1. What is catering - catering definition

The term "catering" comes from the English verb "to cater," meaning "to provide food and drink for" or "to serve." In general, catering refers to the professional service of providing food and drinks for specific occasions at any location. Beyond preparation and delivery, catering often also includes providing staff, equipment, and other services. This makes catering part of the mobile hospitality industry.

2. What's the difference between catering and a party delivery service?

A party delivery service is a catering service, but catering can also be ordered outside of parties and celebrations, making it the broader term. "Party service" usually refers to a private setting, less common in B2B when companies or event organizers order food. In a smaller, informal, private setting, for example for a family lunch, people also talk about a delivery service. Catering usually also includes renting dishware and other equipment, and often providing service staff. A party delivery service, on the other hand, generally just involves delivering food.

3. What types of catering are there?

Depending on who catering is delivered to and for what occasion, different types can be distinguished. What they all have in common is that food is prepared, provided, and served. Here's how varied the catering industry really is:

3.1 Business catering

Business catering refers to the service being commissioned by companies, not private individuals. Alongside team meals, this includes breakfast catering or finger food buffets.

In the B2B space, more service add-ons are usually booked alongside the catering itself, for example trained staff for a flying buffet, bartenders for a mobile cocktail bar, or baristas for a mobile coffee bar, as well as chefs and service staff for a food truck. Film catering is a specific form of B2B or business catering.

3.2 Event catering

Event catering refers to providing food and drinks for events. This can include private celebrations like birthdays or weddings, though the term is often used for commercial events too. This includes concerts, sporting events, corporate parties, conferences, or trade shows. In some cases, trade show catering is treated as its own category.

Since the Covid crisis, a special form of event catering has also become established: catering for virtual events, for example through catering or cooking boxes. Regardless of the event's format, you don't need an event agency to plan a great experience. With heycater!, you can configure your event directly and easily.

3.3 Mobile catering

Did someone say food truck? One thing's for sure: mobile catering offers a flexible, varied way to serve food and drinks right on-site, often with the help of exactly these food trucks or small mobile serving carts. This type of catering, of course, is best suited to outdoor events, festivals, or public spaces. But if you're only thinking of burgers, think again, the culinary possibilities are practically endless, and so are the use cases. They range from a creative employee breakfast with picnic flair, to a cocktail food truck at your summer party, to an outdoor holiday market as a highlight for your next company holiday party. Mobile catering always creates a truly special experience. But it doesn't always have to be food trucks, mobile catering applies just as much to delivered food. For your lunch break, there are fitting lunch solutions that can be individually tailored to your needs:

"Care catering" refers to providing food for care settings, for example in hospitals or nursing homes. This can include catering for care staff, but primarily refers to the elderly or ill people staying in these facilities.

Transport catering refers to catering on transportation, primarily on planes, but also on trains or ships. Food services at train stations can also be counted here.

3.4 Other catering forms

Operating mobile canteens is a special form of catering. It's an alternative to a classic company restaurant, where employees can get food during their lunch break.

4. Where is business catering used?

There are numerous occasions where food is ordered for a smaller or larger group of people. Privately, these are mainly larger celebrations, for example milestone birthdays or anniversaries, weddings, or christenings. Business catering is ordered for a wide range of occasions too:

4.1 Corporate celebrations

Business events within a company can, for example, be company anniversaries, but also summer parties or the holiday party as the most common corporate event. Whenever a company celebrates, catering with food and drinks is a central part of the event. If the event doesn't take place at a restaurant or hotel, hosting guests falls to a caterer.

4.2 Events for clients and business partners

Alongside internal company events, events where clients or business partners are invited are another important occasion for catering. This includes business openings, seminars and conferences, but also product presentations. Some companies also invite selected clients and business partners to their summer parties or holiday parties.

4.3 Trade shows

For your own in-house trade show, catering is an important part of ensuring visitors are well fed, but finger food and drinks at your trade show booth can also be a visitor magnet. The provider's service here often includes staff serving the food and drinks too.

4.4 Team events

Good food is part of every team celebration. For a team building event at the office or in the company courtyard, catering provides food, drinks, and maybe even entertainment (live cooking). For virtual team events or hybrid team building, special offerings like hybrid catering and catering boxes for home office are available. If you're looking for inspiration for your next team event, click here.

5. How is food presented?

Catering means food is prepared and offered to guests at a specific location, but the way it's presented and the flow of the event can differ significantly. Depending on whether the occasion is formal or informal, how much space is available, or the surrounding program, there are pros and cons to choosing a buffet, a set menu, or other presentation options.

5.1 Buffet

The buffet is the best-known way to present catered food. Dishes are set up at one, rarely several, fixed spots, and guests come to serve themselves. Often, individual courses are set out one after the other, for example the main course and then desserts. A buffet can hold cold or warm dishes, or even finger food, and can be served as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner buffet.

One advantage of a buffet is that guests can determine the amount and combination of food themselves. Special dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal, etc.) can be labeled, and guests can choose accordingly. Service staff is needed only minimally or not at all, with catering without additional service, for example, only the food along with dishware and needed equipment is delivered and set up, then broken down and taken away again after the event. The downside is that the eating process can take significantly longer, and not all guests can eat at the same time, but instead need to line up at the buffet one after another.

5.2 Finger food

Finger food is one of the most popular forms of catering. Especially for informal occasions, bite-sized snacks bring many advantages: they don't take up much space and can be eaten anywhere, standing or sitting. Little tableware or cutlery is needed. Guests love finger food catering, since it lets them try their way through many different small treats. The many different small dishes also make it easier to account for various allergies and dietary needs in your catering.

5.3 Flying buffet

The flying buffet is a special form of buffet. Unlike a stationary buffet, there's no fixed table where dishes, usually finger food, are presented and picked up by guests. Instead, service staff serve the bites on trays. For occasions with a relaxed atmosphere, where communication and connecting with other guests is the focus, a buffet with flying service is a great choice. Flying finger food also works very well for a standing reception.

5.4 Set menu

A fixed, predetermined menu, or a small selection of dishes that guests can choose from, served at their table, is the more formal alternative to a buffet. This type of catering is preferred especially for official occasions or an upscale setting. At fine dining, a set menu is a must.

One advantage of this option is that fixed program schedules can be maintained more easily. If guests serve themselves at a buffet, eating generally takes longer and follows a less fixed, plannable structure.

5.5 Show cooking and live cooking

It's showtime: hardly any type of catering has as much entertainment value! But what's it all about? Show cooking is a special form of catering where food is prepared on-site as part of an event, right before guests' eyes. To ensure good quality with freshly cooked dishes, many caterers prepare their food fresh on-site anyway. With show cooking, though, the entertainment factor is what matters most. And honestly, what's more relaxing than watching professionals cook?

5.6 BBQ

Professional BBQ caterers bring the grill truck or smoker directly to your event and serve steaks, sausages, grilled vegetables, and vegan and vegetarian alternatives along with sides. Grill catering is a popular choice for summer parties and outdoor events.

5.7 Hybrid catering and catering for virtual events

A special form of catering that became more important and better known especially during the Covid pandemic is catering for remote teams or hybrid events. Here, remote employees receive a catering box shipped directly to their home, which they only need to warm up, prepare with a few steps, or arrange and eat straight away. Hybrid catering combines on-site service with home office catering, for example for hybrid team events.

6. What tasks does a caterer perform?

The primary task of a caterer is preparing food and providing it along with drinks. Depending on the package and occasion booked, additional services come on top. In full-service catering, for example, the entire planning and execution of the catering concept is included, but the service isn't limited to that. Providing equipment and service staff, and consulting on the concept and flow of the entire event, can be part of the offering.

Specialized catering companies offer full service as a complete package. But there are also companies with a different focus that offer catering as an additional service alongside their restaurant or shop. heycater's catering and event experts take over the entire event planning for you on request, from choosing the location to planning the program to putting together the perfect catering for your occasion.

7. Order any kind of catering at heycater!

Looking for catering for your business event or your office? heycater! has more than 600 caterers in its portfolio, from finger food caterers to food trucks to mobile cocktail bars and BBQ caterers. Just send us a request with all the key details, and we'll get back to you with a no-obligation offer. Naturally, your offer is tailored to your specific request, saving you the tedious work of searching and comparing different caterers. We're happy to bring you the perfect catering!