caterchef
Banned
- 188
- 11
- Joined Oct 12, 2009
I am wondering if the following senerio is being accepted as a standard.
For the past 10-15 years we have been getting Start up caterers that go to the Dollar Store for plastic boxes to serve food from and they use Milk jugs for ice tea, 5 gal. pickle buckets for coffee, plastic garbage bags for salad, garbage cans for other liquids and a carboard box lined with foil for the dinner rolls then drive up in a rental van with a service staff that looks like they picked them up at The home less shelter.
I have been in the catering business for over 50 years and I have learned it is not location,location,location. It's Equipment,Equipment,Equipment.
A professioal is judged by the tools he uses .
I had a butcher tell me once that a "butcher has to as sharp as his knife."
In other words if you don't have knowledge you should not be doing it.
There is no way you can get experience of serving 500 people out of a book.
In the last 20 years I have walked into kitchens and seen these imports for equipment , and turn around and said good-bye. If I don't see Hobart, Blodgett,
Alto Sham, Robot Coupe, etc. and Wear Ever on the pot and pans I leave.
To prepare and serve Quality food it take a lot of Quality Equipment.
I have Silver Trays and Tureens that are over 100 years old that some customers think I should use without a service charge just because I happen to have them.
They don't even understand how much work it takes to get them ready for service.
If it's getting that bad, maybe I should consider giving it up, and just go play golf.
My wife is an executive director of a non profit orginazation, So I go to a lot of Banquets. The only ones that I eat are usually at a Country Club.:thumb:
P.S.
I noticed there was a lot of concern about the Health Dept. and temps. on the fantastic job Just Jim posted on Professional Chef Forums 10/30 09.
Hawiian Luau are not held like a Sunday Brunch where food is on a buffet for sometimes 6 hours. Luaus are served like Buffet Banquet and everyone goes through the line at once. I would think the Health Dept would be more concerned about food in garbage bags and garbage cans than a Hawaiian Luau.
A New England Clam Bake, A Maryland Crabfest or a New Orleans Crawfish Boil where everything is dumped out on a table covered with newspaper would concern me more.:thumb: