The Business Of Banqueting
Sandesh Dhoble offers his perspective to the business of banquets
The term ?banquets? dates back to the 14th century and comes from the Italian word banchetto, meaning a small bench meant for guests to sit. In olden days, festivals and marriages took place on a very small scale, hence people celebrated events in homes, and marriages in temples with only family members. But as time passed people started associating themselves with larger groups.
There was the commercialisation of festivals and marriages. Soon people encountered the problem of accommodating such a large number of people and arranging for their food and beverages. And that is how the banqueting business began. Nowadays, people hire venues, preferably open grounds or hotel premises for banquets.
Banqueting in India is a very challenging job. People from different religions, caste, creed and backgrounds make the job of a caterer even more formidable. Mainly there are two types of banquets - indoor and outdoor. The indoor banquet is held in enclosed premises, which is specifically designed for the purpose.
All five-star hotels need to provide space in their premises for banqueting purpose. A sizable amount of the hotel?s revenue comes from banquets. Such hotels charge anything between Rs 800 to Rs 2,000 per head/per plate depending on the menu and number of people. Since banqueting halls in five-star hotels are air-conditioned, proper care should be taken of the tonnage requirement for the air-conditioner, in accordance with the square feet area of the banquet hall. A good exhaust system should be installed to avoid any suffocation.
Private pangs
Many individual players have made their entry in the banquets market. They are privately owned, managed and not linked with any hotels. Most of these banquet halls are economically priced as compared to hotels.
A common problem faced by these banquet halls is that they are not in a proper square, and often have many pillars, giving them a distorted look and reducing capacity. More often than not, the owners invariably allot limited space for car parking, which creates traffic jams and turns into an embarrassment to the host. Though there are many limitations with the banqueting business, sheer economies of scale is enough to give hotels a run for their money. Hotels therefore have to add more value to their banquet offerings.
Parties To A Banquet
There are normally four parties to a banquet namely, the owner of the premises, the host, the decorator and the caterer. The host makes the initial and final call. He chooses the hall, decorator and caterer. Most of the decoration businesses in India are family owned and operate on a big scale, but there has been a steady entry of new professionals into the field. The market is therefore very competitive.
The last few years have seen the emergence of new service providers called ?event managers?. Their services are mainly used by people wanting to hold grand events, however, off-late even smaller events are being planned by these service providers.
Food For Thought
Food still remains the most important ingredient in the making of a banquet. The selection of a caterer is therefore of paramount importance. In India people generally prefer a caterer from their own community especially for marriages, as the caterer is aware about the likes and dislikes of the community.
Catering is one of the most profitable fields in the hotel industry, but also remains one of the most disorganised. Great management skills are required to execute a catering order. Planning and designing of the menu becomes essential, taking the host into consideration. The menu should always go with the occasion and the guest list. It should comprise of a welcome drink, salads, starters, main course and dessert.
The site where the function is taking place should also be taken into consideration while planning the menu. If the place is an open ground, it is a good idea to set up a barbecue counter, which is not possible in an enclosed place. One common complaint with banqueting in India is that food is sometimes given step-motherly treatment. It remains a mystery that a country like India, which has such an eclectic cuisine, sees very few Indian dishes on its banquet menu.
One understands the commercialisation of foreign cuisines, but in the process, Indian food gets neglected. Hotels should be responsible in promoting other cuisines without Indian food being overshadowed. One should remember that international cuisines are popular not because Indians have started disliking the country?s cuisine, but because they love to experiment. Hotels should understand the concept of international cuisines and not get carried away. In the west, people generally prefer their own cuisine for banquets.
Planning a menu is an integral part of food. Hotels should understand that people eat food first through their eyes and then through their mouth, so the food should look appealing. Once the menu is set, it becomes a lot easier for a caterer to organise resources for the banquet. A caterer has to take the number of people invited for the banquet into consideration, while deciding on the quantity of food to be cooked and the quantity of labour required.
Generally a caterer appointed for such a banquet is not associated with hotels. Many believe that the caterer?s kitchen staff is far more competent than a chef of a top class hotel, because though both are skilled, the former remains authentic and the latter is commercialised. So in terms of food a caterer beats the hotel, but in terms of food presentation, service hotels are far more superior.
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