The kitchen and its appliances are first and foremost going to be the heartbeat of the operation. Without the ability to produce top quality foods in large amounts, the caterer is simply not going to be successful.

The catering kitchen should have a commercial oven, deep fryers, grills and microwaves. There should be in industrial mixer, chopper and blender for prepping. A good catering kitchen will have an ample supply of chef knives, cutting boards and other basic utensils and dishes needed to prepare the foods.

Refrigeration is a vital ingredient not only in the catering kitchen but also in delivering and serving. There should be a commercial size refrigerator in the kitchen area and several methods of refrigeration for traveling with the food.

Preparing the food for the event is only half the battle. Presentation and serving are going to be key in creating return clients. Chafing dishes and warmers are necessary during presentation and serving to keep the food at the proper temperature. These can vary in size, design and cost. Chafers can be self-contained units that are electric or they can be portable that require chafing fuel. They can be disposable units or permanent dishes that are reused.

In addition to being able to keep foods hot, caterers must also be able to keep foods chilled or iced while serving. There are many different dishes created for keeping foods cold, often they have an area for ice and then a top area for the food.

Other dishes that are important for serving include sauce boats, soups tureens, shakers, condiment holder, pepper grinders, cake stands, and appetite trays.

Service utensils must also be remembered, ladles, knives, cake servers, and tongs, to name a few.

Service Ware

Dishes that are needed for actual eating must also be part of the catering supply list. These vary greatly depending on the types of foods being served. At the very least the following should be on hand:

* Dinner Plates

* Salad Plates

* Desert Plates

* Soup Bowls

* Silverware, including appetizer forks and soup spoons

Additionally, in the event of seafood or specialty items, a supply of some of these should be considered:

* Seafood Crackers

* Cocktail forks

* Oyster Knives

* Finger Bowls

As the business grows and more menu items are added, there may be other specialty utensils or dishes that are needed.

Beverage Service

If offering beverage service, it is important to be equipped with the necessary equipment for offering beverages. Coffee urns, barware, glassware, juice dispensers and ice buckets are just a few of the items needed for beverage service. The final determination will be based on what types of beverages are going to be served.

There are literally hundreds of items that could be added to this list, but it is a good starting point and also shows the types of catering supplies necessary to run a catering business.

-Sharon V. Chapman