Ditch the alternate drop

How many times have you sat down at a wedding, only to be asked if you want the chicken or the fish? Apart from the social friction caused when you have to swap meals with your neighbour, isn’t it just a bit tired?

There are so many fun ways to eat, from shared platters and food stations, to stand up canapés and the live theatre of on-site chefs on, why would you settle for such an outdated concept? Food Adventura offers a fresh new range of wedding menus – check them out here.

Alternate drop, while considered ‘standard’ by many caterers (and clients, for that matter), is usually more expensive than other better options that deliver way more bang for buck.

In the age of dietary restrictions, alternate drop also presents a logistical nightmare when it comes to getting the right meal (gluten-free, vegan, FODMAP, halal, kosher, nut-free, seafood-free, etc) to the right person.

If formality is a consideration, it’s worth looking to other cultures and traditions. In India and China, it would be unheard of to only offer two options. Banquet and buffet-style are commonplace, and the standard of cuisine is five-star.

Here are five ways you can refresh your catering without sacrificing food quality or the comfort of your guests:

Shared platters – Quick for the chefs to plate up, easy for the staff to deliver and clear, and fun for the guests to pick and choose from. Why not serve a whole salmon (that has been deboned and sectioned), grilled rare beef with Chimichurri sauce, roasted chicken quarters and range of sides like a quinoa salad, roasted potatoes, a basket of good quality sourdough rolls with butter, and a leafy green salad like spinach, pear, walnut and blue cheese? Shared platters encourage guest interaction and reduce waste as big eaters can go crazy and small eaters … well, we don’t know any! Check out Food Adventura’s share platter options here.

Food stations – This is such an easy way to reinforce a theme. Thinking something light and healthy? Go for a sushi bar, make your own salad bar manned by a chef, a DIY juice bar or an Asian noodle soup station. By allowing guests to ‘play’ with their food, as well as chat to chefs and watch dishes come to life, the whole event takes on a very different energy to one where everyone is passively sitting down. Click here for more info about Food Adventura’s food station options.

Substantial canapés – These can be served to seated or standing guests, and delivered on platters or by roving waitstaff. Serving options include dishes in noodle boxes, or all-in-one-hand items like empanadas, chicken and lamb skewers, Vietnamese rice paper rolls or pre-rolled duck pancakes. Click here to see Food Adventura’s canape menus.

Paella chefs – A popular trend that has emerged in the last few years is having paella chefs on-site at your event. With several types of traditional paella – from seafood, to vegetarian and paella negra (paella made with black squid ink) – this is an easy way to cater to a large number of people with varied tastes. What’s also fun is that the chefs can explain the cooking process and serve the dishes for your guests. Food Adventura will arrange all the canapes, salads, desserts, serving ware and waitstaff for your next party. This is an easy, fun and filling option for casual right up to semi-formal events. Check out Food Adventura’s paella catering options here.

BBQ – While this is not exactly a new idea, there are some fun new ways people are executing this concept. Why not try an Argentinean asador grill where large sides of meat are grilled over hot coals? Or a Afghani charcoal grill with skewers of beef, lamb and chicken? You could even organise a South Pacific-style ‘hangi’ where pork, taro, sweet potato and potatoes are roasted underground over hot coals. Or there’s always the very popular seafood BBQ for an upmarket affair. Throw a lobster on the barbie if your budget can stretch that far!

The Food Adventura team will gladly tailor packages suit each client’s needs. Contact them today for more information.

Food Adventure are the best rated paella catering sydney providers. Please see our home page for more information.