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How to Prepare for Weather with Outdoor Event Catering
As summer rolls around, all we want is to be outdoors and enjoy the sunshine for the few months we have it. This means hosting dinner parties and significant events, like weddings outdoors. It’s simply a more uplifting environment overall. With that being said, the weather still tends to be unpredictable, with rain showers and thunderstorms sprinkled throughout the summer months. This can heavily affect the events that are planned to be held outside. When it comes to dinner parties, the rain easily dampens the mood, making everyone stuck inside. Catering companies in Mississauga work so hard to prepare food that the rain can easily degrade the quality of the food. This is why it’s essential to work closely with the team to come up with backup plans and prepare accordingly for weather changes. Whether an on-site BBQ setup or a turkey dinner delivery, planning is key.
Understanding the Weather Risks
Weather changes daily, so it’s often hard to predict the weather conditions. Spring and sometimes summer tend to be heavier on the rain, whereas winter and fall tend to be colder. It’s essential to prepare yourself for the worst weather conditions to ensure all bases are covered. If you are looking to host during the summer, it’s often hot during the day, yet cools down quite a bit later into the evening. You should also be aware of bugs during these summer months, as they tend to come out at night. Following up on your event date, be sure to keep tabs on the weather forecasts to see what plan of action you should take.
Choosing the Right Setup
Avoiding damage to the food from the catering companies in Mississauga, be sure to store the food outdoors, placing it in a tent or canopy. It may also be a good idea to think about the different flooring options, as typically, glossier floors tend to get slippery when it rains, so be sure to choose a slip-proof flooring option to avoid a trip to the hospital. For those cool summer nights, think about adding heaters/fire pit, and cozying up in a tent to prevent mosquitoes.
Menu Planning with Weather in Mind
Depending on the time of year you plan to host your event, choose foods that work well in those weather conditions. Some foods often hold up in colder settings, and others in warmer settings. Something like a turkey dinner delivery will most likely not hold up very well in colder months, taking away from the quality of the dishes. The same goes for something like a fruit platter in the summer months; not many people enjoy warm fruits. For more advice on outdoor food safety protocols, it may be a good idea to consult/hire experienced staff trained in that.
Have a Backup Plan
In case you do get caught in severe weather, be sure to have a contingency plan in place that can be executed quickly. For instance, if you had planned for an on-site BBQ chef, rain can cancel that plan extremely quickly. Make sure that, leading up to the event day/on the day of, there are individuals (friends, family, staff) aware of the contingency plan to help execute it in a timely manner.
With all that being said, a little rain doesn’t mean the party is over; it simply means a readjustment. It’s best to catch things early so you aren’t so stressed out on the day of, trying to ensure everyone has a good time, when in reality, you should be able to enjoy the event as well. A good mindset to keep when planning events is to think about the worst possible outcome that is out of your control. This way, you are prepared for anything and everything. Connect with Smokin’ Bones today to get started on your event planning now–before it’s too late!
