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Home | Culinary | Catering and Restaurant Management | There's Something Special About Caterers

There's Something Special About Caterers


Special events--weddings, banquets, luncheons--are generally catered. Caterers are responsible for preparing great food, presenting it appealingly, creating the table and the mood, and assisting in special events planning. Catering is a great career for anyone who truly loves to create something special.

The Rich History of Catering

Throughout history, people have come together to share food, whether for business or pleasure. The ancient Roman elite--government officials and businessmen--summered at Stabiae, a luxury seaside resort in the Bay of Naples. For them, meals weren't just food, they were ritual and formality. The ancient villas now being excavated reveal the Roman elite made the most out of their "triclinia" or dining rooms. The rooms were decorated with ornate frescoes and the host and visitors alike ate while reclining on chase lounges, the positioning of which clearly indicated one's place in the social hierarchy. The most important person lay at the top of the rectangular room at one corner--from there he had an unobstructed view of all guests present, and of the ocean beyond.

And their meals were definitely catered. The ancient Romans may not have called it that, but their culinary needs were seen to by professionals.

Catering Today

Today we eat on the run or in front of the TV. But there's still a time and place for ritual and beauty, for formal meals served by caterers who know how to set a gorgeous table and prepare and present food so that it's appealing visually as well as to the taste buds.

Caterers are hired for special events, for weddings and rites of passage, for awards events, and for special anniversaries. Catering programs are a great way for anyone who loves cooking to combine that love with a love of events planning and come up with the perfect career.

Sources

Food Services and Drinking Places

In Stabiae