In the past, no party was complete without rustic and hearty classics such as the famous ‘Mettigel’, a traditional German snack made from minced pork, or platters of canapés. But today’s buffets are different. Current trends favour fresh, light and healthy foods. Eating habits have evolved towards more creative and healthier alternatives, and party food is no exception.
From hearty fare to light and varied buffets
In the 1970s, a buffet just had to be simple, filling, and, most importantly, ample. The food served at parties was usually hearty and quite rich. Rainer Knüppel, authorised signatory of JOKE Event AG and with over 30 years in the industry, remembers it well: ‘In the past, customer requests were much more straightforward. Today, they are far more discerning.’ The event expert believes this is mainly driven by the greater awareness of nutrition. ‘Today’s customers are much more knowledgeable when it comes to food. Quite often, they contribute their own ideas, which we then implement with our team.’ He goes on to explain that the focus is on healthy eating: ‘The dishes should have as few calories as possible. But customers also want to have plenty of choice’, says his business partner and owner of Herdmeister Catering, Heiner Köhnken. The two have enjoyed a successful working relationship for nearly 18 years. While Rainer manages customer inquiries, Heiner and his kitchen team bring their customers’ wishes to life. As a trained chef, he also has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Originally launched as a small party service in 2007, it has since evolved into a thriving catering business.
The Herdmeister team manages 50 to 80 events a year. Initially, Heiner and Rainer catered for many private parties. Today, the focus is on business functions such as company parties and corporate events. The scale of the events has also increased significantly. Whereas they started out catering for parties with around 70 guests, today their events average 700 guests. To manage such large events, both have a well-organised system in place, which they and their 20-strong team run efficiently. ‘Everyone knows exactly what to do, and everything runs like clockwork’, they both agree.