Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer

BROUGHT TO YOU BY TRENDS FROM THE National Association for Catering & Events

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 2 Introduction

There have been some exciting trends that have been seen in the catering and events industry this year, and we are building for an even brighter future as we leverage the creative energy of our industry to produce better food, food presentations, as well as creative events.

As summer looms, the team here at the National The catering and events industry has been blessed Association for Catering and Events (NACE) took a over the past 60 years to have many leaders who have moment to reflect upon the trends that have impacted blazed trails for the professionals following in their our landscape thus far this year: footsteps, including the vibrant leaders of Wolfgang Puck and Design Cuisine, who we are thrilled to have Significant growth in events and revenue, especially worked with on this report. as corporate catering has regained its strength. As we see catered events permeating all levels of Caterers becoming more creative as customers look the economy, the opportunity for professional and for unique and personalized foods and events, from innovative caterers is very bright. The employees of the local sourcing of food, colorful events, tasty food Wolfgang Puck and Design Cuisine — many of whom to the beautiful décor needed to host a memorable are NACE members — support the industry and event. continue to drive it to be the best it can be year over year. The continuously expanding role of non-food aspects of catering: creative beverages, local wines, Along with Social Tables, Wolfgang Puck and Design beers, spirits, innovative rentals, and unforgettable Cuisine, we are thrilled to share with you our entertainment. 27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer. We hope you enjoy learning about the creative things happening Continued demand for more personalized and in our industry, and incorporate them into your events intimate events by customers that has caused a as we welcome the warmest months of the year. our businesses to grow in the scope of services we provide.

BonnieBonnie Fedchock, CAEFedchock Executive Director, National Association for Catering and Events

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 3 TREND 1 Bacon and Breakfast Bacon is still a major trend and we have seen the incorporation into many aspects of catering items. It has been used in drinks, appetizers, salad, main courses, as well as deserts. Bacon is expected to stay a major trend throughout the year. In addition, breakfast is big this year. We are seeing the incorporation of breakfast into many types of events, especially late night meals.

TREND 2 Blue is the New Black as Color Reigns Caterers are including a focus on color in the entire event design. This includes the floral arrangements, linens, lighting, furniture, china, silverware, décor items, as well as food. We are seeing creative ideas with color. For 2015, blue is the new black. You will see much more incorporation of blue into events.

TREND 3 Creative Food Presentations It is more important than ever for caterers to make their food displays and plates look more attractive to the guests. The presentations can range from casual to formal, from outdoor picnics to formal galas. Food arrangements with the addition of props on the plates and/or displays, allow caterers can bring the themes to life for the guests. Through these creative components, caterers can make the guests feel more involved in the specialness of the event.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 4 TREND 4 Take Food Back to Its Roots Local sourcing of food is becoming much more commonplace, and is more meaningful to the guests as we take our customers back to the roots of food production. This practice helps the local economy thrive, provides caterers with consistent, high-quality, regionalized food, reduces the environmental effect by reducing transportation elements, as well as highlights the local region and its food production. It is a great way to promote local producers to the customers who attend the event.

TREND 5 Intimately Personal Events Customers are focusing more on creating more personal, intimate and meaningful events. This is sometimes done through less formal food presentations, plating, or table arrangements. The goal has been to create a more memorable event for the guests. While caterers are often using the same menus, they are customizing them for the guests.

TREND 6 Inventive Seating Arrangements With the endless rental options available to caterers today, it is important that your services include guiding your client towards creative seating options that impact their guests in both form and function. Customize their events with benches or serpentine seating to encourage interaction, or position outdoor furniture as an extension of an indoor lounge to subconsciously enhance crowd flow.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 5 TREND 7 Smaller Portions: Still a "Do" Small-bite options remain on this list thanks to the continued demand for nutritious, serving-sized offerings, and the creative license they afford caterers. This trend allows caterers the ability to showcase their diverse menus, highlighting the abundant array of foods they can creatively offer clients and guests.

TREND 8 Sustainability With a large amount of waste in the food supply (in 2012, Americans threw away more than 36 million tons of food, according to the EPA), responsible caterers are focused on using every component of the food product (nose to tail) to offer more economical pricing for the customer, and to better take care of the environment. Containing food costs benefits the bottom line for clients, and forces catering teams to be creative in their offerings. It's an exciting challenge your company should embrace.

TREND 9 Tasty, but Unique Customers are asking for unique, tasty food items in 2015. This can be foods or new spices that introduce new flavors to add diversity and complexity to the menu. For example, in 2015, cauliflower is the new kale. We see much more incorporation of new food items in menus as caterers are working to differentiate themselves.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 6 TREND 10 The Caterer’s Sous Chef: Technology Technology is becoming a natural component of all types of events, enhancing the guest’s experience. The options include tablets for ordering items from the menu, adjusting audio-visual presets, customer relationship management databases and and as well as event apps that support the caterer and customer such as Pocket Planner.

TREND 11 Themes Live On We are seeing a resurgence of themes in catering and events, especially from movies and television shows. The top themes from 2014 were Mad Men, The Great Gatsby, and Revenge. The incoming trend is the 1970s, with the incorporation of the clothes and accessories from that decade.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 7 TRENDS FROM THE Wolfgang Puck Team

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 8 For legendary chef and entrepreneur Wolfgang Puck, innovation is a lifestyle. Pioneering the open kitchen and gourmet pizzas at Spago in 1982; Asian fusion cooking at Chinois on Main in 1983; the first celebrity chef to open in Las Vegas, now a dining mecca; first chef on the Food Network; and developer of the new pressure oven — at 65 Wolfgang is not interested in resting on his laurels.

In the three decades since Wolfgang Puck opened salmon pizza. “Some people were upset: ‘How can you Spago in West Hollywood, the groundbreaking take it off the menu? It’s my favorite thing!’ So I said, gourmet has parlayed his food-world stardom into ‘You know what, we’ll make it if people ask for it.’ But if one successful venture after another. Wolfgang Puck we don’t change, we’ll go nowhere. I don’t want people Catering fulfills Wolfgang’s vision by delivering a to get bored. You have to give people something new. quality, innovative experience for all occasions based You can’t keep working on the same old thing forever.” on fundamental principles of cooking at the highest level possible using the freshest seasonal ingredients, In the following pages, Mary Cline, Regional Director of and by delivering humble, expert service to each and Catering Sales for Wolfgang Puck Catering, discusses every guest, fostering lasting relationships based 10 budding trends that quite presciently align with Chef upon trust and partnership and personalizing each Wolfgang’s vision. Catering at its core will always be event with passion. simply providing food and drink at events — but it has evolved beyond that into supporting healthy lifestyle From Wolfgang: “Whenever you have a new innovation, choices, showcasing the best of the event’s region and that’s what really makes the big difference… I like to season, and creating an immersive experience for all do things that aren’t ordinary—something to shock from the planner to the last guest. people a little bit.” Puck surprised longtime Spago patrons when he redesigned his flagship Beverly Read on and enjoy — and from all of us here at Hills locale in 2012 and ditched his signature smoked Wolfgang to you: live, love, eat!

M a r y Cl i n e Regional Director of Catering Sales Wolfgang Puck Catering

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 9 TREND 12 The Perfect Summer Pairing: Small Bites & Pours Provide your clients with a turnkey solution to the food and beverage pairings to integrate sponsors or specialty themes. Play it safe with options such as Beer & Brats, Sake & Sushi, Margaritas & Tacos, or delight them with unexpected pairings like Beer-Based Ice Creams or Bourbon Bread Pudding. Photo Credit: Brides of North Texas and Greg Blomberg Photography

TREND 13 Provide a Culinary Sensory Overload Engage your attendees by providing a personalized culinary tour for all the senses. Trade a table for a hanging buffet that captures their eyes, swap the traditional cocktail for a molecular feast for their eyes, and consider the art of immersion cooking to flatter their taste buds.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 10 TREND 14 Elevate Your Guest’s Hydration Forget bottled water and DIY smoothies. Provide herbal and fruit-infused water, create elaborate mocktails, jump on-board the health wagon with fresh fruit purees, sun-brewed iced tea, cold-pressed juices and up the ante with wheat grass shots.

TREND 15 Spice Up the Supporting Actors Embrace the creativity that homemade ingredients bring to surprise your attendees. Homemade ketchup, zippy salsa, stone ground mustard, and sriracha-based everything are a good start. Elevate the experiential aspect of dining by offering interactive pickling stations, or display the various stages of fermentation with hand- crafted kimchi and kraut.

Photo Credit: The Mamones

Photo Credit: Cocktail Academy

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 11 TREND 16 Innovate The Classical Favorites Our signature dishes will always be requested and enjoyed; we may never remove them from our offerings. Instead, tweak their presentation and pairings to flex your guest’s culinary imaginations. Mini burgers, tuna cones, pork belly bao, individual poutine cast-iron skillets, hamachi with toasted rice, chicken and grits on a spoon... the sky's the limit with reinventing traditional favorites.

TREND 17 Skip The Seats Keep your guests on their toes — literally — by opting for tray passing small plate entrees instead of formally seating your guests. You can invite them to sit for the main entree, but by creating a walking course-change from hors d'oeuvres to a slightly heavier dish, you’re keeping guests engaged with one another and interested in what you’ll present next.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 12 TREND 18 Embrace the Complicated Cocktail Don’t tell your bar staff that we included this one, but handcrafted cocktails are here to stay — and the beauty of them lies in their complexity. Extra dirty pickle martini straight up with blue cheese stuffed olives? A definite do. A special note from creative-tour-de-force (Wolfgang): champagne cocktails are the epitome of festive, and savory cocktails are having a moment.

TREND 19 Accept That “Special” Diets are the New Normal Gluten-free and vegan dishes are no longer the exception to the rule. Your guests expect that their needs are preemptively considered by the catering team, so make sure not to disappoint them. Seamlessly incorporate these items into your menus, and beware the bland option. Palates today dictate diet-friendly dishes that are just as interesting, tasty, and aesthetically pleasing as the traditional dishes you present.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 13 TREND 20 Be Genuinely Hospitable We work in the hospitality industry, but sadly many people don’t care to live up to the foundational word that drives our every move. Defined as ‘the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers’, hospitality should be the guiding light for each and every aspect of your service strategy. Regardless of the size or budget of an event, our staff should ensure every host feels comfortable, and every guest feels welcome.

From anticipating the finer details before a host has to worry about them, to putting thought into what the service and culinary staff leave behind for the host to enjoy the following morning, the entire experience should feel personally curated.

My favorite special surprise? Inviting our wedding couples back to their venue to toast their anniversary with complimentary champagne and signature dishes that were served at their wedding.

TREND 21 Chocolate. Because Chocolate. Wolfgang loves chocolate. I love chocolate. EVERYONE loves chocolate! This is less a trend and more a need. Offer hand-crafted, artisanal chocolates that delight your guest’s sweet tooths with unique flavors.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 14 ALL-IN-ONE EVENTFree CALCULATOR Let our free app calculate your food, beverage, staffing, and safety needs.

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Make last minute orders without error.

Use your own standards or preset industry best practices.

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27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 16 A total commitment to client satisfaction and the highest levels of service in special event catering has brought Design Cuisine recognition as the preeminent caterer in the nation’s capital. After more than 35 years of leading the Washington catering and event industry, the company continues to provide the innovative menus, quality food preparation, meticulous service, and attention to detail that first defined Design Cuisine style.

S t a c y Ca r r o l l Director of New Business & Marketing Design Cuisine

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 17 TREND 22 Weddings That Brunch Brunch-style weddings are gaining traction in part because of the brunch culture that has solidified its place with the millennial generation, but also because a daytime rental can be a significant savings. At a recent Design Cuisine event, passed mimosas, & bloody marys greeted guests after the ceremony, while a “biscuit bar” featuring local honeys, jams, and Nutella kicked off the brunch classic fare. Fresh fruit parfaits, mini eggs benedict and chocolate chip pancakes highlighted the butler passed hors d’oeuvres.

TREND 23 The Unconventional Wedding Cake Forgoing classic cake traditions, we created a three-tier, whole-cheese-wheel wedding cake. It wasn’t until the guests were served fresh baked artisan baguettes, home-made jams and assorted chocolates alongside a trio of local cheeses that it was made clear this was not your average wedding cake.

We are also seeing a return to classic grand romance. Clean lines, soft blush colors, chandeliers, candelabras, and bow-tied white jacketed waiters are making a return to the scene, most especially enjoyed when serving a twist on classic fare such as our compressed shrimp cocktail, or deviled quail eggs with two tone beet garnish.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 18 TREND 24 Interactive Food Stalls Stations have been a popular alternative to a seated meal or buffet dinner for a while now, and we all know the usual suspects: asian noodle bar, sliders & fries, sushi...

New this year are custom-designed, interactive food stalls, where experience is learned by the bite, and you control the volume, flavor and pairings. Here are a couple of ideas to try:

DIY BLT: The core of a successful BLT starts with the “B”, so offer your guests the choice of applewood smoked bacon, sweet bacon, teriyaki bacon, or chocolate bacon. After they have their choice protein, let them build the BLT of their dreams with fried green tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, pesto, herbed breads, garlic aioli, herb aioli and assorted lettuces.

Bark & Brittle Smash: Provide mallets for guests to break off pieces from large slabs of chocolate bark + brittle, made with salted toppings that include caramel chocolate bark, smoked pumpkin seed brittle, milk chocolate, marbled cranberry pistachio and chocolate mint.

TREND 25 Putting on a Sensational Sensory Display 2015 is all about a full sensory experience, more than a theme. Translucent tents that allow more of the outside, in, mixed texture linens, peek-a-boo tables, and grand display pieces set the stage for a guest’s willing suspension of disbelief that takes them deeper into the world you’ve created.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 19 TREND 26 Ugly Fruit & Vegetables: Sustainability as a Responsibility The sustainable food movement is not just a trend in our industry; it’s a responsibility to our guests, a commitment to ensuring the economic stability of local small farms and businesses, and an opportunity to create memorable events without remarkable costs to our planet. In the United States alone we toss 15 billion dollars worth of fruits and vegetables each year simply because they are bruised or discolored.

Born of a need to reduce raise awareness and reclaim some of this precious “waste”, is the “Ugly Fruit & Veggie Juice Bar”. Displayed on our farmers market bar made of reclaimed crates these “ugly” fruits and veggies are blended into smoothies and nutrient rich juices. This product is also found in many of our purees, sauces, and added to our house made hormone free ice creams.

TREND 27 The Emergence of the Dual Entrée The exploratory nature of the world we live in shouldn’t stop because you’re serving a formal dinner. By selecting a dual entrée, you can achieve the eclectic plate of a buffet style meal, in one, simply served course. Spice up the meal even further by offering game meats, local fish, and paired wines or beers. Pheasant, Quail, Rockfish, Trout and Spring Lamb all play well to the tastes of even the most discerning palate.

27 Mouthwatering Catering Trends for Summer 20 SpecialT to NACE, Wolfgang Puck Cateringhanks & Design Cuisine for their help in making this trend report possible.

Happy Eating!