Programme overview
Introduction:
Event catering and banquet operations break down in predictable places: event orders issued late or incomplete, final numbers that arrive after food is ordered, kitchens asked to plate eight hundred covers in twenty minutes, hot boxes left too long in a van and waiters who do not know the service cues. This Core Concept course gives banquet, catering and event food and beverage managers the documents, calculations and service routines that keep large functions on time and on budget. Participants finish with a Catering Plan and BEO Pack for a case gala dinner.
Course Objectives:
- Structure a banquet department and move function enquiries through tentative, definite and cancelled status with a live function diary
- Write banquet event orders and function sheets that give the kitchen, stewarding and service teams every timing, set-up and menu detail
- Select plated, buffet, station, family-style or reception service for each function and size menus, canape counts and buffet lines to the guest profile
- Forecast attendance, set final-number cut-offs and plan kitchen production, plating throughput and server ratios for each function
- Run off-premise catering with site surveys, insulated transport and time and temperature holding logs, backed by clear contract, attrition and per-cover pricing terms
- Produce a Catering Plan and BEO Pack for a gala and review results against forecast after the event
Target Audience:
- Managers who run banqueting and conference services in hotels, convention centres and venues
- Managers responsible for outside and contract catering for corporate, social and public functions
- Managers who coordinate food and beverage for conferences, exhibitions and gala dinners
- Banquet kitchen and stewarding managers who plan production and equipment for large functions
- Catering sales and event coordination managers who write event orders and client contracts
Course Outline:
Day 1: Banquet Department Structure, Catering Models and Function Bookings
- Banquet Department Organisation Chart: Catering Sales, Convention Services, Banquet Kitchen and Stewarding
- On-Premise, Off-Premise and Drop-Off Catering Models Compared
- Function Enquiry Flow: Tentative, Definite and Cancelled Booking Status
- Function Diary and Space Allocation Board for Ballrooms and Breakout Rooms
- Banquet Operation Baseline Review: Covers Served, Room Turnovers and Complaint Log
Day 2: Banquet Event Orders, Function Sheets and Service Format Selection
- Banquet Event Order Anatomy: Timings, Menu, Room Set, Audiovisual and Billing Lines
- Event Specifications Guide Sections for Multi-Day Conferences
- Service Format Decision Grid: Plated, Buffet, Action Stations, Family Style and Canape Receptions
- Canape Counts per Guest per Hour and Buffet Line Length Sizing
- Weekly Function Sheet Distribution and Pre-Event Resume Meeting
Day 3: Attendance Forecasting, Banquet Kitchen Production and Service Staffing
- Attendance Forecasting, Final Numbers Cut-Off and Overset Allowance
- Banquet Kitchen Production Schedule With Oven, Blast Chiller and Hot Box Capacity Check
- Plating Line Layout and Plates-per-Minute Throughput Calculation
- Server-to-Guest Ratios by Service Style and Banquet Staffing Grid
- Service Choreography: Synchronised Plate Drop, Clearing Signals and Captain Cues
Day 4: Outside Catering Logistics, Holding Temperatures, Contracts and Pricing
- Off-Premise Site Survey, Field Kitchen Layout and Utilities Checklist
- Insulated Transport and Hot and Cold Holding Time and Temperature Log
- Banquet Equipment Inventory, Linen and Crockery Par Stock and Room Set-Up Diagrams
- Catering Contract Clauses: Minimum Numbers, Attrition, Cancellation Scale and Force Majeure
- Per-Cover Package Pricing, Food Cost Build-Up and Labour Charge Calculation
Day 5: Case Gala: Catering Plan and BEO Pack
- Case Gala Briefing: Client Brief, Venue Floor Plan and Guest Profile
- Non-Alcoholic Beverage Service Plan: Mocktail Stations, Coffee Service and Refill Rates
- Gala BEO Pack and Kitchen Production Sheet Drafting
- Post-Event Review: Actual Versus Forecast Covers, Leftover Log and Client Feedback
- Catering Plan Presentation and Peer Challenge
Skills You Will Gain:
- BEO Writing
- Service Format Selection
- Attendance Forecasting
- Banquet Production Planning
- Banquet Staffing Ratios
- Off-Premise Catering Logistics
- Catering Contract Terms
- Per-Cover Pricing
Why Attend This Course:
- Leave with a Catering Plan and BEO Pack for a case gala, reviewed and challenged by peers
- Cut last-minute kitchen and service changes by locking event details and final numbers earlier
- Keep food safe between banquet kitchen, van and ballroom with holding logs that auditors can follow
- Compare banquet and outside catering practice with managers from hotels, venues and contract caterers in other sectors
Conclusion:
A successful function is decided in the paperwork and the numbers before the first guest arrives. The course moves from banquet department structure and booking control, through event orders and service format choice, to attendance forecasting, kitchen production and service staffing, then to outside catering logistics, holding temperatures, contracts and per-cover pricing. The final day applies every tool to a case gala and produces a Catering Plan and BEO Pack ready to adapt for the next large function.