There are several different pathways into the catering industry.
Whether you have qualifications, passion for food, experience, or a business mind, as long as you have the right ingredients you can make an appetising business.
The innovative Chantelle Ludski is founder and managing director of a chain of organic cafes called Fresh! Originally studying law, Ludski worked in restaurants and the events industry, before deciding to start her own organic catering business.
With her eco-friendly attitude and healthy-eating outlook, Ludski comments: “We probably don’t make as much money from our sandwiches as most other companies do, but we want to give a good value at a good price. It’s all about cost-efficiency.”
Private catering is always discreet, it’s not as sensitive as corporate. What both types of catering have in common is that clients of each both expect value for money
Damian Clarkson, The London Kitchen
Fresh! now supplies major retailers and supermarkets such as Sainsburys and Tescos, which demonstrates how Ludski’s catering business took off in a big way.
Positive mental attitude
So where did Ludski gain the necessary drive to start her own business? The London Kitchen founder Damian Clarkson suggests budding caterers “need experience, energy and stamina.
"You can get a good approach to the industry from an events management course or a catering course; there are many different ways to get into the trade. Nothing in my mind beats experience or positive mental attitude though.”
A variety of clients are served by the catering industry, the three foremost being corporate, social/private and industrial. Corporate catering receptions usually include a generous budget with an elegant menu and artistic presentation.
However, Clarkson considers corporate catering to be “very price-sensitive at the moment. People are terrified of spending and I think it will take a long time for that market to recover any degree of confidence.”
Social catering encompasses receptions, breakfasts, luncheons and dinners, mainly on a small scale. According to Clarkson, “private catering is always discreet, it’s not as sensitive as corporate. What both types of catering have in common is that clients of each both expect value for money.”
According to the National Restaurant Association's 2008 Restaurant Industry Forecast, social catering is one of the fastest growing sections of the food industry. Industrial catering, on the other hand, provides institutions such as schools and hospitals with basic food.
Home-based catering businesses are also booming, with the opportunity to be your own boss, choose your own hours and maintain a work-from-home lifestyle proving irresistible to many entrepreneurs. The catering business is one of the most lucrative and beneficial home businesses with considerable potential for expansion.
There are specialist courses that can progress your skills in cooking, catering and party planning services. From a small idea you can create a large business, and Ludski is living proof.
“I started in a café with four people, and have grown a company that supplies Selfridges,” she says, adding: “I kept the business growing, making delicious food and always moving forward.”
The catering industry is tough. Skills must extend beyond a flair for food and knowledge of business mechanics; organisation is mandatory.
You must be an outstanding planner and manager, with flexibility to ensure you can deal with last minute changes. Entertainment is an emerging concern within the restaurant industry, and although catering is ‘behind the scenes’, customers still want that culinary experience, such as signature dishes and house specialities.
