When you start shopping for caterers for weddings, you may quickly find yourself overwhelmed with choices.

In Salt Lake City and throughout northern Utah, hundreds of catering companies offer their services for weddings and receptions. So how do you possibly narrow down your options to ensure you make the right choice?

Before You Decide Which Utah Wedding Caterers to Interview

Before searching for caterers for your wedding, you must make a few critical decisions about what you want – otherwise you can’t accurately identify which caterers are a good fit. The most important choices you need to make are as follows.

• Budget – Your budget will drive literally every other decision about your wedding catering, including headcount, menu and format
• Headcount – You don’t need to know exactly how many guests you’ll have in attendance but you’ll need a range that’s accurate within 10 percent or so +/-
• Format – Consider whether you want buffet-style food, passed appetizers, a plated dinner or some combination of these

Once you identify this information, you can start identifying those caterers for weddings that can handle your event.

Creating a Shortlist of Utah Caterers for Weddings

As you identify caterers who are qualified to handle your event, look for companies that meet a minimum level of qualification, including the following factors.

• Availability – If the company isn’t available on the date of your event, cross them off as an option and move on
• Direct experience – Don’t even consider talking to companies that aren’t doing weddings and receptions regularly – even if it’s a friend or referral
• Legitimacy – Is the company a legitimate (licensed, insured) business or is someone running it from their home kitchen?
• Taste Test – Can you schedule a tasting and demo, either by attending another of the company’s events or in a private setting?

You can quickly eliminate many caterers based on these four basic standards. And that means you can start the interview process.

If your list is still too long, delve into each company’s customer reviews and testimonials. That will help you eliminate a few more names, if necessary.

What to Ask Potential Wedding Catering Companies

Set up appointments to interview the companies on your shortlist but be sure you prepare a list of standard questions or topics to cover with each one – otherwise, you might not be comparing them on an accurate basis.

You can ask whether the company has experience working with the type of food you’re interested in serving, and how they might approach setup and service for your event. But, most important, ask what is included in their pricing. Get specific answers because what appears to be budget-friendly pricing might not be, if the company will be tacking on a variety of extra charges.

In the Salt Lake City area and throughout northern Utah, Brown Brothers Catering specializes in catering for weddings and receptions. We have served clients in Provo and the surrounding communities for almost a decade and we cater hundreds of weddings every year. We are a full-service catering company with affordable and transparent pricing – no unpleasant surprises. Contact us today to see why we are northern Utah’s premier caterer for weddings and receptions.

A good catering company can elevate your corporate team building event from ordinary to extraordinary without stretching your budget beyond its limits.

Using a caterer to provide meals and snacks for your attendees frees you to focus on the important things and keeps your guests sated and comfortable. Adding a theme to your food can add even more texture and dimension to the experience.

Wherever your event takes you, you can always take along catering services from Brown Brothers.

Catering Makes Your Team Building Event a Success

No one can focus on anything – let alone team building – when they’re hungry. And, depending on how many attendees you have, you can expect that people will get hungry at different times. If your event will last most or all of the day, your catering company can come to the rescue.

Whether you envision serving a themed buffet, a plated, sit-down dinner, snacks, appetizers or dessert – or some combination of these – having an event catering company to handle the food will free you up to focus on your event.

And, with plenty of tasty, nutritious snacks on-hand, you can keep your attendees focused and on-point throughout the day.

Bringing the Catering to Your Corporate Team Building Venue

Whether you plan to hold your corporate team building event at a resort, event venue or a destination location (e.g., a mountaintop, rock climbing gym, dude ranch), you can almost always find a way to fit catering into the picture.

Otherwise, you’ll have no choice but to prepare and package up your food and schlep it along with you to the event. You’ll have to find a way to hold the food at a safe temperature and heat it for serving when the time comes.

You can make arrangements with your catering company to bring your food at the appointed time and location, so you don’t have to give it another thought.

Themed Catering Menus to Fit Your Team Building Event

If your event has a theme, work with your catering company to develop a menu based on that concept. Or create a theme for your food that will delight and inspire your attendees. Food is the universal ice-breaker, so take advantage of the synergy that develops with people share a meal.

Consider an ice cream social, a taco Tuesday buffet or a wild, wild West barbecue. Go regional with an Italian menu or a Parisian-inspired fruit and cheese station. If you’re stuck for a memorable theme for your event, let the experts at Brown Brothers Catering help inspire you.

The Brown Brothers team knows exactly how to make your corporate event as stress-free as possible. A locally owned and operated business, we are committed to providing exceptional food and service at a surprisingly affordable price. Whether you plan to hold your event in Provo, Salt Lake City or anywhere in northern Utah, why not let us put the depth of our experience to work for you? Contact us today to learn more about catering for your next corporate event.

You can keep your reception catering budget-friendly by sticking with a variety of creative – and delicious – hors d’oeuvres.

The literal French meaning of hors d’oeuvres is “outside the body of work,” interpreted loosely to mean “not the main course.” With a little creativity and careful planning, you can serve a dazzling variety of delicious small bites that your reception guests will love as much as your budget will.

An appetizers-only menu is as appropriate for a corporate event as it is for a wedding reception, and the sky’s the limit for your hors d’oeuvres reception catering menu options.

Why Hors d’Oeuvres Are Perfect for a Budget-Conscious Reception

As an alternative to a traditional buffet or plated meal, you can ensure your guests are delightfully sated by serving a series of one-bite appetizers.

Depending on the arrangement of your event, you can set up a single hors d’oeuvres station, multiple stations throughout the venue or have servers circulate through the room with trays.

Passed appetizers are ideal if you prefer to keep your guests fairly stationary, rather than have a constant flow of traffic throughout the venue. If you’d prefer to keep your guests moving and interacting, set up multiple stations throughout the space.

Cold Hors d’Oeuvres for Reception Catering Menus

Cold appetizers and small bites are ideal for passing as well as for inclusion on your hors d’oeuvres stations.

Consider starting with one of these delightful cold or room-temperature options.

• Three tomato salad with Drake goat cheese
• Hummus and pomegranate puree on a pita chip
• Avocado crostini with cream cheese and sweet chili peppers
• Grapefruit and scallop ceviche skewer
• Shrimp cocktail

Top off your reception catering mini menu with an assortment of mini desserts and a custom candy station.

Hot Hors d’Oeuvres for Reception Catering Menus

Although cold or room-temperature options are the most practical option for most reception catering menus, consider offering two or three hot hors d’oeuvres as a focal point. Hot options tend to be the more substantial, protein-heavy options

Because hot appetizers will cool quickly on trays, you may prefer to limit your warm options to appetizer stations.

Some excellent options to consider are:

• Sake-marinated chicken satay with tamarind glaze
• Mini crab cakes with lemon aioli
• Seared scallops with a wonton crisp
• Meatball and pecorino soup sip

For your vegetarian guests, consider herb-stuffed mushrooms and mini chive pancakes with crème fraiche and red onion confit.

Brown Brothers Catering offers a variety of delicious, high-quality catering hors d’oeuvres that look as good as they taste. We can also work with you to customize an appetizer menu to fit your budget and your event’s theme. We provide professional catering services in Provo and throughout northern Utah. Contact us today to learn more about our reception catering services, designed to make your event stress-free.

Did you know you can use a wedding catering company even if you’re planning an at-home reception?

Today, many couples are choosing destination weddings and holding a reception for their local friends and family members once they return home. Other financially savvy couples are paring down the cost of their big day by holding the ceremony and reception at their home or the home of a family member.

Whatever your reason you’re choosing to hold your reception at home, it doesn’t mean you can’t feed your guests well. It also doesn’t mean that you have to prepare and serve the food and clean up afterward.

Catering Logistics for an At-Home Reception

Before you work out your wedding catering menu for a home reception, consider the space to determine the logistics of feeding your guests.

Many couples set the food up on tables in the backyard, as this provides a large, open space for your guests together – and it helps keep food off your carpet and furniture. If you plan to set your reception up this way, be sure you have an alternative in the event of inclement weather.

You can also consider setting up the food in different parts of the house. Consider setting up finger foods and a beverage station near your home’s entryway. That way your guests can grab a few noshes and a beverage when they arrive. You could also consider having passed appetizers, circulated by servers. Then set up the main meal as a buffet in the kitchen or dining room.

Or, you could choose a more formal route and have a plated dinner.

Wedding Catering Menu Ideas for a Home Reception

Design your wedding catering menu based on how you choose to set up the food.

If you’re planning a buffet-style set-up, consider using a theme. A backyard barbecue, for example, or a Hawaiian luau. Or consider having chefs’ stations in various locations around the property, each serving a different delicacy.

To ensure that your at-home wedding reception food is everything you’ve dreamed of, develop the menu in conjunction with your catering company. They can make recommendations based on your budget and the logistics of your venue.

Choose Your Wedding Catering Company Early

If you’re planning an at-home reception, get your wedding caterer lined up as early as possible in the process. If you choose Brown Brothers Catering, we can help you coordinate many of the tasks associated with planning a wedding reception.

We are committed to making your wedding reception stress-free, no matter what venue you choose. And, because we handle more than 500 weddings every year, you can rest assured we know exactly how to do that.

If you’re planning an event in Provo or anywhere in the greater Salt Lake City area, we would love to craft the perfect menu for you and your guests to enjoy. Our prices are affordable, and we are known for the quality of our food. Contact us today to attend a tasting, request a quote or to learn more about wedding catering for your upcoming reception.

Have you considered using an event catering company for your most important family celebrations?

We all have busy lives, allowing us little time and energy to spend with friends and family, or relaxing with activities we enjoy. When it’s time to celebrate a milestone family occasion – such as a birthday or anniversary – why should you tax yourself even further by trying to put together the food and beverages?

An event catering company can handle every aspect of your event, freeing you to relax and enjoy the celebration with the rest of your guests.

Event Catering for Birthday Parties

Birthdays are a reason for celebration, with family and friends gathered to honor this auspicious occasion. Whether you choose a venue for your party or if you or another family member hosts the event in your home, event catering takes all the stress and worry out of feeding your guests.

When you choose the right Utah catering company – like Brown Brothers Catering – you won’t have to worry about buying ingredients, prepping or cooking. In fact, you don’t have to do anything but provide a location for us to set up.

We will bring all the serving containers and implements as well as plates, cups, utensils and anything else your event needs. We will serve your guests and, when the meal is done, we will clean everything up and take it away – except any leftovers, which we will leave with you.

Event Catering for Anniversary Parties

Anniversaries are a time to honor and celebrate a timeless love story. These celebrations are perfect for event catering, as you can customize the food to fit the occasion.

If you prefer a lunch, brunch or reception, or if a formal sit-down dinner is better suited to the party, we will help ensure a perfect experience for the honorees and your guests. We also offer live-action chef stations, for even more fun and excitement. Imagine treating your guests to a flaming donut bar or cotton candy station. Or maybe a chocolate fountain would be the perfect touch to end the evening.

Choosing a Utah Event Catering Company

When it comes to choosing the perfect Utah caterer to handle your birthday or anniversary celebration, look for a company that has plenty of experience handling events like yours. You can peruse customer reviews, to see how well they have performed for other clients.

Of course, price is important but choosing the lowest bid could lead to some unpleasant surprises. When you obtain price quotes, be sure to pin each company down on exactly what their estimate includes. Some catering companies provide low cost estimates but exclude service items (cups, plates, etc). Others will simply deliver the food and leave the rest – including cleanup – on your shoulders.

At Brown Brothers Catering, we pride ourselves on providing affordable event catering without cutting corners. We are locally owned and operated, with years of experience making family celebrations perfect for our clients. We provide catering services in Provo and throughout the Salt Lake City area. Contact us today to learn how we can make your birthday or anniversary party perfect with our delicious and affordable event catering services.

This year, let a corporate event caterer take the stress out of planning your annual fundraiser, national sales meeting or company party.

Hosting a corporate event takes an enormous amount of organizing and planning. The list of things to take care of can become overwhelming and take the fun out of what should be an enjoyable experience.

If you think a corporate catering company just does food, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. In fact, your caterer can handle many of the most stressful and time-consuming tasks related to planning and executing your event.

In Utah, Brown Brothers Catering can assist you in planning everything from invitations and decorations to cuisine and libations, and even help with the always-stressful menu planning endeavors. In fact, with our highly personalized approach to customer service, we can provide virtually anything you need to make your event a success.

Corporate Event Venue Selection

Selecting the right venue for your event can take weeks (or even months) of research and legwork.

First you much search extensively to even find appropriate locations before contacting the venue to check schedules, request pricing and figure out what the location will and will not allow you to do. Next comes the endless parade of site visits and venue tours. By the time you make your selection, your desired date is inevitably booked.

What if you didn’t have to deal with that?

When you choose Brown Brothers as your corporate event caterer, we can handle all of that for you, freeing you up to tend to more important business tasks.

Corporate Event Menu Planning

If you can’t stomach the thought of planning the food selections for your event, why not let your catering company handle this for you?

Hiring a professional catering company for your corporate event takes the guesswork out of the menu planning phase, which will save you time, hassle and money. Your caterer will help you plan the menu, based on your chosen theme and established cost guidelines.

The experts at Brown Brothers know exactly how to choose a menu lineup that’s sure to be a hit with your guests. Simply tell us whether you want a buffet style event, a sit-down, plated meal, passed appetizers or even live-action chef stations – or a combination of these – and we’ll take it from there.

We can plan an exceptional menu to fit any cost guidelines too, so you’ll never have to worry about busting the budget.

Let Your Corporate Event Caterer Sweat the Small Details

What else do you need to make your event a success? Because, chances are, the Brown Brothers team can handle them for you.

We are prepared to facilitate any rental needs, like tables, chairs, AV equipment, etc. Do you need bartender services, emcees, entertainers or decorations? We can arrange it all so you don’t have to worry.

Logistics are our specialty – along with preparing and serving fresh, delicious food, of course – and we know exactly how to bring your event together without a hitch, whether it’s for 50 guests or 5,000.

Brown Brothers Catering would like to invite you to try a sampling of our delicious menu items. You can attend one of our monthly tastings or, if you prefer, we can schedule a private tasting, which will allow you to sample items from your desired menu. Contact us today to learn more about our corporate event caterer services, or to request your free consultation and price quote for your next event.

A reception center can provide an affordable and functional venue for any gathering or event.

Often, planners of corporate events, wedding receptions and family gatherings attempt to hold their functions at a private location, such as a home or office facility. This can pose a variety of logistical problems, however, and leave a nightmare cleanup in the event’s wake.

Many catering companies offer an attractive alternative: holding your event at the caterer’s reception center.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Reception Center?

When a catering company offers the alternative of holding your event at their reception venue, you stand to benefit in a number of important ways.

Using a caterer’s banquet hall is highly cost-effective, and saves you the time, hassle and expense of locating and renting a venue. When your catering company has an established relationship with a banquet hall venue, you will reap the logistical and financial benefits of this arrangement.

Because the chefs and catering staff are familiar with the venue, your event will go off without a hitch.

Using a reception venue is even more appropriate when compared to hosting an event at your home or office. You will have to rent tables, chairs, linens and other items to accommodate your guests in a private setting. At a reception venue, these items will typically be included and at your disposal.

Is Your Event Right for a Utah Banquet Hall?

If you’re planning an event in Northern Utah, consider holding it at a local reception center or banquet hall.

Don’t worry that you need to host hundreds of guests to make a banquet hall event as special as it is affordable. An experienced catering company can create an intimate environment for small groups just as well as they can stage a large, formal reception or event.

If you’re planning a family reunion, birthday party, dance, anniversary celebration, business meeting or another type of event, the chances are it’s perfect for holding at a banquet or reception venue. To know for sure, talk to your local catering expert.

Brown Brothers Catering Offers Provo Reception Center & Banquet Hall

In Provo, Brown Brothers Catering offers use of the Manderley Reception Center. Located near the Provo River, this stunning facility has a banquet hall, atrium, ballroom and a buffet area. We can configure this venue for any size gathering, from a working business luncheon to a large wedding ceremony and reception.

We can also provide reception and banquet venue arrangements in Park City and other locations throughout Utah County and Salt Lake County.

The Brown Brothers team specializes in freshly prepared, high-quality food. Whether you prefer a plated meal served to your guests, a themed buffet or live-action chefs’ stations, we can create the perfect experience for your guests. Contact us today to learn more about our Utah reception center and banquet hall options.

Have you ever considered Easter catering for your holiday celebration?

If you’re the one who usually handles the preparation, serving and cleanup for your Easter brunch, lunch or dinner, you know how expensive and time-consuming this endeavor can be.

When you let a catering company handle this task for you, you’ll enjoy a relaxing day spent with friend and family, celebrating the true spirit of the holiday instead of sweating over a hot stove and washing an endless pile of dirty dishes.

Why Catering for Easter Is Better than Cooking

If you’re planning to host an Easter celebration for family and friends, you can expect to spend hours planning the menu and shopping for ingredients. Then, after you’ve braved the crowds at the grocery store, butcher, bakery and wherever else you shop, you will be subjected to many more hours of chopping, prepping and cooking the food.

The day of your party, you will spend the bulk of your time in the kitchen, preparing and serving the food for your guests – rather than spending quality time with your friends and loved ones.

And, of course, you know what comes next: Cleanup. How much time will you spend washing dishes, glassware, serving items and pots and pans?

When you opt for Easter catering, you won’t have to worry about any of these tasks. Your caterer will deliver your meal, hot and fresh, and handle all the set-up. They will provide the plates and flatware, so you don’t even have to break out the good china. And, perhaps the best part, the catering company will handle all the cleanup for you – and even leave you with the leftovers!

As for cost, you might be surprised how comparable the price is for having your party catered, as compared to what you invest when you make the meal yourself.

Easter Catering Menu Ideas

Traditionally, families choose either ham or lamb for their Easter catering menu. However, when you use a caterer, you can choose whatever menu options you prefer.

Chicken, roast beef and fish are popular but you don’t have to stick with a traditional menu. You could choose to do a brunch buffet, cold lunch buffet with sandwich stations, or a formal, plated dinner with full service.

For dessert, add a chocolate fountain or sundae bar to delight your guests, young and old.

Choosing a Catering Company for Your Easter Celebration

For Easter or any holiday meal, Brown Brothers Catering has you covered. We are your local expert in full-service catering, known in Provo and throughout Northern Utah for our exceptional quality and delicious food.

We also specialize in receptions, corporate catering and weddings. Whatever your needs, contact Brown Brothers today for a custom quote. Call us today to learn more about how Easter catering can make your holiday celebration a relaxing, delectable success.

Reception catering services can stretch your budget to the limits.

Whether you’re planning a wedding, a charity event or any other type of party, the lion’s share of your budget will likely be spent on the food. So, what if you need to save money but you draw the line at a potluck or rubber chicken buffet line?

With these three insider tips, you can save money and still have the type of reception catering that you hope for.

No. 1: Schedule Your Reception at an Off-Hour

If you hold your reception in the evening, your guests will expect – and be hungry for – a full meal. Choose a different time and both their expectations and their hunger level won’t be quite as robust.

Breakfast, lunch and brunch will almost always allow you to scale back your event catering expenses. If those times don’t appeal to you or work for your event, holding a cocktail hour reception is a great alternative.

During the later afternoon or early evening (between 4:00 and 6:00 PM, for example), your guests are likely to be less hungry. Set your menu to feature passed hors-d’oeuvres and a couple of “grazing stations” with gourmet popcorns, nuts and fruit. This allows you to spend a little more money for good appetizers and a nice experience for your guests. The less expensive grazing options will fill in the gaps for those guests who need a little more sustenance.

No. 2: Rethink Your Reception Catering Menu

When planning your reception, consider making a departure from the standard chicken-beef-fish options. Instead, consider a food theme that will save you money while giving your guests a more entertaining experience.

For example, consider an Italian-themed menu. Pasta dishes generally cost less (often much less) than other dishes and most of your guests won’t mind if meat isn’t the star of the show. Add a salad and bread, you guests be full and happy.

Few guests want cake after they’ve eaten a dessert with their meal. So why not consider serving wedding cake for dessert, rather than adding a dessert to your reception catering menu?

No. 3: Choose Plated Food Rather than a Buffet

Despite what you might believe, reception catering often costs more when you choose buffet-style service, rather than plated food.

Guests are surprisingly bad a portion control, especially those who respond enthusiastically to what they view as “free food.” Others may skip a food item and instead help themselves to a double serving of a different dish. Consequently, to avoid running out of any given dish, the caterer must prepare more of each item than you may need.

So, although you may pay a little extra for the service aspect of plated reception catering, your caterer won’t have to allot for self-service portions. You will waste less food and – bonus! – your guests will enjoy a more luxurious experience.

In Provo and throughout Northern Utah, Brown Brothers Catering is your locally owned and operated expert for wedding and event catering. Contact us today for even more insider tips on how you can save money on your reception catering.

For business conferences, corporate event catering can mean the difference between a memorable, successful experience and a mediocre one for your attendees.

No matter the topic of your event, conference attendees come expecting to learn, network or to achieve some specific business goal. But they also arrive expecting a comfortable and rewarding experience – and that usually involves food.

By using an experienced corporate event catering service, you can help to improve the success of your event and the satisfaction of your guests.

What Do Corporate Event Catering Companies Provide?

Ideally, your corporate catering service will provide great food and exceptional service – after all, that’s what you pay for when you hire them.

They will also provide all the plates, napkins and flatware your guests will need to enjoy the food, as well as setup, service, bussing, teardown and cleanup. This allows you, as the event host or coordinator, to worry about other pressing matters, rather than fussing over chafing dishes or ordering service items.

But, more important, your caterer should provide a memorable experience for your conference attendees. Whether that involves meeting a special request, handling an unusual dietary need or making a guest feel special – or all of the above – a great corporate catering company will help ensure the success of your conference.

What Type of Corporate Catering Does Your Conference Require?

To determine the type of food you want to offer your attendees, start by looking at your schedule. For a single-day conference, you may only need to offer a continental breakfast buffet and serve lunch. But, if the event will last for two or more days, you may also have to provide a reception or dinner service in the evening.

If your event kicks off with a cocktail reception, you might consider having passed appetizers or charcuterie stations. If the conference culminates with a dinner event, consider adding chef-action stations, like street tacos or flaming crepes or donuts.

To help make your choices easier, share your event schedule with your corporate event catering consultant and ask them to make recommendations that fit your goals and your budget. And be sure to check out our blog post with tips for making business catering affordable.

Look for Value-Added Corporate Caterers

Many corporate catering companies limit their service offerings to just food. But others – like Brown Brothers Catering – will go the extra mile to help make life easier for their corporate clients.

For example, Brown Brothers can help you find a great venue for your conference and coordinate key details such as table and chair rentals, linens, centerpieces or whatever you need to make your event a success.

We have discovered over the years that, although our award-winning food and reasonable prices are impressive on their own, going the extra mile for our clients further sets us apart from the competition.

If you’re planning a corporate event or conference in Salt Lake City, Provo or any of the surrounding communities in Northern Utah, Brown Brothers Catering has earned a reputation for exceptional food and customer service, making us the go-to corporate event caterers in Northern Utah.

Award-Winning Catering in Provo and Salt Lake City at Affordable Prices. Call (801) 607-1891 to Schedule a Catering Consultation Today!