Think about whetehr you Do want to provide refreshment of some kind, allow breaks for people to get their own refreshments, or not bother? At this stage of design you simply need to decide on whether you will provide drinks and light snacks, meals, or nothing.

Factors to consider when deciding:

• Your budget, or whether you can cover the catering costs from the income generated
• The feel of the event: formal, casual, gracious?
• Length of the event - people will need breaks and refreshment if it is more than a short programme
• Length of the scheduled break and the environment - is there enough time for people go out to find their own lunch or coffee? Are there appropriate cafés or restaurants nearby? Bear in mind dietary requirements.
• Who is coming and what dietary requirements might they have - for religious, ethical or health reasons. This can get complicated and expensive depending on your circumstances.

Factors to consider in planning your catering in more detail:

• Your budget
• The feel of the event: formal, casual, gracious?
• Length of the scheduled breaks and the environment - is there enough time for people go out to find their own lunch or coffee? Are there appropriate cafes or restaurants? Bear in mind dietary requirements.

Who is coming and what dietary requirements might they have - for religious, ethical or health reasons. What can or can't you cater for? How will you find out from your guests what they need?

If you want people to go out and get their own lunch;

• make it clear in the advertising of the programme that lunch is not provided. This allows people to bring their own food for economy or for dietary reasons. If you can, provide a list of local restaurants; it is especially helpful if the list makes clear their standing in terms of dietary requirements. Do they provide halal? Vegetarian? Vegan? Kosher?

If using a catering company:

• If at all possible, work on a recommendation or try their food yourself first.
• Make sure they are aware of dietary requirements, and really understand the nature of religious requirements: for instance, that halal or kosher meat doesn't just mean 'not pork'. Strict kosher observance also has rules about cutlery and dishes.
• Check on delivery costs - these can add a lot.
• Can they serve? Weigh the cost against the nuisance of doing the serving yourself. If you want to save money by doing the service yourself, will they allow it?
• What's their deadline for booking, confirming the menu, and so on?

Info on religious food requirements:
Halal certification
Beth Din

If you are providing your own catering, bear in mind:

• Dietary requirements. Make sure you understand religious dietary requirements yourself. Make sure that those serving the food know its status and what's in it if asked. If having a buffet, put signs or labels for dishes. Consider having separate tables for the dishes according to dietary requirements: for example, halal, vegetarian, kosher might each have their own table.
• If many different people are bringing dishes, make sure they are aware of dietary issues, and will tell you what's in it, and the status of meat and so on.
• What facilities the venue has: a tea urn? An oven? Nothing?? Plan & make provision accordingly
• Preparing and tidying up: have or grab volunteers. Allow more time than you need for preparing and setting out refreshments.
• If dealing with large numbers think about crowd control and how to get people through quickly. Especially if your time allowed for lunch is short. A single line going along a buffet is very slow. Give space around the table so they can go down both sides; have two plates of every dish so they can start at both ends.
• Don't forget to budget and provide for all the bits and pieces - cutlery, glassware, napkins, bin liners...

Food hygiene

Cooking

• Cooked food should be 'piping hot' all the way through - check in the middle of the food with a small knife/skewer.
• When cooking meat, cut into the middle of the meat to ensure the meat is not pink, and it should be 'piping hot'. With a whole chicken, pierce the thickest part of the leg until the juices run clear The juice should not be pink or red.
• Cooked food that isn't eaten straight away should be cooled within 1 to 2 hours and stored in the fridge for up to two days.
• Re-heated food should be cooked until 'piping hot' and can only be re-headed ONCE.

Parties and Events

• Food must be kept safe when you are making it for large number of people.
• Plan ahead and prepare food in advance if you can to reduce the pressure on you.
• Keep food in the fridge as long as possible.
• Stick to cooking time guidelines and don't reduce them even if people are waiting to eat.
• Always make sure food is properly cooked before serving - hot food should be piping hot is most cases.

Cleaning

• Wash your hands BEFORE you start preparing/cooking any food, AFTER touching raw meat/poultry/eggs, AFTER using the toilet, AFTER touching the bin, AFTER touching animals.
• Keep chopping boards and work surfaces clean at all times - wash thoroughly and use an anti-bacterial spray.
• Never put ready-to-eat food e.g. salad, bread on a worktop or chopping board that has raw meat on it, unless it has been thoroughly cleaned.
• Always store raw meat at the bottom of the fridge where it cant touch or drip on to other food.
• Try to use separate chopping boards for different food e.g. one for raw meat, one for bread/salad etc.
• Wash kitchen cloths and sponges/ tea-towels/hand towels regularly.
• Wash utensils and cutlery thoroughly after use, particularly if used on raw meat.
• Some religious dietary laws have rules about the preparation of food, including the use of utensils. See the links at right.