Party Menu Planning

Planning the menu for a party can be a very enjoyable experience. Proper planning will ensure that there is minimal amount of stress. Here are a few tips to plan the menu.

The Type Of Meal

Even before the actual selection of items encompassing the menu, the type of meal being served needs to be decided upon. This will depend on the timing of the party.

Depending on whether it is breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, cocktails, dinner or dessert or just a midnight snack, the choice of menu items will depend largely on the party timing.

You should consider what type of party you are going to have and then consider what type of food and how you are going to present and serve the food.

When planning your party menu, there are considerations that need to be thought about and made. For garden parties where guests should ideally mingle with one another, plates filled with food where a knife and fork needs to be used is not a good idea.

A typical garden party would have finger food, whereas a formal dinner party serves a fine table and chair menu.

Budget Considerations

Menu planning is an art. A lot of it depends on how many guests will be attending the party as well as the budget allocated towards the party. While certain dishes maybe popular, they may also prove to be more expensive especially if there are many guests attending.

Some dishes necessitate that there is zero lapse between preparation and serving of the dish. Thus, while seafood inside puff pastry might look very appetizing, in reality, it might become a mess if the dish has to travel across many tables.

When it comes to a large guest turnover, foods having longer shelf life are the best option. The opposite holds true for small and intimate gatherings. In such instances, it is best to serve special and unique fare instead of conventional menus.

Variety Is Essential

Irrespective of whether the menu comprises hors d'oveures, extravagant six-course meal or a homely brunch, variety is crucial to showcase diversity in texture, flavour, temperature, appearance and colour. All senses (with the exception of hearing) need to be stimulated when it comes to the courses in the menu.

Variety is important for another reason as well. When there are more guests coming over and it is not certain what their food preferences are, having variety ensures that all guests are able to find something suitable for eating.

This especially applies to the case when the party will have kids and adults attending. While a 40-year old might find a particular dish appetizing, a teenager might find the same dish off-putting.

Seasonal Menu Choices

If budget is a consideration selecting seasonal fruits, vegetables and other produce is a good choice. The menu needs to be planned depending on the temperatures outside and the season applicable at the time.

Most famous cooks plan menus centred around the freshest produce during that month.

Alcoholic Beverages

Unless the party is going to include only kids, liquor is essential when planning the menu. The beverages should be chosen depending on the kind of reception and the time of the day, preferences and budget considerations.

If it is a festive brunch, Bloody Mary is an appropriate choice whereas for a formal, six-course meal wines are the best option. There should also be a choice for non-alcoholic beverages for the elderly.