Tuesday, January 10, 2006

What we do during the Slow Times




 What we do during the Slow Times


 














I get asked what we do in the slow times at the catering company. To
answer the question I tell people "there is no slow time, there is time
when the cooking is slow, but there are plenty of things to keep one
busy."



So since it is a cooking slow time now I have been spending time working
with everyone on the Wedding Show booth. Since we started the MOVE
during the wedding show five years ago we have incredible pressure to
have "THE BOOTH" every year. We started five years ago by spending all
the marketing money on Prime Rib and homemade desserts to roll out the
new upscale catering and say good bye to the utility catering forever!
So every year we have to top it.



This year we have several cool things, First Big Dog Chef will be
rolling out Artisan Pastry in the booth. Finally a cake place and a bake
place! The rental outfit we use when we don't have enough of our own
stuff is also in the booth. But with 60 feet we have the space.



Mary Lou has the complete place settings to complete four different
themed bistro tables. The entire back wall will be filled with one off
plates of our food offerings, from Bar-B-Q to Tuscan and Basque to
Russian we will have plates of mains, sides and desserts for review.



Dolphin Ice Sculpture this year. Surrounded by lobster, shrimp, oysters,
clams and crabs it is always a great display of ice and seafood.



Zane is doing the copper sculpture work for the elevated center pieces.
And he will be putting together the Champagne Buffet. We plan to offer
it as an additional charged for item. Allowing people to choose from
many sparkling wines.



I am doing the six foot wide and four foot high multi-leveled complete
marble Artisan Cheese Buffet. Complete with neon lighting in the
different marble caves. Each cave offering three cheese choices. Covered
with fruit and vines it should present well.



The live carving station will be offering the Heirloom Country Cured Ham
and the Bourbon cocktail meatballs. Plus a large variety of desserts.
And then there is always the salmon. Rule change prevents the salmon
from being everywhere this year. Apparently a catering company
complained that last year our name was everywhere and in almost every
booth. I had the forethought to offer free salmon and crackers to every
booth that did not do food. I guessed it pissed the competition off a
little. So this year it does not say I can not deliver box lunches to
every booth. (This is a little self serving as all the non food booths
come to our booth to eat.) This might keep them out of our hair so we
can work the floor.



I got a real nice Braggart Chef Coat for the event. I love this show, it
is a little weird this year as we are going into it with very few open
slots for weddings. People are learning to book us early or risk not
getting the top caterer.



I love branding! And man did we scorch this one into their minds!



Take Care and grab a glass of wine, we will talk again



Chef Bob Ballantyne

The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

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