The month of September is ideal for outdoor buffets of all kinds: weddings, informal banquets and corporate events, in a scenic and picturesque setting, take shape events that will leave a mark for clients and guests of hotels, restaurants and catering agencies.
Setting up outdoor buffets requires a lot of planning to make food and beverages easily accessible to guests in an arrangement that should not only be functional, but also aesthetically pleasing to encourage serving portions of appetizers, side dishes, first and second courses and desserts.
Let’s look at some tips for optimal preparation.
1. The location of the table and buffet
A key choice that will influence much of the guest experience. In addition to favoring scenic scenes, consideration should be given to whether you will be cooking nearby, where guests will be seated, and evaluating shaded and sunny areas. It will, in fact, be advisable to select a shady spot about twenty feet from the kitchen and where guests will be seated, which is ideal for best distributing waiting space and approaching the table. Make sure, of course, that the ground is stable and consider how people will move: there should be a predetermined path to facilitate self-service. In this regard, also depending on the number of guests, you can choose a buffet table that is accessible from one side or both.
It will then be time to carefully select the furniture, such as chairs, lighting, and decorations, and begin to evaluate the whole by also considering the tableware chosen to match colors and styles.
Linea Handware for dynamic and modern buffet presentation
2. The perfect organization of the food
The menu served will be in line with the theme of the outdoor buffet and follow the client’s requests. It is always a good idea to prepare a variety of vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan dishes, and there should be no shortage of appetizers, first and second courses, desserts, and side dishes, as well as drinks and beverages. For the latter, it is essential to prepare a separate table, especially if they include coffee to be served. This way there will be no confusion between the food and drink queues. The basic rule is to have no cutlery at the beginning of the table, only food containers and napkins. Plates should be arranged in piles, also to help guests understand the direction of flow to serve themselves.
While it is true that it is the visual impact of the buffet that will make the difference, the containers used to serve the various dishes can also be a nice touch. Why not surprise your guests with a modern and contemporary tableware collection that features a unique and original design? Fine aesthetics become convenience to take along to buffets as well with MPS Porcellane’s Handware line. Elegant items, bowls, deep and flat plates, are an elegant alternative to traditional dinnerware, distinguished by practicality and the brightness of white typical of the finest porcelain.
3. The impeccable presentation of the outdoor buffet
The arrangement of food is not only important to facilitate the consumption of the courses but also to incentivize it. Along with strategy, the chef’s creativity enters the picture in the choice of tableware that will accompany salads, finger foods, meat, fish, sauces and cakes in a triumph of class.
Cold dishes such as pasta salads or potatoes should be served first and kept at the ideal temperature. The functional beauty of Gastronorm is right for you: mixing sizes and colors of baking dishes with regular, clean lines will honor the delicious contents while preserving all their fragrance. Putting colorful and cheerful Gourmet, available in the size of containers for professional use to simplify the transition from refrigerator to table, is equivalent to checkmate against the banality of the usual standardized buffets.
Next come the hot dishes, which spotlight proteins with meat, fish, side dishes and sauces. The perfect tableware for a full menu is from the Complementi line: essential simplicity, to tastefully accompany any type of dish, from pasta with sauce to delicate sweet creams. The terrines with lid then are perfect for outdoor buffets: sauces and aromas of steaks and roasts are captured in a chest that enhances the treasures it contains to present them, when opened, in all their magnificence.
A place of honor for a selection of mouth-watering desserts exquisitely presented on risers and trays deputed to let the chef’s mastery shine. Modern cake design finds its place on the minimal yet chic Porcellana ardesia stands, in an excellent combination of textures, while fragrant cookies and cupcakes align on the porcelain trays, which are also practical and elegant as a complement to the décor, available in a variety of colors for the best combinations.
Gastronorm Gourmet is color and functionality
4. The safety of food and guests
Outdoors, and especially if the event is held in the evening, it is also essential to think about the safety of the food presented in the buffet. The containers should not only help maintain the temperature of the food, but also be hygienic. MPS’s porcelain tableware is an unsurpassed ally in this regard: it can be washed in the dishwasher, withstanding daily professional use, and with its non-porous surface, it does not absorb water or odors. What’s more, all our products are certified by ICQ for food contact.
In addition to proper storage of prepared food, keeping insects away is crucial for an outdoor buffet: along with the lids that come with many of our items, it will be effective to think about using citronella candles, which are not only useful, but also stylish.
The Complementi line includes terrines with lids
Un buffet all’aperto di successo con le stoviglie in porcellana
Per ogni stile ed occasione, la porcellana è la scelta giusta. Un’esperienza indimenticabile per gli ospiti di un buffet all’aperto nelle tiepide giornate di settembre è il risultato di cura dei dettagli e di scelte oculate, dettate dalla funzionalità ma anche dal fascino visivo dell’introduzione dei piatti. L’estro dello chef è valorizzato dalla porcellana più raffinata, che non segue le mode, ma le anticipa.
E se le entrée venissero proposte in un modo tutto nuovo? Prova a meravigliare con Ghisa, contenitori finger food: una finitura nera opaca custodisce ed esalta il pregio di antipasti e stuzzichini gourmet in un tripudio di innovazione.
