Firstly though let's share a little food for thought An event must be a viable proposition to the caterer in order for them to make enough money to pay all expenses incurred by the client's event, this, of course, is obvious and true of all businesses but for some reason when buying catering, customers don’t think about this and think caterers are being unfair, unreasonable or expensive. It’s understandable, as a potential client who is emotionally attached to the celebration that they’re buying catering for and only wanted to spend a certain amount, then, of course, it would be frustrating. This could also be because potential clients don’t buy catering very often and don’t really know how much it costs, or it’s been a long time since they paid for catered food and have not taken into consideration food and labour inflation. Tight budgets If you are on a tight budget it would be worth noting here that you shouldn’t expect to pay less than a McDonald’s quarter pounder meal per person or a Wetherspoons beer and burger for catered food, it isn’t realistic to think it would be less and better quality catering would be more. Don’t get me wrong there are cheaper food providers around but for a quality buffet, provided by a professional and experienced caterer it's worth having a little flexibility on that budget and surely just knowing your food has been prepared safely makes it worth it. Minimum orders Not only are caterers not being unfair or unreasonable with their pricing but they are also aware that food and the cost of producing it safely from a professional service isn’t cheap and so want to create menus for the best price possible for their clients. In order to keep prices low there has to be a minimum spend or headcount and the more people you are feeding the better the deal. Even caterers who don’t advertise a minimum spend or headcount, be assured there is one, there has to be as it’s a business after all and menus, meals and platters etc have a minimum cost to producing them. If your event is only for a handful of people and is much lower than the minimum headcount, you will still need your whole order to come to the minimum spend or find a caterer who specialises in smaller gatherings they sometimes have different pricing models and menu concepts and these would be worth looking into. Such as a personal chef. As you’re reading this it is obvious that with some caterers the bigger the headcount for the event the better the deal and for small parties not so much. My friend don’t be downhearted as stated before, find a good caterer that fits your needs, pay for quality and value for money, this is not always the cheapest option but definitely the best option. If you decide you’re happy to pay the minimum spend with a specific caterer because you really love the food on offer then know that your caterer has got your back, the quality will be the best, the attention to detail will get more attention and some caterers will throw in extra treats for good measure. In reality, catering is going to be the most expensive part of your celebration, you should price this up before you invest in other details of your party. Food is a very important part of all parties, not only does it soak up some of the booze but hungry people aren't very fun, all cultures all over the world celebrate with food, it’s more important than a photo booth, cake, balloons, party favours, DJ etc. The best way to plan your party is to write down all the items that are important to you, the date, venue and catering being at the top of the list and everything else in order of importance afterwards. Here are 5 ways to get a better deal on your catering 1) Book using a deal or far enough in advance you could earn freebies Don’t try and buy catered food with what is left of your budget, this is a party planning rookie mistake, food first and buy the rest with what’s left of your budget. Most caterers will have deadline deals or offer freebies for booking in advance, a caterer will usually have a 2-year calendar open for bookings, book your catering early and take advantage of the payment plan. If you didn't see a deal offered ask if there is a promotion or offer available. 2) Don't get sucked into feeling you have to provide a lavish spread You don’t have to provide a large substantial meal, sometimes sandwiches with a few savouries and a bit of cake will suffice or even a hot dog or burger. This is a great way to get a better deal for your budget on catered food. 3) Don't be shy to ask your caterer if you can get a better deal Instead of asking a caterer for a menu, why not ask them what they can do for your budget. Please be respectful though, we've heard it all so here are a couple of hints on how to negotiate a better deal. £1 a head is quite rude, as it would be like asking the caterer to work for free, you would not be taken seriously, you can’t even get a happy meal for a quid and it’s not good quality either. However, £4 a head with a headcount over 50 may get your caterer moving to the negotiating table. And if you want hot food or something specific, you must be prepared to pay more than you would at say Wetherspoons. This is just a guide, caterers vary. 4) What if your budget isn't the problem your headcount is smaller than the minimum required Ask the caterer if there is any menu available including corporate menus that has a minimum headcount less than an event menu or do they have food platters or boxes that can be made up for smaller headcounts. This may not always work remember the event has to be viable for the caterer, if you have a small order and it needs to be delivered on the other side of town, you may need to find someone nearer to you. 5) Here are a few other ways to get a better deal Don’t order extras Order from a caterer near to your venue Buy your own table cloths Get a drop off service Have your party at home. Blog post was written by Lorna Robins owner of Buffet Heroes in Stockport. Buffet Heroes produce Grazing Tables and traditional cold & hot buffets in Manchester, Stockport and Cheshire areas of the North West. Get in touch with email info@buffetheroes.com Or quote form at https://www.buffetheroes.com/get-a-quote

Grazing tables are an epic, amazing, pièce de résistance type food spread that is an intricately designed art installation. The grazing table trend although has been popular overseas for a while, it has now picked up some popularity over the last few years here in the UK. Grazing tables are suitable for all occasions but especially weddings, late evening buffets, corporate soirees and funeral receptions. Here are 6 facts you didn’t think of as to why you should order a grazing table for your next event. 1) A grazing table is the fresh new face of our time and makes traditional buffets look old hat. 2) A grazing table eliminates the problems of catering to multiple dietary needs. There is enough choice for a gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, egg-free, carnivore, keto and diabetic diet without special or separate plates needed. 3) A grazing table is chock full of food choices and options you would be hard-pressed to find a guest including fussy eaters that can’t find something to eat. 4) A grazing table is so different and unique, created using seasonal produce and food items that there would never be two grazers the same. 5) A grazing table is so aesthetically pleasing that your guests will be amazed. 6) A grazing table will get your guest's tongues wagging and guarantees that your event will be on Instagram and Facebook before you even get your first drink at the bar. If you agree that a grazing table is the way to go for your next event, get in touch. Blog post was written by Lorna Robins owner of Buffet Heroes in Stockport. Buffet Heroes produce Grazing Tables in Manchester, Stockport and Cheshire areas of the North West. Get in touch with email info@buffetheroes.com Or quote form at https://www.buffetheroes.com/get-a-quote

Weddings in Stockport, Manchester & Cheshire For the love of God and all things holy what on earth is this about? Is this for real? This was my first reaction to this quote request. My second reaction can’t be printed but now I’ve calmed down a bit I can think more reasonably and somewhat organise my thoughts and tell you what I’m thinking about this in the hope that I can shed some light on the value of a quality service professional or company. Not only am I analysing this from a caterer’s perspective, but I also used to be an event planner and wedding coordinator so I know how a wedding works, how it should work and when it won’t work and this request is a wedding disaster waiting to happen, who wants that on such an important day? The biggest thing that I don’t understand is why would you sell your own wedding so short of ‘the best day ever’ mark, it should hit. Let’s dive into the request. The first thing that strikes me is that the host stated (let’s call him John) that the caterer dropped out. I’m going to give my opinion on the statement assuming it's true first. I understand how stressful it is for such an important service provider like your caterer to cancel at such short notice, it can put you in panic mode and really get you upset. However, the problem with the caterer dropping out is very unfortunately John’s problem and not any prospective caterer that may save the day and bring a buffet. I have a real problem with the statement the caterer dropped out, why would a caterer drop out of someone’s wedding? If a caterer has a good reputation and built or building a trustworthy business they wouldn’t just drop out unless they are very ill, suddenly hospitalised or a life-or-death emergency has occurred in which case the caterer had an urgent situation and had to cancel. Although a cheap and seedy caterer with no work ethic would possibly drop out just because they couldn’t be bothered, you get what you pay for after all, the cheaper the service provider the poorer the service. Is the caterer dropping out a likely story? It could be absolutely true but now I'm going to give my opinion on the assumption that it was just the excuse used because John didn’t budget or plan properly or the caterer advised him to cancel because he couldn't pay the unpaid balance. Wedding Budgeting Was this wedding budgeted and planned properly? After the venue, you book your caterer, the catering is by far the largest bill for any event but especially for a wedding. Did you know this John? If you go on any wedding planning websites you would have been informed of this, even couples planning weddings on a shoestring budget would forgo any other services in order to provide a decent meal for guests, some of which have travelled, even booked a hotel, this means that cheap food or worse no food is just flat out rude, your guests are celebrating with you all day, they have to be fed. Or John did know this and had booked a quality caterer but then had to cancel the caterer due to poor planning and budgeting as he likely hasn’t planned an event before, he hadn’t asked any advice from a professional and therefore he'd run out of money and had to cancel the caterer and then panicked as he had to buy food with the money left in his bank account. Rookie mistake. Tip: The easiest way to make sure you get your catering paid off is to set up a payment plan with the caterer Either way, asking a caterer to provide a food service for 90 people for £1.11 per person is offensive to all professional caterers. You're basically asking a caterer to provide a free service or give a charitable donation to your wedding. At the end of the day catering costs money, it’s not just the food you are paying for, you’re paying for a service of safely prepared food from someone who has spent a lot of years honing their craft and getting food qualifications, licenses, insurances, kitchen inspections etc. Despite popular belief not everyone can hack it as a caterer, it’s hard work and we are worth our hourly rate just like you are at your job. If the shoe was on the other foot would you rethink? Let’s say you go to work tomorrow and your boss says to the whole team “due to financial constraints I won’t be able to pay you any wages for the rest of the week, I do still need you to fulfil your job role regardless and make the deadline”. What do you do? Say “ok sure”, for fear of losing your job or “Sorry boss I come to work for an income so if there is no income, I provide no work”. You should do the latter, no one should have to work hard for free, ever! Let me show you why what John is asking doesn’t work. The low down on producing a buffet The following is a rough breakdown of what it could cost the caterer to produce the buffet specified by the quote request for 90 people, this estimate does not include a full buffet which is absolutely recommended for a wedding. It also doesn’t include any profit margins, other staff including delivery driver, electricity used to produce, petrol in car to deliver, set up or clean up services, food presentation or embellishments that catering brands display with their food, or any other overheads. This calculation only includes the basics needed to fulfil the quote request with one food item added for the “etc.” Firstly, the time it takes to cater for 90 people, which is including time for quoting, writing invoices, shopping for ingredients, prepping and finishing food on platters and delivering food to venue would be on average 11+ hours. If these tasks were performed by one staff member and was paid the national living wage of £10.42ph the cost of producing this food spread in time alone would be £114.62* (*estimated roughly) Secondly, we need to factor in the delivery charge from our kitchen in Stockport to the venue in Huddersfield which is 39.4 miles (so says Google), we charge £3 for the first 5 miles then for the remaining 34.5 miles at 60p per mile return this would be a total of £44.40. Thirdly, let’s tally the cost of the food, this is a rough estimate as the cost of food goes up and down according to the market prices. This will include the ingredients for sandwiches for 90 people including the bread, butter, 3 fillings such as ham, cheese and egg mayo, quiche, our homemade pizza and as it says “etc”. on the request, I have priced the “etc” as a coleslaw salad. The cost of this food is £90.57* and this is only a third of what should be on a full food spread. You wouldn’t serve such a small amount to so many people, hungry people would take more of it than what would be a normal portion, so you're risking running out of food too as it wouldn’t be classed as a meal, you could end up with guests leaving early due to hunger if this is all that’s served. It would be such a shame if there was no one watching the first dance, cake cutting, etc, it would be very upsetting and I've seen this very thing happen see this blog post here >>>> Disposable platters for presenting food, disposable plates, napkins and forks. approx £40.78*. This total is already £290.37* and as stated there are still costs that haven’t been calculated into the actual cost of producing the buffet as the list is long. The only thing John could possibly do is be more flexible, borrow money, pay for quality or send a friend to the shops to buy as much food as they can and prepare it for free. BUT the reason why caterers have jobs and you should pay for their services are all the reasons why a friend with good intentions that has no qualifications in safe food preparation should not take on the task of being responsible for the health of 90 people and why you shouldn’t even ask it of them. This whole scenario bothers me because… When you are getting married you buy the services of many, such as a D.J. with a full light show, a photographer and selfie mirror or photo booth, a car, flowers and of course wedding attire. Most couples buy the things that make them look the coolest and most on-trend and not realise that if they don’t provide fab food along with all of that they don’t look cool at all. Hungry people don’t give a flying biscuit what selfie mirror you got or which candy is on the buffet. At all celebrations, food is by far the most important service required. There isn’t a D.J or light show on this planet impressive enough to stave off hunger, and yet the food continues to be an afterthought or something to cut costs on even though it's supposed to be the life and soul of the party. If you want a buffet to present to your family and friends, that is impressive, freshly prepared, food that is quality, tasty, filling and presented well, food that people will talk about from a quality caterer you have to pay for that. To John I say, whether your situation was created by your caterer or yourself I hope it went ok. I wish you had asked for advice from the beginning of the planning instead of a plea for help at crunch time. I do hope you borrowed some money and paid for something that your wedding celebration deserved. Blog post written by Lorna Robins owner of Buffet Heroes in Stockport. Servicing the Stockport, Manchester and Cheshire area of the North West. For party catering requests please email info@buffetheroes.com Or fill in a quote form at https://www.buffetheroes.com

For us there is nothing quite like the buzz in the background of a party, when you are a behind the scenes service that brings smiles to peoples faces it makes your whole job worthwhile, this goes especially for when someone invites you into their personal space to prepare the feast to be enjoyed by their family and friends, it seems a lot more intimate than it does at a venue, it's an honour... Hannah was having a special birthday at her parents home in Stockport, she had chosen a country and western theme for her party and our American grazing experience was the buffet served for the occasion. The American grazer is choc full of Hostess brand cakes such as twinkies, ding-dongs, zingers and ho ho's. Freshleys powdered mini donuts. Savouries such as traditional chex mix, pizza flavoured gold fish which is something my lads kept eyeing up, goldfish crackers were their go to snack when they were young and growing up in Florida, it was also nice to see the children at the party buzzing around, trying to take a sneak peek at our wares. And the goodies continued with sweet and salty popcorn and of course all the candy faves reese's peanut butter cups, almond Hershey kisses, oreo bites, twizzlers, jimmi stix and you can't forget the grand ole Oreo cookie, this was just the dessert section. The rest of the grazer was grazing favourites of continental meats and cheeses, fruits and crudite, A beef brisket pastrami made an entrance on the charcuterie board. The chosen picky bit nibbles were Jalepeno poppers, mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce, American style pigs in blankets served with American mustard and ketchup, Southern fried chicken goujons with ranch dip and last but most certainly not least fiery spicey chicken wings. The feedback from our client was awesome, they left this for us on Trustpilot, "Grazing is the way forward!! Excellent service and the American Grazer let everyone ‘graze’ all night in between drinks"!! Take a look at the video of this grazer coming together. What do you think? Do you want this American Grazing experience? Get in touch and we can bring this to you on your next birthday. Blog post was written by Lorna Robins owner of Buffet Heroes in Stockport. Buffet Heroes produce Grazing Tables and traditional finger/fork buffets in Manchester, Stockport and Cheshire areas of the North West. Get in touch with email info@buffetheroes.com Or quote form at https://www.buffetheroes.com/get-a-quote

Our Corporate Catering service changes in the Northwest #buffetheroes #corporatecatering #eventcaterers Here at Buffet Heroes we have made some changes to our corporate catering offerings, don't worry we still offer a traditional buffet lunch as this is ordered for the majority of our corporate catering jobs in Manchester and Stockport. However, our premium grazing buffets are getting so popular that we now offer them for corporate breakfast, lunches and even a birthday/dessert grazer for those special birthdays or sweet treats in the office. Those morning meetings can now be met head on with a large coffee and a delightful catered breakfast grazing food spread, which really does wake up those sleepy brains and kicks them off into high gear ready for your meeting and your day. Our ploughman’s grazer is a delicious way to start the afternoon and get you out of that mid-morning slump. This grazer is a spectacular treat for hitting sales goals, an impressive lunch for liaising with clients or just something delicious to get those creative juices flowing. For all those requests for something special for corporate birthdays in the office, something different from a big cake or a batch of cupcakes. Maybe you even just want something delicious and sweet for Friday afternoon. Also coming soon, we will have a buy by the platter service for corporate lunches only, where you can pick and choose your own buffet, so keep your eyes peeled for this. It will be announced on our corporate event catering page once available. If we haven’t sent your business our grazing menu, please tell us a little about your company, your catering needs and we will be glad to send that over to you. Blog post written by Lorna Robins owner of Buffet Heroes in Stockport. Servicing the Stockport, Manchester and Cheshire area of the North West. For corporate catering requests please email info@buffetheroes.com Or fill in a quote form at https://www.buffetheroes.com

1) Buy over time A wedding on a budget is easy when you buy some of your items with every paycheck over time. such as; Silk bouquets and boutonnières, shoes, dresses, veil, suits, centrepieces for the reception and gifts for wedding party, start collecting these as soon as you know your date. 2) Save everything As well as buying some bits over time, if you both save 5% - 10% out of your wages each month. Save birthday and Christmas money (ask for that instead of gifts) this can go towards your big items such as Venue, Food, and Car. 3) Take all offers and/ create things yourself Don't be proud, an offer of help is usually made sincerely and if someone asks if they can make or buy your cake, or take your photos you say yes. (I don't mean Uncle Bob with his new iPhone). Simarly how fun would it be to have a crafting party, have all your friends round and create seating plans, wedding signs, and cute party favours etc. 4) Don't skimp on the things that matter most Some couples don't care which venue their reception is in as it's more about family, so they will spend money on food and entertainment. Some couples do care about the venue. Whatever you care about most, save up for it. 5) Have a realistic timeline Once you are engaged, why rush the wedding? It will be a day that lives in memories forever so make it everything that you want it to be. Sit down together and make a realistic plan of what you want and how long it will take you to save up for it and collect the items you want. Blog post by Lorna Robins head hero at Buffet Heroes. Buffet Heroes is a small family run catering business in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Want more info. Email us or visit our site Info@buffetheroes.com www.buffetheroes.com #BuffetHeroes #catererinstockport #5hacks #weddingonabudget

Have you ever planned a party? Do you know what sets a party planning pro apart from a rookie? I'm going to share with you that one rookie mistake that even those that think they are great party planners are still making, I have a story for you. A story about how this rookie mistake destroyed a wedding and ended up in heartbreak. First here is Bebe Mochi's story as written on Reddit. “I'm an event coordinator and several parties definitely stick out as being horrifying or disastrous... There's always a bride who comes in all starry-eyed and blows her whole budget on things like a DJ with tons of effects, a designer ballgown, huge floral centrepieces, speciality lighting, speciality linens... Chasing after a particular "look." That's fine and all, as long as she's actually budgeted the money for CATERING. So many brides think of food as the absolute last thing, and so their guests end up being at a lavish wedding but the menu doesn’t fit in and they are allotted four cheese cubes, two chicken wings, and faced with a cash bar. So, this gorgeous venue was done up to the nines, and you have to shell out £5.50 cash for a glass of chard, oh, and while you were waiting in line at the bar, the food ran out in the first 30 minutes of the reception. Wedding receptions like that end very, very quickly, and usually you have a bride and groom wandering around a half-empty ballroom trying to scrape together enough single people for the garter and bouquet toss". – Bebe Mochi The number 1 rookie mistake is creating a party with all the bells and whistles and forgetting the most important element, THE FOOD! Food Matters All over the world and in every culture, when people celebrate there is always food involved, it is the most important element of a party. Not the DJ, not the cake or photobooth, not even the bar. The only thing that keeps people at a party is food. Do I mean just any food? Actually, no as this story illustrates. The wedding that took a nose dive at the buffet; Many years ago I worked as a wedding coordinator, and there was a wedding of a couple who had saved up a lot of money and had a huge budget for it, they were an older couple in their 30’s so their parents gave them a monetary gift towards the celebrations and were not footing the whole bill. They had hired me to coordinate their ceremony and direct the activities of the day. The plans for the run-up to the wedding saw the bride throw a lavish tea for her bridal party, and the groom taking his guys on a golfing day. Their rehearsal dinner was at a swanky golf club. They were going to be gearing their guests up for a fabulously amazing event. So, when it came time to choose the food for the big day the bride told me she just wanted to keep it simple with a large dessert station and coffee. I heard the brakes in my head screech to a halt. Wait…What??? She had spent a lot of money on the ‘pre-show’ and her idea was to serve fancy cake and coffee at her reception. As you can imagine the alarm bells were ringing loudly. I just didn’t understand why such a fabulous event that had been planned so well was now going to fall way short of its mark on people’s memories. The reason why I remember this wedding so well was that it was such a disaster. I tried to convince her but how do you convince a bride running out of money that after her family and friends have attended their wedding and especially those who had travelled from far away and paid out for hotels, expect to be fed a substantial meal. It doesn’t have to be huge, it could be a hot BBQ pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw but just a dessert station, what was she thinking? After all the planning and preparing for the run-up and the things that she just had to have, she’d left the catering for the actual big show as an afterthought. Such a rookie! We get to the big day and people are very happy getting their desserts and coffee and probably thinking this is a really nice touch for a cocktail hour before the real food comes out, at least that’s what I would think. As time was getting on and people were getting hungry it was a bit uncomfortable for me, knowing “THAT’S ALL FOLKS!”. When it got to that point in the evening when it was very clear the desserts were all there would be, people started leaving. They didn’t have much of an audience for the cake cutting, and the bouquet toss and last dance were cancelled as no one was left. She told me the next day she didn’t understand why her wedding was ruined, even though she was told over and over. Let’s be blunt. Food matters, people love celebrations and food is the thing they look forward to the most. A celebration that is more than 2 hours long and especially those celebrations like weddings that last all day, you must feed your guests. I would actually go as far as saying that if you have guests coming from far away it is just rude to expect them to attend your celebration and have a poor show on the food. It’s got to be a joke. Coming across the rookies is really hard work, I feel so bad for them when they truly think the food is bought with what's left of the budget. How can a caterer work with a budget of £1 a head for 80 people, which is something I've actually been asked! This is not a viable party for any caterer. You can’t get a kid's happy meal from Mcdonald's for a quid. Caterers don’t work for free, just like you wouldn’t for your boss, so asking this is insulting. Plan properly instead. If you have to have a party and can't afford anything else at the very least put on a decent food spread. The order of booking once you have decided on your date and booked your venue is to then book your food. Even if your booking is well in advance, that’s good, caterers have their calendars open to take bookings up to 2 years in advance. Once the food is budgeted, whatever is left of your budget is what you have to spend on everything else. Food for thought. What memory of your party will be left in your guest's minds? I can assure you it won’t be your grand cake, or the laser light dance party, guests will never forget the food, whether good, bad or just plain ugly! Don't make this rookie mistake, plan your party properly and if you're not sure how, ask the caterer, we plan parties daily or you can go here to see our easy party planning tips >>> Blog post by Lorna Robins head her0 at Buffet Heroes. Buffet Heroes is a small family run catering business in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Want more info. Email us or visit our site Info@buffetheroes.com www.buffetheroes.com #BuffetHeroes #GreatPartyFood #PartyFood #Partiesonabudget #Howtoavoidthisrookiemistakewhenplanningap #cateringinstockport #Budgetcatering

Buffet Heroes was providing a corporate lunch to offices in Stockport. They were having a recruitment drive over a 2-week period and the core staff would be unable to make the time for a lunch run, so they hired us to bring lunch to them. Every lunchtime we were greeted by a smart suit-wearing man who had a huge smile on his face, he greeted us always cracking a little joke about how he hoped we had cake! "do you have cake today? " he'd say rubbing his hands together. Catering for parties is great and such celebrations are the main focus for our catering business. And then there are those who need food as a necessity and it makes us feel a much-needed commodity when catering a corporate breakfast or lunch. The idea was we brought sandwiches and buffet food, for both meat eaters and vegetarians in equal measures, they wanted us to choose the menu as long as we followed those guidelines and did a different menu everyday, they wanted us to surprise them. On the first day of the second week, the compliments were starting to come in thick and fast. There was a lady who loved the cake and looked forward to seeing what the cake was each day. We saw eyes lighting up at our entrance, the rubbing together of hands, and eager people in business attire suddenly were hungry and were shifting stuff off tables to accommodate our wares, it was like bringing food to a bunch of hungry kids except there wasn’t any clapping or shout’s of ‘YIPPEE’, well! None that you could hear anyway. On our 2nd to last day, we walked into the usual shuffle, bright eyes, the licking of lips and the funny guy in the posh suit, told us to follow him to a new location to set up as an exam was taking place in our usual room. When we got there, he said in his deep voice but very child like ‘those little burgers and hot dogs you brought yesterday reminded me of buffets as a kid, oooooohhhhh! I just couldn’t stop eating them, I think I was the one who ate the most, they were so nice'. I thought the ending was going to be ‘please bring more’ but I got a 'thank you, see you tomorrow' instead. Suit-wearing men and women, posh-looking guys and gals, dapper dudes and dudettes, ladies who lunch, whatever they’re wearing, no matter the price tag on the jacket, when it comes to food they’re just smartly dressed kids and who can blame them, adulting is hard and a little nostalgia from childhood, that little bit of magic in the middle of the day or that innocent playful attitude is something we all need from time to time, no matter who we are, we're all on a journey from birth to grave and should have fun along the way. I appreciate appreciators. Thank you for your compliment sir I loved it, it really made my day and it still gives me a little giggle, maybe I could bring my mini burgers and dinky dogs to your next birthday party along with some crisp butties and jelly & ice cream and you can complement me some more, casual attire only though :D Blog post by Lorna Robins head hero at Buffet Heroes. Buffet Heroes is a small family-run catering business in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Want more info? Email us or visit our site Info@buffetheroes.com www.buffetheroes.com #corporatecatering #BuffetHeroes #cateringinstockport #bestcatering #realstoriesfromacaterer #fingerfoodbuffet #bestpartyfoodideas

First, let's start with the reason why I wrote the list of our top 10 venues. We are asked all the time if we know any good venues, I always seem to recommend one of these 10 depending on what someone is looking for. These venues are the hidden gems you feel everyone knows about them except you. So when you do find them, it's like finding out a secret, hiding in plain sight. All these venues are run by good people, who are willing to help you with your event. I haven't written them in any order and all the information about them is on our venue page. Cheadle Social Club Right in the center of Cheadle village with lots of parking available. The people that work at the club are fab. The function room is rather large actually, it has a small kitchen that we use as a staging area. There is a large carpeted area with seating, good size dance floor and a stage for a band or DJ. It is a ground floor room and wheelchair accessible. Cheadle Hulme Conservative Club Before I went to live in the USA, I had my wedding reception here in 1990. You can imagine that all these years later, dropping off a party is quite surreal especially as the first time I went I didn't recognise it. This is a fabulous room with split levels, and a dance floor and can hold up to 100 people. If you fancy hiring this room ask for Debbie, she's available most nights, and a good time to call is between 7 - 11 pm. Romiley Liberal Club Has a great big function room upstairs, this room could do with some TLC and I recommend you take a tour before you book. The room has a stage and a private bar. The downstairs bar is for members only. The staff are all friendly. Cheadle & Gatley Conservative Club Very large open function room with a capacity to hold 120 partygoers. It's an upstairs room with a large Kitchen. The location is great too, it's not far from Cheadle High Street. Stockport Cricket Club The first time I got to this place I was quite gobsmacked. Not only did I not know it was there but when I went upstairs to set up and saw this huge window looking out on the pitch and this lovely wooden floored room, I just wanted to do all my parties here and the staff are really friendly. The Grove Bar This place impressed me, we set up the buffet, the man in charge was extremely helpful and the room reminds me of a night club style venue rather than a spacious room that needs people to fill it. It had little nooks and sitting areas. It's definitely a place you dress nicely too, and maybe even have a swanky party, I could see myself drinking bellinis here. Wilmslow Conservative Club A Great looking venue, there is a balcony upstairs with a lovely view, and the balcony is just off the main function room. They really look after the place. A great venue for both a sunny afternoon or a summer evening. There are also some smaller rooms that would be ideal for meetings. LMRCA Railway Club - Altrincham Nice large function room and a lounge area too. The staff are friendly and helpful. It also has a couple of outside areas for smoking or summer supping. Chapters Club Lovely venue in the middle of Stockport and will give your event a classy look, we love this space. The function room is on the 1st floor and benefits from a rooftop garden, so as you can imagine, be lucky enough to have booked this venue on a gorgeous day and you can have a gorgeous outside party. Dean Row Village Hall Now, this is what I'm talking about, a hidden gem, it can only be accessed one way and has 2 very large function rooms, a stage and a kitchen. There are loads of function rooms in South Manchester and if you find yourself stuck on where to book, use our list, be sure to book well in advance and if you hire one of these venues because you saw it on this list and then hire us, let us know and we will gift your event with free food. If you feel this list is outdated we do have an updated venue page where we put all our favourite venues and venues we love working with – take a look here >> If you are a venue in South Manchester and would like to be on this list get in touch and we’ll come and take a tour. info@buffetheroes.com Blog post by Lorna Robins head Buffet Hero a family catering business in Stockport. For more info contact us at info@buffetheroes.com www.buffetheroes.com #VenuesinStockport #catererinstockport #cateringinstockport #BuffetHeroes

Before we even start this journey, "can you afford to have a party at a venue or at home"? It matters. A lot. The answer could determine the success of the event. Ever had a party disaster that could have been averted with a good plan? I could tell you some horror stories of parties due to budget constraints. One wedding I attended ended early, no one wanted to stay as there was no substantial food available. That also goes with cheap buffets, some people would rather go to the takeaway down the street, than eat ugly poorly made sandwiches and mini rolls and Bakewell tarts thrown on a foil platter and some people won't return unless the beer is excellent. I've seen horrible venues with sticky floors and disgusting bathrooms that stink, sometimes the party could be OK but if the venue you've chosen is just awful, people will remember that more. And the day the earth stood still and jaws fell to the floor in utter shock was the day all the vendors/suppliers for a party showed up to the venue and it was still locked up and on calling them and asking why, found out they had no record of the booking....... WHAT? Don't let these embarrassing things happen to you. If you're having a party it has to be epic, a party in your home should also be memorable for all the right reasons. These 10 easy planning steps will see you well on your way to an epic party. The first 3 steps are the most important components of your party and have these steps done before you do anything else. These top 3 are the party makers and breakers, the top ticket items that your party should have and if you have budget constraints, these 3 are the only things you need. 1. Choose a Date. Start planning your party at least 3 months in advance, 9 if you are really organised. Venues are cheaper on weekdays, Sunday - Thursday. Friday and Saturday are the weekend and 'party days' and can be more expensive. Consider bank holidays as being great dates for parties, a Sunday night that means no work on Monday, fab idea. Keep these things in mind when taking the next step. 2. Choose your Venue. For a party, a birthday, an anniversary etc. choose a venue such as your home, a pub, a social club, or function room, for a more formal occasion you could choose a hotel, park, or estate house. After booking, pay your deposit and get your booking in writing, it should be a contract but at the very least a confirmation email with a receipt for your deposit, that you can print as proof. Do Not; Book a venue without having a viewing. Do Not; Make any more party plans until you have your venue booking in writing. Do; Beware of the venue that states free function room when you buy their buffet. Remember the tasteless sandwiches and mini rolls thrown on a foil plate... avoid at all costs! The only time to consider this is if you have checked reviews and hygiene ratings, if all is well and it all looks great, then book it, it could be a good deal. Do; Choose a venue that has the facilities you need. E.g. does it have a bar, wheelchair access, stairs, toilets, and a place for the DJ to set up? A smoking area, tables, chairs, tables for the catering etc. Do; Check to see if the place needs a little sprucing up like; do the bathrooms need some air freshener, liquid soap, or flowers? Does the stage look grotty? Put a glittery banner over it. When the lights are dim, these things will look OK with these helpful tips. Do; Call your venue with your name and booking date and ask for the time of access for suppliers servicing your party 1-2 weeks before. This is also a great way to have a conversation with your venue and confirm your booking again. 3. Choose a Caterer A lot of people make the mistake of booking the food for their party last, with what is left of the budget, you really will end up disappointed. The caterer is one of the first 3 steps after booking your venue. Ever been to a party without food? When people drink, they want food, even if it's just a burger. I've been to parties where nibbles and cake have been served, this is fine for a teenage house party but not if adults are invited, people will leave early in search of food, you don't want this to happen. Consider your budget, your guests and what food you love. Choosing a buffet should be fun, choose the best one for your food tastes and budget. Get menus from a few caterers and compare them. Make sure your caterer is fully registered, insured, licensed and has a good hygiene rating. As soon as you know which caterer you want to work with, get them booked, and pay your deposit to save your date in their diary a.s.a.p. You don't need your guest count or even your menu finalised to secure your date in the caterer's diary. Make sure you get a confirmation of your booking and/or a receipt for your deposit. Do; Hire a caterer. Catering is a lot of work and stressful work for those who don't do it regularly. You don't want to be frazzled for your party, you should enjoy your party and guests, not work it. Everyone remembers the food so make it memorable but it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg, there are great caterers out there, who will provide burgers or hot dogs with wedges along with a few flourishes, and your guests will be impressed. Do; Find out if you have any guests attending with allergies or have dietary requirements like gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan etc. and tell your caterer. The trimmings that make a great party! 4. Cake If you need a cake for your event, book it next. I'm hoping I'm not surprising you by saying this, but not all the best bakeries have shop fronts in your local village or town, some of the most amazing cakes I've ever had are from bakers who have their bakery in their own home kitchen. I know and have used quite a few and I've never been disappointed check Facebook for home bakeries, check their portfolio, hygiene rating, and reviews and get that cake booked. 5. Entertainment Are you having a DJ or live band? A clown or bouncy castle? A soloist or a string quartet? Whatever you have decided, do your homework, and look at profiles and reviews. A great place to get free quotes is Add to Event and then compare them against each other. Other well-known sites you can get supplier quotes from charge the supplier extortionate prices just to respond to you, and so are not good if you want to compare quotes, you are unlikely to get more than 1 or 2. 6. Venue Dressing When guests walk into your party, the wow factor immediately hits them through the ambience created by your venue dresser. SO, how do you want your room to look? What do you want? Something simple like colourful balloons? Something more romantic like flowers and candles? Or do you want to go all out with chair covers and sashes, tall candelabras, or even trees with lanterns tied in them? Whatever you want, a venue dresser has the 'wildest dreams' type of imagination and are great people to bounce off your creative ideas. 7. Invitations Party invites should be sent out 8 - 6 weeks before the event date and your R.S.V.P. date should be at least 10 days before your party, you'll find that your caterer will need final numbers by 7 - 5 days prior to the event date and once you get the guest count locked in, your caterer won't be able to decrease your numbers only increase them. The things EPIC parties have 8. Free Drinks Whether you have a beer or wine put behind the bar for your guests and hand out drinks vouchers in your invitations or you have a glass of bubbly on arrival for everyone. Your guests appreciate the thought that the first drink to get the party juices flowing is on you. If the bar at your venue doesn't do arrival cocktails like bubbly or mimosas, then get your caterer to do it. If your venue doesn't have a bar or you're having your party in a marquee in the garden, you can hire a bar from an independent bar company or your caterer. 9. Party Favours I've come across a lot of party favours in my time, from rolls of love hearts, lottery tickets, bags of chocolate-covered fruit and nuts, popcorn bags, sweetie carts, cupcakes, cigars, luxury chocolates, the list goes on and on. Although party favours aren't important and you don't need them, they are appreciated by your guests especially when it's a little quirky. Sweetie carts can be a more expensive choice for a party favour but people love them. A chocolate fountain is also a very welcome idea. 10. Event Photographers/Photo Booth A great way to have a keepsake of your party memories. People love them and put them up all over social media, turning your lovely party into an epic event in the lives of those who attended. 11. BONUS - Hashtag your party Don't forget to tell everyone your hashtag for your party, have a sign at the bar, the buffet table and the guest tables so that everyone can see the pictures from everyone attending in the same place online. #stephsgreatparty #johnis21 etc. This blog post is now a published article on ezine articles. Blog post by Lorna Robins head Buffet Heroes a family catering business in Stockport.For more info contact us at info@buffetheroes.com www.buffetheroes.com #10stepstoanepicparty #cateringinstockport #catererinstockport #Alloccasionscatering #Partiesonabudget #Budgetcatering #Bestcatering #planapartylikeapro #epicpartyplanning #howtoplanapartylikeaboss

Those who know me, know that I love all things American. I lived there for over a decade, my children were born there and some of the food from around the nation just plain rocked my socks off. For those of you who think America is all about hot dogs, burgers and New York City pizza, I hate to say it but that's not even the half of it. I am completely in love with cajun and creole cuisine, the flavours dance in my mouth and it's more like a hot passionate tango than a slow waltz. I also love the Cuban/Floridian fusion and Chesapeake bay style seafood and down-home southern cooking, yes biscuits and gravy, grits and collared greens and black beans are the 'bomb' and if you haven't tried them you haven't tried anything. As you can see, my menus have some of these options, so there are many Americanisms for you to try. So, I needed something different for a 'posh' party I was catering. I found this old recipe I had from when I lived over there, I think I tried it once, and I pulled out my Maryland-style crab dip, this dip, is melt-in-your-drooling mouth kind of delicious. And don't you dare spoil it by putting it on a jacobs or a ritz. This is like a fine wine, an expensive perfume or a Prada dress, you save it for best and you spread it on artisan bread or 'nice' crackers. oh! and did it go down a treat? Listen to this, I was bursting with joy! This was a party in the middle of Bramhall, with 'doing well in life' people, all saying things like 'omg, have you tried that dip with the crostini it's the best thing I've ever tasted' and 'Lorna, did you make this? it's gorgeous' and one lady paid me the biggest compliment I've ever had. She'd clearly tasted this scrumptious dip earlier, waited for everyone to leave and just stood at the table, loading up cracker after cracker making what can only be described as 'sex noises'. HA! HA! Now that's a brilliant compliment. So, to end this story, If you want to try some of our American treats let me know, ASK me to put Maryland-style crab dip on your menu, and see for yourself what all the fuss is about. After all, it's not your average dip and orgasmic apparently! To get your chops around this deliciousness, when you ask for a quote ask for the menu with the hot crab dip on it. Blog post by Lorna Robins head Buffet Hero a family catering business in Stockport.For more info contact us at info@buffetheroes.com www.buffetheroes.com #cateringinstockport #PartyFood #GreatPartyFood #cateringinManchester #Marylandstylecrabdip