Imagine out of the blue President Trump make a phone call and says… well, I need a class catering company to lighten up my upcoming event. Well, wild as it may sound, its one those scenarios every professional caterer prepares for. Guests can come for the wildest dreams and still expect and rightly so to be catered for and their guests to the fullest. The greatest burden of such events come with organisation. The quality of the food has obviously to be of the highest stands than normal but this has to be matched with the greatest attention to every single detail possible for the event.

At Benons Catering, we have some shared and I guess much in similar to many other caterers many unique experiences and expectations from our guests. From having to arrange a hot late Sunday buffet for Aldi staff on the tills to expectations to deliver a buffet under £2 per guest for a next day service, the experience is wide.

So how should a caterer respond to a customer the nature of President Trump when that phone call comes in? Well, best advice is to be braced for a roller coaster experience. Besides this being a high end customer, such clients come with fluid expectations. A caterer needs to be prepared for changes by the minute and worst case scenario a cancelation with no recourse. A buffet proposal for such a high end client would probably take several forms. This is not simply a two or three menu choice proposal approach like we normally provide at Benons Catering. To help keep changes to the very minimum, it would be best at the first opportunity to link up with the customer or indeed their advisors and try to gauge their expectation first hand.

Menu pricing is likely to be at the lower end for margins for these kinds of customers. At the same time, expectations can be unbearably high. Non the less the opportunities for a caterer arising out of such an opportunity can be immense. It’s best the caterer keep their phone ready and fully charges just as a session in anger management could be of great help. We’re informed President Trump is very keen on his food but also very picky on what he eats. Reconciling the two can be a great challenge for a mid-level caterer. Besides, there is all the compliance that come with the job relating to security clearance, health and safety, food hygiene and the rest of it.  

All that aside, what sort of food would entice such a guest? Well, caterers have to have a grasp of their fish and fruit preparation skills in plenty and President Trump is a big fun of these. This however cannot be a cast in stone thinking as on the day, this is a man who can change his mind on a whim; and for his money and status, rightly so. So consider a five course spread at the very minimum for a lad good for his food. The finest ingredients are a must as we’re informed, his attention to quality is second to none. He will sniff out any poor quality ingredients and what happens after that on God knows. He’s a man never afraid of the justice system so expect a big invoice from him instead should anything go wrong.

The catering team should also never at any moment consider the event done until its done. President Trump is a man unafraid of surprises sometimes unsavoury ones. He could ask the full catering team to be replaced for no apparent reason other than a bad thought. Besides the pressures from the etiquette that comes with such events, there cannot be a lapse in concentration for the full duration of the event. Should things go wrong in anyway, expect all and any outcomes.

This is a game of very high stakes and no faint hearted caterer should ever take such jobs on. The consequences could easily out way any benefits for any professional catering company.