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There's No Business Like Catering |
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July 5, 2005
By Sarah Clark
Education Factor Comunist
Want a career in show business? How about a job in catering instead? Don't dismiss the idea so fast--catering has more in common with live performance than you might think. As a part-time caterer in college, I learned a bit about what goes on behind the scenes in a catering job.
Training at Atlantic Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Program in the United States combines demonstration classes followed by hands-on practical courses in professionally equipped, modern kitchens.
Catering is an exciting career. Catering events are a type of performance and everything that goes into it beforehand is a series of rehearsals. For opening night, servers don bow ties, ruffled white shirts, and black pants. Event managers, equipped with walkie-talkies, direct a troupe of servers, kitchen staff, and lighting and sound technicians from behind the scenes. During a catering event everyone has a role to play. Here are a few of the starring roles you could expect to assume during a career in catering.
Catering Manager.
The catering manager's job is to ensure that an event runs smoothly. Like a stage manager, he or she makes sure that everyone understands their role and is carrying it out as directed during rehearsals.
Servers.
Servers have the most visible role during an event. Their stage is a formal dining room and their audience consists of the people whose wine glasses they fill and three-course meals they serve.
Chef.
The chef prepares for a big performance by choosing a menu, ordering ingredients, pulling together a kitchen staff, and making other advanced preparations. The chef also works with others to ensure that all required materials are transported from the catering company to the event venue.
Technicians.
Lighting and sound are critical components of any performance. Technicians work to create the right mood and tone for an evening by setting up lights and controlling sound systems that might be needed during an event.
You can prepare for a starring role in a catering company by taking a catering class. Another path to a catering career can be realized by taking a part-time job as a caterer, as I did. Don't let stage freight keep you from getting the training to direct a lifetime of great catering events.
About the Author
Sarah Clark is a freelance writer based in Arlington, Virginia.
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