Caterers and tastings - advice please

jojo2004

Hi all,

Booked our venue for 7th Jan 2012. The venue only allows a choice of four caterers, so duly contacted them in April and asked for outline quotes for the kind of meal we want. Three replied.

I will only be back living inthe UK by the end of June (been away for a year), so recently contacted the three that bothered to send quotes and asked to meet them in July, and do a tasting if possible, which all three on their websites say they offer free once you have booked our venue.

One of them has come back and said there's no way they can do a tasting before October (2-3 months before the wedding! Surely this is too late to book a caterer?????)- it's busy season now (btw, I was suggesting a weekday tasting, not weekend). One has simply said they're too busy that weekend - both have suggested meeting instead. The third hasn't replied yet.

The one that said 'not till October' has come back to me and suggested we book into to eat in the hotel (the company runs out of the hotel, so same food) in July. We'd be driving 2 hours to get there, and presumably paying for a meal the other end. Am I be unreasonable to think this is pretty shoddy? They're the most expensive quote too, and quite well known in the area.

I want to have a tasting WHILST we talk to them about food - not weeks before or after! It was one of the reasons we didn't mind being limited to 4 caterers - but since one of them obviously has so much business they can't be bothered to quote for new, one is 'too busy', the others are 'too busy until October' and the fourth (who were the best) have vanished - well, it's looking like everyone should bring a packed lunch.

Any advice people? When did you book your caterers? What should I do?
x

Idiophreak

Our caterers were pretty much the first thing we booked, but didn't actually do a tasting until probably 4 months before the date.

Have to say, I found the tasting very enjoyable...the chef would bring it out and talk us through the dish, how it was made that kinda thing. Then as we were eating, another chap would talk to us about the presentation, different ways it could be garnished, how it would fit in a wider menu. There wasn't any charge for this and it really got us excited about the food.

I don't know if these people are being resistant just because you haven't signed with them yet - but it seems reasonable to want to try the food!

Could you contact your venue, explain the issues you're having and request they let you use an alternate caterer? It seems like the 4 they've "approved" leave a little to be desired!

RainbowDrops

I think it's fairly normal to not do tasting until you've signed a contract - can you imagine to cost of having to feed people who might not then go on to sign a contract?

With our venue we relied on reviews & discussed the menu options with the caterers before we booked.

Then, once we paid the deposit we were invited to a tasting.

WHy not ask the venue if they can provide you with reccommendations from previous people who have had weddings there?

jojo2004

So you both signed up for a caterer *before* doing a tasting?! Okay, that makes me feel a bit better, but also confused - surely the idea of doing a tasting is to make sure you like the food BEFORE you sign up with someone?!

I fully understand that this would be expensive for caterers to do, but all four the venue allows offer it as an incentive to book, not once you have booked.

Still, the other caterer came back to us and can do July, and they were the cheapest, so it's looking like they might get our custom!
x

RainbowDrops

jojo2004 wrote: »

So you both signed up for a caterer *before* doing a tasting?! Okay, that makes me feel a bit better, but also confused - surely the idea of doing a tasting is to make sure you like the food BEFORE you sign up with someone?!

The point of the tasting is to help you decide which options to choose.

Idiophreak

jojo2004 wrote: »

So you both signed up for a caterer *before* doing a tasting?! Okay, that makes me feel a bit better, but also confused - surely the idea of doing a tasting is to make sure you like the food BEFORE you sign up with someone?!

We'd been to another wedding that they'd catered and knew we loved their food, so the tasting was, as RainbowDrops says, just to narrow down our selection

Mazzarati2000

We're in the process of se;ecting a caterer & one of the ones that we have spoken to so far has offered to come to us when we're in Lincs & do a dinner party type tasting for us & family if we like, charged at their usual rates, but to be creditted against the bill if we book with them, which seems like a bit of a compromise. Maybe you could suggest that?

flossy_splodge

jojo2004 wrote: »

So you both signed up for a caterer *before* doing a tasting?! Okay, that makes me feel a bit better, but also confused - surely the idea of doing a tasting is to make sure you like the food BEFORE you sign up with someone?!

I fully understand that this would be expensive for caterers to do, but all four the venue allows offer it as an incentive to book, not once you have booked.

Still, the other caterer came back to us and can do July, and they were the cheapest, so it's looking like they might get our custom!
x

I am really shocked that such a huge expense and they expect you to sign first.
Sounds like a bit of 'persuasion' is needed?
Or as suggested go back to the venue and explain their chosen few are not playing ball so need alternatives.
Don't panic but I hope you don't give in and book before tasting - this is ludicrous!:eek:

Kildare

We had the choice of two caterers at our barn venue and we had to book without having a tasting. The tasting is only to decide between menu options not to decide whether or not you like the caterer - though I agree with you it is a lot of money to decide without actually trying them out. This seems to be the norm though, as when we were looking at venues the tasting was always offered a few months before the wedding, not before we'd booked.

Another thing to consider when choosing your caterers is if any of them have a special relationship with the venue. Our venue originally offered the choice of 2 caterers and both were very lovely when we met them, however I was lucky enough to have friend whose cousin married at the same venue a few years ago and she told us one of the caterers is related to the owner and it makes a big difference in terms of set-up and how much they can do for you as part of the price. Needless to say we went with them and not only were they fab, everything ran like clockwork