help!

[JACKIE NEW CHEF]

new to catering and am running the catering of a sports and social club with a golf club attached. Meals are served Wed, Thur, Fri and Sat evening and sometimes a sitdown 2 course if a golf society is playing during day. The kitchen is quite small and we also cater for weddings up to a 100 sitdown and buffet up to 200! How canI get timing right for meat and vegetables so that they are served without being under or over cooked for a big sitdown meal that dont always run on time? How can I judge how much to buy eg fresh carrots for 70 - 100 people without having too much waste? How can I prepare fresh soups for the same number of people and be as cost effective as buying a supermarkets value brand tinned soup?The meals served during the week are standard pub meals, steaks, gammon etc which I dont have a problem with but I would like to have a specials board with meals on that are easy, economical and dont go to waste. And after all that I'm wondering myself what I'm doing here!!!!!

[Jeebus]

Originally Posted by JACKIE NEW CHEF

new to catering and am running the catering of a sports and social club with a golf club attached. Meals are served Wed, Thur, Fri and Sat evening and sometimes a sitdown 2 course if a golf society is playing during day. The kitchen is quite small and we also cater for weddings up to a 100 sitdown and buffet up to 200! How canI get timing right for meat and vegetables so that they are served without being under or over cooked for a big sitdown meal that dont always run on time? How can I judge how much to buy eg fresh carrots for 70 - 100 people without having too much waste? How can I prepare fresh soups for the same number of people and be as cost effective as buying a supermarkets value brand tinned soup?The meals served during the week are standard pub meals, steaks, gammon etc which I dont have a problem with but I would like to have a specials board with meals on that are easy, economical and dont go to waste. And after all that I'm wondering myself what I'm doing here!!!!!

Hopefully someone else will offer you some advice. The only advice i will offer is to quit and get a job you have the skills and expertise to actually do. If you do not know this stuff why on earth should anyone here help you. People are paid handsome consulting fees to do what you are asking. These are very basic things you are asking, if you do not even know these basics you should never have been hired for the job.

[AprilB]

Jeez Jeeb...have some compassion. Whad, you have a bad week? I'm sure you asked plenty of questions and screwed up at least a few times starting out.

She's not asking for people to do her job, just some pointers. It doesn't cost much to post a link here.

Personally I find it admirable to step up to the bat and push yourself beyond the obvious.

In any event, Jackie, comb the prior posts. There are a lot of threads that ask the exact same questions you are and can provide plenty of good info and links.

Knowing when and how much amounts to practice. You'll get it.
April





e=Jeebus]Hopefully someone else will offer you some advice. The only advice i will offer is to quit and get a job you have the skills and expertise to actually do. If you do not know this stuff why on earth should anyone here help you. People are paid handsome consulting fees to do what you are asking. These are very basic things you are asking, if you do not even know these basics you should never have been hired for the job.[/quote]

[Mezzaluna]

Jackie, you might try posting questions like this in the Professional Catering forum. Other caterers hang out there, and that forum may be a better fit, since it's for professionals like yourself.

Enjoy Chef Talk!
Mezzaluna