arrange A Tasting At Your Private Dining Event Venue
Creating a custom menu that all of your guests will enjoy is critical to hosting a successful event. Tasting a variety of menu items and seeing how the items are presented will ensure you are making the right selections.Be aware that every private dining venue will varywhen it comes to arranging a tasting of their menu items. Check with your venue event planner about their tasting offerings or events. You want to partner with a venue that is excited to set up a time allowing you to experience sample dishes and see how they are presented.
Ready to learn more about planning the perfect custom menu for your private dining event? Schedule a no-cost consultation with an event planning specialist at R2L.