Choosing a career in catering can be one of the most stressful yet rewarding decisions you can make. Aside from the actual cooking and food preparation, you also need to make decisions about your catering supplies, your staff, and how much you are going to charge for every event. The hospitality industry has always been a booming one, and for those that have the skill and resolve to stick it out, it’s going to be worth the effort.

You don’t even need a college degree to be successful in catering, although it can help. A lot of people have started a career in the hospitality industry and flourished, despite not finishing higher education. You just need to have a good understanding about where you want to go with your career. Are you more interested in becoming a head chef in a Michelin star restaurant, or are you looking towards a management-related position? Of course, starting your own catering business is another option that many people have pursued successfully.

Basically, what you need to learn in order to get started in your catering career is how to prepare and serve food for a large number of guests. That’s the general idea, of course. However, in order to rise above just being a cook and actually become a caterer, you will need to learn how to manage a business. You will need to learn how to effectively plan for an event, organize your catering supplies and crew, and manage the entire operation from start to finish.

There are essentially several types of catering you can do for your customers and clients. These will be industrial catering, mobile catering, business or corporate catering, and social events catering. Different types will require different types of equipment. Starting from scratch will initially be a costly affair, since you will have to buy all of your catering supplies brand new. Chances are you will even need to rent space for your kitchen, as well as space to store your supplies and perhaps another one for your office.

However, it will always depend on your available budget. The initial capital you have will define how you get started. If you want to have complete control of the location, the supplies, and the staff, you will need to have a budget that is equal to what you want to happen. If your money is tight, however, you may find that renting a kitchen with an existing set of catering supplies will be more practical.

Lest we forget, another responsibility of the caterer is to take care of transporting the food from the kitchen to the venue. You will need to add a variety of equipment such as food carriers, beverage dispensers, mobile freezers, and heated cabinets to your buying list (to name a few). Buying catering supplies can be one of the most expensive aspects of any catering business, because you will need a lot of equipment, some of which you might not even think you will need at first.

If you’re looking for Queensland catering supplies, however, it’s a good idea to look for an established store in your area. Talk to their salespeople and they might even get you some great deals to get you started with your business.