The festive season is upon us and it’s time to start planning Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. There is one thing you definitely can’t get wrong — food. There are many advantages to getting food from a caterer or confectioner and we’re here to help you choose the ideal one for your upcoming festivities.

As the warm breeze turns cold and the skies fade into grey, people all over Malta and Gozo start embracing the chillier seasons after a scorching summer and prepare themselves for the exciting winter festivities. Christmas and New Year’s are by far one of the most loved festivities as schedules are flooded with all sorts of celebrations, from staff parties to large family gatherings and bountiful dinners. However, whatever the event may be, it’s only as good as the food that’s being served there so choosing the right caterer or confectioner is vital for it to be a success. 

So, here is some information to help you choose the right caterer and confectioner for your upcoming soiree and make sure you leave a lasting impression on your guests this festive season.

Benefits of using a caterer or confectioner

Cooking for guests is probably one of the nicest gestures you can ever offer — food is the way to anyone’s heart after all. But, can you imagine how stressful it would be to cook for the large groups of people that Christmas and New Year’s events attract? Having a caterer or confectioner do all the work can relieve you from this hassle so that you can focus on enjoying your time with your loved ones.

Working with a caterer or confectioner for large group events also gives you more bang for your buck usually as you get higher quality food and a wider variety of items for the same money you’d spend to make it all yourself.

Types of services offered by caterers and confectioners

The caterer or confectioner you work with highly depends on the type of gathering you’re planning, who will be attending, and the budget that you’re working with, but we’ll get into more detail about this — let’s just explore your options for now.

One of the most common types is getting a menu of food items delivered to your venue and leaving it up to the guests to help themselves throughout the event. This is the type of service that most confectioneries offer.

In formal settings, it is more common to have a staffed catering service wherein you’ll have personnel from the catering company of your choice serve the food by either going around the event space or manning tables stuffed with all sorts of delicious grub. 

The caterer or confectioner you work with highly depends on the type of gathering you’re planning, who will be attending, and the budget you’re working with.

There are different kinds of staffed catering services starting with cocktail parties which typically consist of a constant flow of light finger food and desserts. Then there is the buffet-style catering which involves more hearty dishes laid out on a long table manned by staff members who serve the guests as they go around the table. Finally, there are the plated dinners, the most formal of all, where invitees usually sit around a table and have a set menu of food items served to them at their table. 

All three types of staffed catering usually also have a fully stocked bar included in the package — we are supposed to be celebrating after all!

Choosing the right service for your event

Let’s start with when you should opt for the delivery service which is typically the cheapest option since you are not paying for staff service. This is a favoured option in more casual settings like office Christmas parties or intimate New Year’s Eve celebrations where you don’t even need to plate food. It also gives you the freedom to mix and match your menu from different caterers and confectioners!

Alternatively, if you have more leeway in your budget and are looking for a fancier setting without making it too formal, cocktail party catering is your best bet. This is a great option for company Christmas parties or New Year's Eve galas as the focus here is generally more on the bar rather than the food. In this context, it’s ideal to have food items in a safe place and served at intervals by catering staff so as to keep any risk of drunken disasters at bay! 

Buffet catering is also generally favoured for large-scale Christmas staff parties and fancy New Year’s celebrations. However, it is more fitting when you want to offer guests the option of having a filling meal. Of course, this also means that it is one of the more expensive services on the list since you are paying for more expensive food options.

The most formal and generally most expensive service is the plated dinner which is fitting for highly formal Christmas or New Year lunches or dinners. This is usually the favoured option for business celebrations where the budget tends to be much more flexible and the organisers are focused on leaving a good impression and leaving windows open for networking opportunities.

Find the perfect caterer or confectioner for your next Christmas gathering or New Year’s party.