Blog posts tagged with 'caterers'

I absolutely love cookbooks – but like most people out there – I don’t have enough space for any of them. And between you and I, they’re more coffee table books in my house; nice to look at but rarely used. But Executive Chefs are responsible for continually providing specials that will bring in new and repeat customers. This means a high level of experimentation as well as a multitude of cookbooks. Cookbooks are expensive enough as an average individual but when your passion is food, I suspect they can end up taking a lot of your paycheque if you’re not careful.

I was browsing through Reddit yesterday and came across a user who posted a public service announcement to buy cookbooks used on Amazon. It occurred to me that (ravenous reader though I am) I had never thought to buy a cookbook (or any book for that matter) used online. Sure, I’ve stumbled across a used bookstore on my travels and nothing gives me a greater pleasure than buying a novel for less than $5. But with used bookstores few and far between these days, having an online option to turn to is helpful.

Here are some of the best used online book stores I found that both Canadians and Americans can use to buy cheap cookbooks for testing new recipes.

1. Powell’s Books

Powell's Books is an independent bookseller serving Portland, Oregon, since 1971. They employ over 530 people across five Portland-area stores and Powells.com, and our book inventory exceeds two million volumes. They have such a special place in Portland’s heart that they routinely rank on the list of one of Portland’s top attractions. Passionate about books, they host over 500 author events a year, in addition to children's story times, writing workshops, game demonstrations, and book clubs. They ship their vast collection of books globally.

2. Amazon.ca / Amazon.com

Amazon doesn’t need an intro as to who they are but don’t forget that when looking for cookbooks there is a “More Buying Options” link that will take you to all Amazon sellers who are selling the book used. With ratings including % positive seller ratings, seller information, reviews, condition of the book and more – you’re well aware what you’re going to be receiving.

3. ThriftBooks

Thrift Books was started in July 2003 in a storage unit in Kirkland, WA, with a commitment to provide quality, cheap, used books at the lowest prices anywhere. Just two months after founding the company, the first book was purchased and shipped: Charlotte’s Web, by E. B. White, for $4.74. With warehouses distributed across North America, they have brought scale and innovation to processing and selling used books, allowing us to continually grow selection and ship even faster to Thrift Books customers. They also offer signed book copies, rare and vintage books. True to their goal of bringing the joy and benefit of reading to as many people possible they have donated more than 1 million books internationally to combat illiteracy.

4. AbeBooks

Founded in 1995 by two couples from Victoria, AbeBooks.com went live in 1996 and immediately made hard-to-find books easy to locate and purchase. Their unique inventory of books for sale from booksellers includes the world’s finest antiquarian books dating back to the 15th century, countless out-of-print gems, millions of signed books, millions of used copies, a vast selection of college textbooks and new books too. AbeBooks Inc. was acquired by Amazon.com, Inc. in December 2008 and remains a stand-alone operation with headquarters in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and a European office in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Hope this helps lessen the sticker shock for you!

Corporate events make up a large majority of the events that party rental companies, hotels and caterers participate in and see revenue from. In fact, Canada has now broken the top 10 countries ranking by number of meetings organised in 2015 (Source). This means more opportunity for hotels, party rental companies and caterers to book corporate meetings and events. If this isn’t a revenue stream you’re focused on, it is definitely one to consider. Not only do corporate events generally host lots of attendees (especially when multi-national companies are concerned) but they also tend to hold bigger budgets than traditional social events such as weddings. But larger corporate events aren’t the only events that businesses need to host – there’s training events, advisory board meetings, corporate board meetings, senior leadership meetings, all hand company meetings and conferences / tradeshows.

Special Events Magazine recently published a 2016-17 Corporate Event Forecast with research performed by Penton Media. This annual report studies the trends in the corporate event industry as well as forecasts potential trends for the upcoming year. Two statistics to note from the report includes:

• “The majority of respondents (57 percent) expect the number of corporate events staged in 2016 to remain about the same as their “typical” amount. A third (33 percent) expect to stage more.”
• “The typical respondent reports average expenditures on corporate events will reach $977,277 in 2016.”

That’s a lot of events to not only potentially win business from, but a lot of average expenditure to gain.

To view more of the article including 6 more statistics, swing over to Special Event Magazine.

The special event industry is booming as seen by the amount of event equipment sales we’ve seen in the past few months. It is good to see the industry in full swing and business revenues coming in for our customers. I know we’re all busy but we also need to remain up to date on industry news. Because I know it can be a cumbersome process to find all the news I’ve compiled some of the recent articles I think are the most relevant to caterers and special event professionals. Read on below for a short synopsis of each article and their links through to the full articles.

13 Wedding Trends Happening Right Now

Here’s a look at the top trends, latest concepts and ideas from weddings, receptions, and after-parties that could be incorporated into any gathering. For full article, click here.

13 Glamorous Tabletop Ideas for Summer Events

See this Los Angeles designers showcase with bold designs including linens, flowers, and other tabletop decor looks. For full article, click here.

Best Practices in Drapery

Incorporating drapery into an event can transform a venue into a magical space in just minutes. Learn best practices in colours, fabrics, styles, placement, care and treatment for drapery. For full article, click here.

10 New Toronto Venues for Summer Meetings and Events

Looking for new venues to win exclusive catering rights to? Want to be added to their preferred partner list for party rentals? Here's a look at new Toronto hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this summer. For full article, click here.

Goodbye, Kids Table: Events for Children Feature Grown-up Menus

Hear how caterers are bridging the great divide between menus for adults and kids with fantastic food for all ages. For full article, click here.

Well, it’s officially feeling like summer weather in Ontario. We’ve had temperature highs up into the high 20s / low 30s over the past week with this week looking just as nice. This means prime opportunity to eat outdoors – whether that means hosting golfers poolside or on the patio or a large event such as a tournament, corporate picnic or wedding. Because the weather is hot, ensuring the food being served is safe for patrons is of utmost importance – and something that requires more attention and work then cooking inside a temperature-regulated establishment.

Here are some tips and tools to use when serving food outside in hot weather:

Before and During Transport:

1. Place raw meats in a separate cooler from prepared foods such as salads, raw vegetables etc. and make sure everything is well wrapped and kept separate from each other (i.e. meat wrapped together, poultry wrapped together, fish wrapped together)

2. All food that isn’t pre-cooked needs to be kept cold at 40 degrees F or below to prevent bacteria growth – use ice packs or ice, cooler and/or an insulated food pan carrier. Pre-cooked foods need to be kept at or above 140 degrees F – use a heated food pan carrier which allows you to hold the food at a consistent temperature.

3. Clean all fruits and vegetables prior to packing – you may not have an operating sink and proper cleaning supplies at your disposal.

When Serving:

4. Hot food needs to be kept at 140 degrees F or above – utilizing a chafing dish, warming pan or slow cooker.

5. Make sure there are plenty of serving utensils so each dish has a serving spoon or serving fork and no cross-contamination occurs.

6. Cold foods should be kept on ice to ensure they are kept at a temperature of 40 degrees or lower – you can utilize a Fill n Chill Party Table, a Fill n Chill Little Chiller or putting items on ice.

7. If you’re storing cold foods in a cooler, keep separate from beverages as the drinks will be accessed more frequently than the foods – leading to the food temperature rising.

8. All food shouldn’t be left out for more than 2 hours if outside temperature is between room temperature and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep a close eye on the temperature because if the temperature rises above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, food can’t be left out for more than 1 hour.

Sources: Whole Foods – Serving Prepared Foods Safely, US Food & Drug Administration – Eating Outdoors, Handling Food Safely

We have had stemmed water glasses in our Eclisse glassware line for a while now. We also have two crystal water glasses – the Serenity 14oz crystal water glass and the Victoria 10oz crystal old fashioned glass (which can double as a water glass). There’s always a demand for more stemmed water glasses though – it’s one of the most used glasses in an entire restaurant/banquet hall/golf club and one of the most rented glassware items out there.

I’m pleased to announce our new Copa 10oz Stemmed Water Glass – now in stock at our Mississauga Warehouse.

The Copa Glassware Collection provides classic teardrop wine glasses and a stemmed water glass for events of all sizes. The two stemmed wine glasses give you the option of providing guests with a larger red wine glass and a smaller white wine glass. The stemmed water glass allows a generous serving of water or even soft drinks.

Additional Details:

• Dishwasher safe
• Sturdy barrels and stems
• Machine made for Quality and Consistency
• Rounded Rim
• Made in China
• 10 oz volume