Party season is here once more, but are you ready? The chances are that you are going to be a lot busier over the next month and the key to a low-stress, high-turnover party season is all in the planning.

catering for landlords

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Food and events

Events are a great way to maximise revenue and make your month a little more predictable. As long as events are advertised well in advance, you are likely to draw a good crowd.

Food can be a nightmare without proper planning. If you are aiming to cater for bigger Christmas parties throughout the season, then go for a set menu and ask guests to order their food in advance. This will mean less of a wait for booked customers and will make it easier for you to seat unexpected guests. Don’t forget to get that all-important deposit for bigger parties, as you don’t want tables going to waste if a party cancels at the last minute.

This type of planning will also help with staff costs, as you should be able to predict when you will need extra staff. Having said that, staffing is an art rather than a science and there is no way to guarantee getting it right. If we wanted a predictable life, we wouldn’t have gone into the pub trade!

Service, staff and suppliers

Try to look for ways to speed up service. Switching your bottled mixers for draught soft drinks is just one way to speed things up. Check with your draught soft drink supplier to see what else it has to offer, or have a look at the website if a supplier such as http://empireuk.com for some ideas.

Planning ahead can also help with costs. You may find that some of your suppliers’ prices spike around this time of year. Planning Christmas parties and events will mean you know what you need in advance and you can make the most of those lower, out of season, prices. Again a draught soft drink supplier will be cheaper and more efficient than bottles, while food suppliers and breweries will also have pre-season deals.

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the party season! This is not always easy when you are working every hour there is, but don’t forget the one thing guaranteed to bring your customers back is happy staff.