Some of you emailed us before asking for guidance on how to go about selecting the right caterer, chef or private chef for a wedding, cocktail party, corporate event, and other special occasions; and we promised to blog about it some day.

Finding the best match for the type of event that you have in mind….evaluating the company’s credentials (or person’s credentials – in the case of personal chefs)….budgeting for it…Yes, it can be a daunting task.

So we asked event planning expert and entrepreneur Andrea Wyn Schall to share some general advice, tips and ideas based on her extensive experience hiring catering companies and culinary professionals from all walks of life.

Andrea is the founder of A Wynning Event, a Los Angeles based special events planning company. She is also the author of the book “Budget Bash – Simply Fabulous Events on a Budget”. You can learn more about Andrea here.

Whether it is a wedding, dinner, holiday party or any other special event it is important to assemble a team of experts that will help you produce your event with style, taste and great food.  To many people, the food you serve at your party is one of the most important elements of the celebration.  Therefore, it is imperative when selecting a caterer or private chef that careful thought, consideration and research is done before you hire him or her.

One of the first things I tell my clients when they consider a caterer or chef for their event is to first interview him or her.  Get a sense and feel for who they are, what type of food they are passionate about, their cost and presentation.  Ask for sample menus and ask if you can observe them in action.  It may be difficult to watch them at a small event, but many times prior to an event starting, I will be “backstage” observing the caterer, his kitchen and service staff and presentation.

Also, ask for references, and more importantly CALL THOSE REFERENCES.  I can’t begin to tell you how often people don’t follow up on a reference and then they are disappointed when the service or food doesn’t meet their expectations.  It is also important, especially if you are serving a particular type of food at your party, that you use a caterer or private chef that specializes in the type of food genre you choose to showcase.  Of course, any trained or experienced chef can prepare and cook any type of food but I believe that if you are looking to create an “Eco-Friendly” themed dinner, you need to hire a chef or caterer who specializes in macrobiotic vegan food.

Determine your food and service budget prior to meeting with your chef or caterer.  When you meet with them, be honest and realistic.  Don’t present them with a hamburger budget and expect to eat Kobe beef and Maine lobster.  Remember, service is a secondary component of the catering budget and with workman’s compensation insurance, business insurance and other business costs your food budget most often is higher than you first estimated.

In addition, many catering companies include a service fee that may range from 10% on up to 22% or higher.  This fee may cover operating costs such as transportation, refrigerator trucks (if it is a large event), commercial kitchen fees, trays and service items, tips for the staff or prep staff to name a few.  When you are presented with a bill and it simply states staff with a price, don’t hesitate to ask what the breakdown of staff is.  How many servers, kitchen help, scullery crew or prep personnel does this fee include?  After all, you are paying for a service; you need to know what you are paying for.

All caterers or private chefs and their staff should clean-up their work area when they finish the job.  If their kitchen is set-up in an area other than your kitchen, then it is best to cover the ground with Astroturf or another type of non-skid carpet to prevent an accident from occurring.  It also makes clean-up more efficient since the ground covering with the food scrapes will be taken away after the event finishes.

Therefore, when selecting a caterer or private chef for your next event, consider the above mentioned factors.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions whether it is a menu or price item.  Give your caterer or private chef a true and accurate guest count to prevent them from an embarrassing situation such as running out of food.  Remember, you are the host, make sure the team behind you supports you and makes you look like a star host or hostess.

To find more cost-saving and helpful party planning tips, menus and recipes, advice, pictures and more go to www.budgetbashbook.com – Budget Bash – Simply Fabulous Events on a Budget.