Catering Trends

We read a recent article in the Business Journal featuring an interview with a catering director named Franck Mannechez out of San Antonio, Texas. Frank is also the president of NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) an organization that is very well known here in the Northwest. We found it to be interesting that the same trends happening in a different part of the country also seem to be showing up in the Northwest.

We have included snippets of the interview below.

Q. What is the latest food trend that catering customers are demanding today?

A. No more junk food! Consumers are looking for more locally grown foods and support a healthier environment and a healthier lifestyle. People want food that is convenient, fills them up, tastes good and is not fattening.

Q. For a long time, it was chicken, chicken, chicken. Now it's beef, beef, beef. What's up with that?

A. I think people have finally passed the stage of being afraid of beef. We don't hear anything anymore about Mad Cow.

Q. What is the latest decorating trend in catering today?

A. Lighting! It is amazing what a few spotlights can do to a room. You can match the color of the light either with your centerpieces or your linen, and it will accentuate the color -- making it look even more beautiful. Your room will suddenly have a new dimension.

Q. What is your favorite meal to serve for a business event?

A. Everybody has their own favorite meal that they like to serve at every event because it has a great flavor or it is easy to serve. My personal favorite is a mixed grille of tenderloin of beef medallion with forest mushroom sauce and quartet of gulf shrimp baked in pistachio butter. For a business event, though, it is a little different because you have to consider many factors in order to serve the "right food." Factors range from theme, nutritional preferences, allergies, to event length.

Q. How are caterers dealing with the increased food and transportation costs? Are they raising prices or tweaking other parts of their business?

A. Every catering event is a negotiation and a relationship, and you have to find out what is important to the client first. If cost is not a factor, then it is easy; if it is, we will have to guide the client towards what would be the best for their budget and our costs. Here at the Dominion Country Club we are holding on raising prices. Instead we are trying to negotiate with our fellow NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) members, making deals to help cut some costs and at the same time give them more business. With increased pressure on our nation's food suppliers, though, eventually the rising costs will be passed on to the end user.

Click here for the entire article.

Also click here to visit the local chapter of NACE.