Essential Catering Supplies - ELEVATE Marketplace

The food service industry takes many different forms. From managing a high-end restaurant to running a buffet, from preparing food specifically to be delivered to operating a food truck, having the right equipment and supplies on hand is important. This is especially true for catering businesses.

Caterers are relied on to provide the entire dining experience for groups of various sizes. The event could be as small as an office party, or as massive as a wedding. Either way, it is up to caterers to provide a wonderful eating experience for the people that higher them. This can be tricky, since you have to bring all of your essential items with you each time.

This blog will go over what those essential catering supplies are so that you will be prepared to run your business effectively. It’ll also go over where to buy your bulk catering supplies.

Food Containers

As essential as food containers are in food service, you’d be surprised with how many times this key item is forgotten when prepping for business. Food containers are an important part of the dining experience, as not only are they used for taking food home, but many kitchens use them for their own food as well. If you need to travel constantly for your catering business, it’s important to have food containers on hand to safely transport your food as needed.

Along with food containers, aluminum foil is also a necessary catering supply that goes hand in hand with it. Be it needing to preserve the heat of food for a period of time, or if it’s just the best option to transport food from one place to another, it never hurts to have ample rolls of aluminum foil on hand.

Breakroom Supplies

Office workers will be a frequent client for any catering business, as office parties for various celebrations are common. Be it Christmas, a birthday, or just to show employees appreciation, you’ll likely be called out to handle the food. Most offices are usually stocked with what they need for their day to day needs like coffee, but it’s best for a catering company to be able to provide their own breakroom supplies in case their clients aren’t able to.

Things like napkins and coffee filters will be a requirement, depending on the kind of event being planned. The last thing a caterer wants to hear is that they’re out of some of the most basic necessities for an office party. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and luckily, buying these items in bulk is both simple and efficient.

Water

Having a surplus of drinkable water on hand is essential for running any business, and catering is no exception. Your staff will need it, since they will be on their feet for most if not all of the service time and you’ll want them as hydrated as possible. The client themselves will most likely want water on hand for guests as well, and it’s better not to rely solely on a venue’s water supply if you can help it. You never know what could happen to the water system, and being prepared for a water emergency is the mark of a savvy caterer.

Buying cases of water in bulk may seem excessive for some, but having it at the ready is the best plan you can have. Having 1 -2 dozen gallons of water is vital for a business with so many moving parts to manage.

Table Supplies

Most places your catering business will service will have tables for guests to eat at. Depending on the wishes of your client, you’ll need certain items for these tables to make the dining experience go smoothly. One thing you may be asked to provide is tablecloths for the client. These can help to add to the experience of the event, along with making cleanup after its over easier.

Another kind of item that will be required is eating utensils. It’s a mistake to expect any venue you serve to either have these on hand or have enough of them. Providing them yourself, even just as a backup, will separate your catering business from the ones that don’t prepare for emergencies.

Along with eating utensils, you’ll want to be able to provide your clients with things like hand sanitizer if they request it. This can be a deal breaker for some clients, and it’s vital that you can accommodate this increasingly common request.

Let Elevate Help You On Your Catering Journey

Having all of the supplies necessary to run a catering business can be overwhelming. Luckily, Elevate Marketplace offers all of these wholesale catering supplies for sale, along with many others you may think of. If you need to stock up on essential catering supplies, let Elevate be the first place you look.