The catering department

At the head of the catering department is the catering manager.

The catering department is separate from the food and beverage department. It has got different functions.

The caterer provides different services from the restaurant.

The restaurant serves small groups of customers. A caterer arranges and prepares parties, banquets, large group meals.

The caterer has to deal with large quantities of food and beverages.

The caterer must also manage the employees who work at those gatherings.

Conventions always require this kind of service. Conventions are assemblies of professionals, businessmen or government officials. They get together to exchange ideas and information. Conventions use a lot of hotel facilities and catering services.

Experts have come to the conclusion that the success of a convention may strongly depend on a well-run banquet.

The catering business hasn’t yet reached its peak. The number of conventions has grown and volume of catering services has also grown. Conventions will continue to increase. So the need for catering services will increase, too.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Who is at the head of the catering department?

2. How do the catering department and the food and beverage
department differ?

3. What does the caterer have to deal with?

4. What are conventions?

5. What kind of conclusion have experts come to?

6. Why will the need for catering services increase?

THE BANQUETING SERVICES

A banquet is a formal dinner for a large group of people.

Hotels and restaurants often arrange and give banquets.

Many restaurants have got banqueting facilities. They can arrange meals in a special dining room for public and private functions. The public functions are company dinners, press conferences or fashion shows. The private functions are weddings, birthday parties or dinner dances.

For some of these functions restaurants provide table service usual or buffet service usual. It means that there may be waiter service, counter service or self-service.

Banquets have become part of conventions.

The banquet manager is in charge of the banquet. During the banquet the banquet manager and the staff of waiters and waitresses provide smooth service to a large number of people. The banquet manager handles the whole ceremony.

Before the banquet has started the banquet manager makes bulk purchases of the products for the banquet. Buying large quantities of food and beverages can be very profitable for the catering department.