Hiring a paella catering company for a milestone event should be a fun process with the your selection coming down to a few key factors. Mainly if the catering company and it's staff are the right fit for your event. We like to think that Paella amor is the best paella catering company in Sydney due to the ease and flexibility of working with us and our staff, however; we understand that every event is different and that is just our opinion.
So we thought we would put together a small article of the elements to consider when hiring Sydney paella catering. This is by no means a definitive list, but it's a good starting point to ensure you get the right feel from the company you are going to hire. As well as all these factors, price is a major element which varies from catering company to catering company. Just remember, it will be priced for a reason (i.e. if it's cheap, its cheap for a good reason!)
1. What ingredients does the catering company use?
This is a bit of a tough request but speaks volumes to the quality of the food you will receive. During the enquiry process ask what ingredients which the company uses to cook their paella. (you may also be able to see this from their website or instagram)
At Paella amor we blend Spanish ingredients with fresh Australian produce to create our paellas. Calasparra rice (paella rice) which is grown at high altitudes in Spain forms the base of our paella. Rodriguez brothers chorizo (in our opinion the best in Sydney) and Australian seafood are the embellishments for this rice and are all that we will use. We also use AAA Spanish saffron, make our own chicken stock and fish stock as well as our soffrito (which is the spice mix for a paella). Interestingly, when we first started paella catering in Sydney we would make this soffrito in batches of about 3 - 5 litres. What a long way we have come as we now make this recipe in 90 litre batches for our paellas.
2. Are they the right fit for our event?
When speaking to or emailing a paella catering company, you will quickly get a feeling for whether they are the right fit for your event or function. This again is personal preference and will depend on individual circumstances, however; you will always be able to tell.
At Paella amor when you email or call us, you currently speak to one of our Directors, Alli or Tim. This means that you will be getting the most up to date information and care for your event. After all, we are nothing without our fantastic clients and always want them to have the best event possible. After all this is a reflection of our business and we love what we do!
3. Are there any hidden or extra costs?
Every 6 months or so we do a review of our pricing structure and compare our price with other paella catering companies in Sydney. This price comparison includes a fair bit of work to understand other companies pricing structures, inclusions and even hidden costs which we have found a few!
At Paella amor we are here to help and all our pricing is listed on our website. We do charge travel charges for certain areas but these are only to cover our staff travel time at an hourly rate. Usually for local events, there isn't a travel charge or chef fee. Again, if a charge such as this does apply, we will be the first to tell you. We also have a comprehensive information pack which contains all of our pricing for events and for each pan which we cook. We are unique as we charge our paella per pan rather than per guest which makes it much easier to identify the total cost.
4. What does the price for the paella include?
Some paella catering companies include a waitstaff, some include bread & salad, some even include aioli and this makes it really hard to compare. We have tried to make this as easy as possible by charging our paella per pan and including certain elements at certain price points.
This is all listed in our information pack and is explained more there (please email us for a copy). As a quick example, our 12 serving pan and 25 serving pan do not include a waitstaff as the chef is more than capable of serving straight from the pan. Once you have 40 or more guests however, we include a waitstaff to make things a little smoother. Our larger pans also include bread and salad for your guests. This also provides a more balanced meal.
All our paellas include biodegradable bowls, wooden forks, napkins, a chef and all ingredients & equipment to cook the paella.
5. What's the process?
Sometimes it's great to 'try before you buy' so make sure you contact your paella caterers for a tasting. We offer a great incentive called the $10.00 tasting, where you can pick up a paella from our kitchen for 2 people for $10.00 (bookings essential). You can then just warm this up in the microwave at home and have it for dinner. Best of all if you decide to book with us, we will remove the $10.00 from your invoice meaning that the tasting is free!! If you don't decide to go with Paella amor, no hard feelings, we know that we aren't suited for everyone!
Talk to your prospective paella caterer about arrival time, set up requirements and rubbish removal. Paella amor arrives approximately 1 hour prior to your guests and aim to minimise the fuss associated with an event. We will bump in quickly and safely and set up in your chosen location. All we require is access to a powerpoint to plug in our portable lighting. We are fully self sufficient otherwise. We also remove all of our rubbish when we leave the event which can be hugely helpful when you are having a party. We want to make it as easy as possible for you and whats more easy than no clean up!
So there it is, our top 5 elements to consider when hiring a Sydney paella catering company. Whether you are having a paella party, corporate event, wedding, birthday or another function, Paella amor has something to offer. Its affordable catering, suites a variety of dietary requirements and is excellent quality.
If you have a function or event approaching and require catering, please get in contact so that we can send you a copy of our information pack.
Comments