5 Ideas for Celebrating Safely During a Pandemic

Wherever people gather these days, there are many more things to consider than there once were. One major consideration, from graduations to birthdays, is how to handle feeding people at events in ways that are COVID-19 friendly. Guests often have varying levels of concern about the pandemic, but no one wants any of their guests to feel uncomfortable. As a caterer in Austin, Texas, Royal Fig’s team has quickly developed a special expertise in this area, as we strive to ensure that our clients don’t have to worry about food safety at their events. Here are some of the best tips we’ve put into action:

Limit how many people come in contact with food by having servers.

Self-serve anything is officially out for the season. Whether you hire servers or just designate one of your hosts to serve at your event, having only a few individuals handling serving utensils and food limits everyone’s exposure. At our events, we even have servers manning buffet style arrangements to minimize shared surfaces.

Keep celebrations safe by having servers.

Keep things covered and protected.

On a close-up scale, it’s important to ask guests to wear masks whenever they’re near food or drinks. It’s also a good idea to keep platters, trays, and even tables protected with glass or acrylic cloches and barriers. We’ve purchased over 20 acrylic barriers to keep guests safe at our events.

Individual portions are the way to go.

Whether it’s a delicious fall soup shooter, Brussels sprout lollipop, or a steamed brisket bun, having pre-portioned food is a great way to limit shared surfaces if your event won’t have anyone serving food. 

Pre-portioned foods, like desserts and appetizers, help limit the number of surfaces people touch at your event.

Don’t skip dessert.

Speaking of individual portion sizes, there are so many dessert options that shine like delicious gems for this very purpose. From cupcakes to cookies, dessert is definitely not the course to skip during a COVID-19 event! 

Keep hand sanitizer handy.

Be sure to make hand sanitizer available all around your party. That way, guests can comfortably keep their hands clean as they please, without constantly rushing to the bathroom. We are making hand washing stations abundantly available to our staff at every event, as well as to guests for an additional fee.

Despite COVID-19, there are still milestones and events we want to celebrate in our lives. As a caterer in Austin, Texas, we love helping our clients focus on enjoying their events, rather than on making and serving food. Don’t forget to check out our drop-off and pick-up menus for smaller events or our full menu for larger gatherings.