Need to organise a large party or event and don’t know where to begin?
First, select an event caterer. Your chosen caterer should inspire confidence – and must be someone with whom you feel you can work.

What should you look for?
Event catering is a mixture of experience, creativity and logistics. An excellent caterer understands how to produce the best event in any location for any number of people; you have effectively charged your caterer with the responsibility to provide an extraordinary event.
Experience – ask the caterer to provide references and examples of previous events. You must be sure they are capable of delivering to your specifications, needs and desires.
Creativity – I am based in Melbourne, Australia, a city renowned for its exceptional restaurants and high standards of cuisine. Melburnians demand the best in restaurants, take-away and event caterers; anything less is just not tolerated. The cuisine should be creative, the planning rigorous, the creativity inspired.
Logistics – this is often the most overlooked – and most crucial – element in event planning. An experienced event caterer works with you to plan the entire event: the venue, the timing, guest numbers and so on. Logistics form the backbone of any event and ensure all your expectations are met and all services delivered.

Layers
A really great event is like a cake: a combination of layers that achieves a delicious result. An experienced event caterer will suggest the right flavours to achieve the best taste, knows which ingredients will work, and has the recipe for a truly memorable event.

Support
The key to an event’s success is the relationship between you and your caterer. Collaboration is everything – and where most come unstuck is in the detail. Ideas and creativity are integral to the setting of scenes, but a great caterer will explain what is realistically achievable. Working together can achieve fantastic results.

Good luck!
One long-established caterer who lives and works by these principles is Peter Hayton of ACC Advanced Catering Concepts. Peter spends the year staging major catering events – his client résumé includes the Rolling Stones, Cirque de Soleil and England’s Barmy Army. With their exclusive selection of extraordinary Melbourne venues, Peter and his team are able to create and manage any size event you desire.
Peter is based in Cheltenham, Melbourne, Australia, and can be contacted on: 03 9555 4000