“The only rule here is that it is one huge table, filled to the brim with food, that makes your guests feel like little kids with joy when they walk up to it.” —Richard Vanderplas
“If there are allergies that are not so serious, make sure your staff are aware of what is what, and can answer questions for the guests,” says Vanderplas. “It is important that your staff are properly trained to answer these questions.” Signage can take on various forms, though Vanderplas prefers to ditch the signage in favor of educated attendants. “I am not a fan of signage; I think it's ugly. In general, it takes away from the art of your table. In the event that you have a grazing table that is completely unattended by staff, and no one is there to explain, then signage can be helpful.” Geller is of the same mindset. “If an event is more than 50 people, it really behooves the host and the guests to have an attendant there,” she says. “Because people have questions, and they want to know, ‘How did this happen? And how did you do it? And what's that? And that?’ So, I have found that [an attendant] can be really important to the success of how the event goes.” Vanderplas advises having one staff member per 20 guests. This means one head chef per food type/service, one to four assistants per station, and can depend on the amount of food per menu, not just the guest count. One option for signage is to put the printed (or digital) menu near the table to avoid clutter. If you don’t have attendants, Minninger recommends all garnishes and enhancements be edible to ensure guest safety. Design When it comes to the table, you could use ornately carved handiwork, but you can also use a few plastic tables pushed together with tablecloths and butcher paper over the top. You can even use parts of the venue, like cutouts and thick windowsills, for extra inventive uses of space. A physical or video walkthrough of the venue is a good start for creating the table design. “This is important as you can get an idea of what you are walking into. Every venue has its unique challenges,” suggests Vanderplas. “Make sure you know if the building has a service entrance/loading dock and how it works, and [that] you have all the appropriate
insurance and COIs (Certificate of Insurance) with the building handled ahead of time.” You may have a design in mind for decorating the table, but if the caterer has a preferred layout, give them the reins to bring their vision to life in a way that works with food service. That being said, there are several ways to display and decorate food tables that can make them feel like an art installation at your event. “I love making a huge floral foam installation of flowers right in the center of the table,” says Vanderplas, “and tapering it down to the edges of the table with various risers. I like wood, because it is natural looking, hides grease, and is tough and light for transport. It's good to put brown wax paper down on the display pieces to keep them clean.” The best grazing table designs have no negative space, filling the entirety of the tabletop and even overflowing off the edges. Various heights with risers and decor will be interesting to the eye and incorporating seasonal ingredients and dried herbs into the display will give it that extra zhuzh. In the article for BizBash , Hailey Keane of Graze & Co. said that she always tries “to make it feel like a Renaissance painting, still life kind of setup, so it doesn't feel like it's just thrown together.” Remember, this is the place to embrace maximalism and let art take the forefront! Sustainability One thing to get ahead of with grazing tables is food waste. It’s imperative to work with a caterer who values sustainability, so that you can avoid serving excess food and have a plan for using the leftovers. “This all starts with a talk with the client,” says Vanderplas. “Some clients want to keep all the food for a party the next day, some want it to be donated. We have connections to homeless shelters, firehouses (with lots of hungry firefighters), and lots of hungry staff! We always bring Ziplock bags and aluminum trays to pack up leftovers. We hate throwing food away!”
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SPECIAL EVENTS FALL 2024
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