Let's Talk BBQ
General => General Discussion & Topics => General Discussion => Topic started by: RG on October 12, 2016, 01:25:03 PM
-
Title says it all. I've been asked many times to cater and have done it on a very small scale but not directly. I've cooked food and given it away to places like my mechanic and plumbing supply company and I've also done it for a friends church gatherings a couple of times. I am thinking about doing it as a little side business. Any tips would be welcomed!
-
I get asked to do parties for friends (graduation, birthdays, etc.) and do a few large cookouts every year (the marching band cookout - 140 hungry high schoolers/staff - was my latest one).
Currently, since I am not licensed, and do NOT operate as a business, so I only do this as a favor, or as a volunteer (such as with the Band), and only ask for them to pay for the food cost, so I have not made any money.
People keep telling me I should open a catering business. I am actually looking into possibly doing a full on catering business, and am learning there's a lot to consider. Besides equipment, the insurance & licensing are the biggest upstart issues, especially if you plan to cook at events. That may require a different license, such as a Transient Vendor's license. Since you're dealing with food, you will need to check your local health inspector to see what they expect, local codes, etc. They may require you to have either a commissary (or food truck) which can be inspected. Again you will need to check.
Now for the actual work:
I have done enough large cookouts over the last 7 or 8 years to learn that the most important thing is to PLAN, PLAN, PLAN EVERYTHING!!! Know how many you are cooking for and plan your menu, down to the ingredient level so you know how much of everything to buy. Know exactly how long your food items will take to cook and leave yourself some fudge room, just in case!
As far as how much food to cook, portion control is KEY!!!
Meat: If doing one meat, plan 1/4 - 1/3 pound per person average. If doing two meats, plan on 1/4 lb per person for each meat. Trust me on this or you will be cooking WAY too much meat, and be sure to calculate in bone weight for pork shoulders, etc.
Note: Ribs are hard to do for a large crowd unless you have a monstrous cooker that can handle them!
Side dishes: For most sides, plan on about 1/4 lb per person per side and you will have plenty!
For something like Corn on the Cob, don't go overboard! 1/2 an ear per person is plenty!
Buns: For meat that will be served on buns: 1 - 1.25 (max) buns per person, per meat item is usually as much or more than you will need. HOWEVER, buns are cheap, so buying a little extra doesn't add much to your cost.
This means you will need to cook some trial batches and become familiar with your food weights (no. servings), ingredient amounts, cook times, etc.
Example: For My Mac & Cheese - I know that 1 lb of uncooked macaroni will yield 6 lbs of cooked macaroni cheese, 24- 25 servings!
I have my batch sizes written out, so I know how much ingredients to buy, and the total weight and number of servings, and total prep/cooking times.
Write your Prepping/Cooking schedule out!
For cooking, I actually print out a Prep/Cooking schedule, to keep everything on time. This is especially helpful if someone is helping you cook! They can see the game plan.
For the band cookout in August, I was told to plan for 140 kids.
Meat: 140 X 1/3 lb = 46.2 lbs
Sides: 140 X 1/4 lb = 35 lbs each side.
Buns = 144 buns (18 8-packs)
What we actually cooked:
● 60 lbs shoulders (including bone weight), which yielding about 50ish lbs Pulled Pork
● 40 lbs Roasted Potatoes
● 60 lbs Mac & Cheese (We didn't need this much, but I was asked to make extra of this. People wanted to take some home.)
● 144 half-ears of Corn on the Cob
● A 10 lb tray of Baked Beans (this was extra, as an alternative, in case someone didn't want corn,etc.)
● 144 Buns - Buns were donated by my butcher, so I did not ask for extras.
● I also had the prep/cook schedule printed and posted in large type so everyone could see it.
Everything was cooked and ready to serve on-time at 5:00 pm sharp, and except for the Mac & cheese, those amounts were right on. We had enough for everyone with some of everything left to spare. And trust me those kids were hungry and ate well!
Again, the best advice is to Plan, Plan, Plan!!!
Cliff
-
Not trying to get anyone off this forum but for this topic there is a lot of information & knowledgeable people on the BBQ Brethren forum.
-
I cater as part of my business. Cliff pretty much covered most of what you need. Here in Ohio starting next year every food service place will have to have someone with a manager food safety cert. https://www.servsafe.com/manager/get-started. Your best bet is to talk to your local health inspectors. They will be glad to help.
-
I guess this may be a stupid question but would I get set up in the county I reside in or in the area of which I would be selling the food (thinking down the road at perhaps a food truck). I am self employed and as far as what I do, I just have a business license in the county the business is located in (home based business) but I don't know how it would work food wise. It's an idea I've been kicking around for a while.
I already know that I'd have to have a commissary to operate out of, which I find bizarre considering the Food Trucks/Trailers ARE equipped with fridges, steam tables and sinks. I'll look into it further at some point.
-
I guess this may be a stupid question but would I get set up in the county I reside in or in the area of which I would be selling the food (thinking down the road at perhaps a food truck). I am self employed and as far as what I do, I just have a business license in the county the business is located in (home based business) but I don't know how it would work food wise. It's an idea I've been kicking around for a while.
I already know that I'd have to have a commissary to operate out of, which I find bizarre considering the Food Trucks/Trailers ARE equipped with fridges, steam tables and sinks. I'll look into it further at some point.
Hey, you never know unless you ask! :) Depending on the local health codes, etc. your home kitchen MAY be able to act as your commissary. Since it varies from state to state, your local Health Inspector should have all the correct info you need. Call and setup an appointment, then make a list of questions for various scenarios, and sit down and talk with them. Then you will have a realistic idea of what you need to get started.
-
Home kitchen ain't gonna cut it. I've already discovered that much. There are exceptions but I'd have to have a commercial kitchen with a grease interceptor (grease trap) and we're talking about eat off the floor cleanliness to boot!
-
And although you have a business license in 1 location, you will likely find that every jurisdiction you cater an event in will want their "cut" and require at least an event license (typically a license for a day, weekend, etc... instead of a permanent one). Also don't forget State sales & use tax permits & reporting, etc.... Unfortunately everybody wants their fingers in your pies so to speak....
-
And although you have a business license in 1 location, you will likely find that every jurisdiction you cater an event in will want their "cut" and require at least an event license (typically a license for a day, weekend, etc... instead of a permanent one). Also don't forget State sales & use tax permits & reporting, etc.... Unfortunately everybody wants their fingers in your pies so to speak....
'MURICA!!! :P
-
If you have any pets at least here in PA is a no no. You have to have an kitchen where animals cannot get to. Family friend started baking cakes and he had to wall up the door to the basement and set the kitchen up down in the basement. Everytime he went to "work" he had to walk around to the basement door to get in. He also had to limit his production because the area was residential only. If he baked over a certain amount of cakes he was subject to fines and being shut down because of zoning regulations. For kitchens for consumer consumption our county require two unannounced inspections a year.
I will say working in a kitchen part time that does banquets as well as regular dinner service, most of the guys that worked there used to do catering and have all come back to regular kitchen work, dinner service first with helping with banquets as they can. At least in our area it is pretty cut throat, and they say you easily get burnt out. They all went to culinary school and did it full time, 6-7 days a week with a crew of 3-4 people, and long 12-14 hour days because they weren't big enough to have enough people to prep some things ahead of time.
Not to talk you out of it but these are things I've heard. Like DWard said everyone wants a piece of the pie when it comes to permits, we have that with our commercial bakery with different state permits and licences.
-
If you are doing this because of a desperate need for more income I understand & wish you Godspeed.
If you're thinking........I have this cooking hobby, but I 'm quite good at it & love to do it!
You may take a love and turn into a nightmare!
Between bidding, budgeting, buying, clean up, dealing with customers, travel ,beside the bureaucracy in the permits for the hours spent you could go back to school get your plumbing license & make more money/ hour.
-
Sparky used to do it. He might have an opinion on it.
I would have the service where you offer just the BBQ meats for the event. Leave it up to the customer to get a catering service to handle the rest like sides, prep tables, etc. Your there just to provide the cooked meat/man the smoker.
Sounds like a headache trying to provide the full service to people.
-
You may take a love and turn into a nightmare!
Between bidding, budgeting, buying, clean up, dealing with customers, travel ,beside the bureaucracy in the permits for the hours spent you could go back to school get your plumbing license & make more money/ hour.
That's what happened to me. Business license, health permits. Have to use a commissary at $25 to $40 hour for a minimum of four hours per week to store and prep the food. You are not suppose to store or cook from your home. At least not in California. Oh gosh. Dealing with customers who always want more from ya. You work your regular 40 week job then go and buy everything (when you have time and away from your family), prep it then pack it. Go to the event, set up, smooch and cook and then tear down. Once you get home you get to unload your gear and wash it all up and store it back in the garage. Unless you have baking and someone to do half the work. No, no, no. Enjoy your life. ;D
-
I have done a few birthday parties, retirements and so forth + cooked for 1750 + folks at church many times.
Cliff hit the nail on the head pretty much.
Only thing I can say or add is this.. If your letting the people serve themselves make sure (or at least in my town) to figure 1/3 pound of meat and not 1/4 lb. Let them serve themselves as far as veggies, chips and drinks. Folks sometimes tend to overload their plates so they won't have to return for more.
We set up lines with plates, buns, veggies, chips and so forth then we have a server at the end to give out the correct portion of meat.
Since we started do portions we buy less meat and nowhere near the waste and saves $$$$$
I will add, any food leftover from the church gathering goes to one if not more needy home/rescue missions. So as far as church cooks there is no waste and helping the community is a big plus!
-
If you are doing this because of a desperate need for more income I understand & wish you Godspeed.
If you're thinking........I have this cooking hobby, but I 'm quite good at it & love to do it!
You may take a love and turn into a nightmare!
Between bidding, budgeting, buying, clean up, dealing with customers, travel ,beside the bureaucracy in the permits for the hours spent you could go back to school get your plumbing license & make more money/ hour.
LOL! I own a plumbing business already, I am a Class II Master Plumber. How funny is that? :)
-
If you are doing this because of a desperate need for more income I understand & wish you Godspeed.
If you're thinking........I have this cooking hobby, but I 'm quite good at it & love to do it!
You may take a love and turn into a nightmare!
Between bidding, budgeting, buying, clean up, dealing with customers, travel ,beside the bureaucracy in the permits for the hours spent you could go back to school get your plumbing license & make more money/ hour.
I have a friend in the 80"s that was a rock musician that never made it so he opened a high end retail stereo store here in CT.
I remember he did Keith Richards house for over $300,000 (1980 Dollars).
He said it was fun for a year but the Hobby became a nightmare. After a year it was just a tough business to be in.
As said if you can make money at it all the better just don't let it ruin your good times.
A better idea is to invite us all down once a year for a big BBQ :D :D :D :D :D
-
I recently had my competition trailer inspected and licensed in Iowa as a mobile food truck. When I had it built I had the proper sink set up put in for health department certification. We've catered or vended out of it 3 times now and were surprised that no health inspectors have came to the food truck fest or other events we've been at. I guess here in Iowa they kind of leave you alone after you're inspected
-
I recently had my competition trailer inspected and licensed in Iowa as a mobile food truck. When I had it built I had the proper sink set up put in for health department certification. We've catered or vended out of it 3 times now and were surprised that no health inspectors have came to the food truck fest or other events we've been at. I guess here in Iowa they kind of leave you alone after you're inspected
Don't come to Huntsville Al and try to sell food unless you want the third degree look over ??? ??? ??? ???
Very rough on food trucks and restaurants here
-
If you are doing this because of a desperate need for more income I understand & wish you Godspeed.
If you're thinking........I have this cooking hobby, but I 'm quite good at it & love to do it!
You may take a love and turn into a nightmare!
Between bidding, budgeting, buying, clean up, dealing with customers, travel ,beside the bureaucracy in the permits for the hours spent you could go back to school get your plumbing license & make more money/ hour.
I have a friend in the 80"s that was a rock musician that never made it so he opened a high end retail stereo store here in CT.
I remember he did Keith Richards house for over $300,000 (1980 Dollars).
He said it was fun for a year but the Hobby became a nightmare. After a year it was just a tough business to be in.
As said if you can make money at it all the better just don't let it ruin your good times.
A better idea is to invite us all down once a year for a big BBQ :D :D :D :D :D
That costs money. I'm looking to MAKE money ;D There's always Jack's place though!
-
Yes...
That's what I'm talking about!
There's always Jack's place. Every year, 1st week of Oct. The Cookout with Bremer.
B T W, I was asked just a couple of hours ago to do the cooking for a friend's wedding...250 people. I won't have to do anything but cook pulled pork, green beans, and mac & cheese. I have never cooked for more than 25 or 30.
I'll be thinking long & hard before sayin' yes.
Thanks for the great discussion on a timely post.
-
I don't know your cooking arsenal fully but I think you have enough to pull that kind of cook off. I'd figure on 1/3 pound per person. I'd also add 10-15 more people to the total, more always show up. Then again, some may drop out so it may stay at 250. We'll just keep it 250 for the sake of keeping it "easy", lol.
1/3 pound X 250 people = 82.5 pounds of finished product. In my experience, you yield about 40-50% of a butt's pre-cook weight (if doing bone in butts). I am VERY stringent on what makes the cut though, some people take the entire butt and have at it bear claws or a mixer on a drill and mix the whole shebang up, I'm not that guy. I hand pull every strand of it and sort out the fat and gristle and unrendered fat. So with my ratios listed, I would cook about twenty 8 pound butts. If you have extra meat, like mentioned above you could donate it to a shelter or even to the local fire department or police department. I will tell you that the police are WAY more leery of accepting food vs. the firemen. Guests may even want to take leftovers home but I doubt it. Last case resort would be for you to take it and put the foodsaver to work and save it for yourself!
One other option, cook it ahead of time and pull it but minimally, keep it in larger chunks to retain as much moisture as possible. Food saver it and reheat the day of. That's A LOT of extra work and costs though, it'll take a BUNCH of Foodsaver bags, lol.
As for the sides, that's a tough one to figure out. I always make too much as I always have a huge variety. Keeping it to 2 things should help you figure it out better.
Something baffling to share, I cooked for a friend who "catered" a church event and someway, somehow, he fed 120+ people using 6 butts I smoked for him ranging from 3-4 pounds to 7-8 pounds pre-cook weight as well as 6 whole chickens I smoked in the KBQ (very first thing ever cooked in it) plus some potato salad and baked beans and he said he had leftover meat. Now either he pulled some Jesus with the bread and fish action or the food sucked. He said everyone loved it! I still can't figure out how that little amount of meat fed everyone. It's just not possible. It should've been enough pork for 54 people at 1/3 pound or 72 at 1/4 pound per person. The chickens were 5 pounders and the yield on that might be 2.5 pounds (each breast 8oz, legs thighs, wings, back might equal another 1.5 pounds). So 2.5 pounds x 6 = 15 pounds of chicken if every usable piece was pulled (I doubt it). 15 pounds serves 60 people at 1/4 pound per person. I know I am WAY over analysing this but it just baffles me. He had meat left over, didn't even pull meat from 2 or 3 of the butts, left them whole in the cooler. Had chicken left over too and told me people were piling their plates high, lol.
He injected them and rubbed them, I just cooked them. I can tell you that my smoker was FULL of a funky yellow congealed gook after smoking those butts! I don't know what he did to them but I wasn't liking what I saw. I feel he wanted to put his "touch" on it so he felt inclined to "flavor them up" as he calls it. He should've left that to me, lol. I am not used to people bringing me grocery bags full of leaking, injected meat to put into my fridge to wait for smoking :)
-
What about pork shoulders instead of butts?
I've never cooked a shoulder...is there more meat thereon?
-
What about pork shoulders instead of butts?
I've never cooked a shoulder...is there more meat thereon?
Jaxon, a pork butt is the just upper half of a shoulder.
Here is a whole shoulder cut in half: The right (upper half) is the butt (or Boston Butt). The left (bottom half) is the Picnic cut (or picnic ham).
They are both equally good for pulled pork.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LBgqQXVkMUwhJCG6f4GgMnTOdllX76PczEijTxhOT72GN3ckRcJkO1KrhvCa5Qn3jTDNKKJZvtxaFHXyeVoKyMQRiZwAMaOOJTG96TXjh17Xpd3vRrnQA8rddUTd-IJc-PemkXzPVp0CSHY-MFQ_bdxB8IHiMgCOV_b66h7pHb8NQ4OBpzcdl76nuG9oIzhTYnDWcpb2IQCeBiK8PM8zT2gmOrSqkPbOid5-ZNuVJ2dyEq1yb_dOHa7MYgRyFLEjJ_bM2XylzdUWxNgPpJw62QoQLgGfz6knEWZ-6JaxTQNfuq-7gz9PGABIDge5xjeZPdZ6cKfyL3bAUi2z9q0IvDxEHontQwFMY0YsxYAJdmLybhOxXbR1fHBZuDHiyHaKlTJj8yLc6oZpeilZqCX1QDAmVIFJYTvxugWFk4SOQ6fy70gy4rvVMH6R1rObxlQFNxf1Sg1HI2_jtR9qQBO9ZlTTrP-uOIZl1uw-uaETQnLST7U-zm6R8DQ4DCln1JIEgL4vZAcDCsRHNJuKDYYDHvXlqe06whveF1wv1eMwbLJ9NoXUVWpKXVGnP9KLJd61HNsGcZeGTWJHy1oObSMFPyd_OVSnYhe6-HsEQKVTyRo1ejyw=w611-h287-no)
Some people swear you get a better yield from the butt because it has less bone, BUT... it also has more fat, so I think the yield ends up being about the same.
For large cooks, I use more whole shoulders than anything because I get a better price buying whole shoulders. Once they are cooked and pulled you cannot tell any difference.
These were four whole shoulders I cooked for the Marching Band cookout back in August. They were cut in half, so four of these were butts and four were picnics (with the shank cut off).
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fgAFr_nFNMCdhIMwugTahu0twVYaXLIopQwOtJWAPyGAPJhoK9E0uP-d_IAPzW4NILknDRF0agPmIHZKK17roXIWLQnMdkc5OoKKM2AHjPzRfo-cD6L5vXFsSQv6fNPXdi0ewxRRHlN2Fo_rYdi23mRq3Dm81WiB5L9I9aE56-nAkiVrGfXZN07O9WshI7Vj0u4VIHRD4LKWlJDPd5DTyy76ryTmaP6-t34mlRRFvpSjaEkkIBSA_JOd81wx39nzE2mMNAD7opION7TUMH6Bcr8KkogStEoFcrwbkDlMS0gqZnWMHxR_vNyF84TjLKGz7H-VEtWbXL_gANxSvCwQGj9LPjCccHqIss6hwDFuZD7UcKFvxr1XwD0utV5XDdA-QHJKv_KLd-iEL9lL48LRoSHrC_Rpnq5cvFCyqSjHsyzWhwu9BaByiJmr_jJgL9nVef7EXGDeaPNpSzBLpg_kuJg8U8fGxZvKvZC6qBUVPFD3WfuOtewEwF8MmjBPsZSDQ0qpeGY7JGrDEzXzYuDvSt7s9DH8pPeb90iPnzD8jgqpnp9A8u2e1aXv-URODrBQIMLU_JFyuc1NJXrVzutjxbfhXG4WySCqGYUIka65bz4Az30f=w740-h555-no)