Don't Let Food Go to Waste: How to Upcycle Food Not Used at Events or Weddings

What can you do as caterers with food left over from events? There are so many opportunities to avoid food waste and in 2023, your goal should be to try to give back to the community. After all, without your niche community, you wouldn’t have people to cater for.

Option 1: Donate the Food to a Shelter or Food Bank

At the end of the event, if the contract and food safety regulations permit, creating to-go boxes with leftover food and donating them to shelters in your area is a great idea. Organizations that accept donations have protocols in place to ensure that the food is appropriately handled and distributed, so make sure you check with the donation center first. However, it’s important to have a plan in place as to what to do with the food.

Option 2: Turn the Food into a New Meal

If you have a lot of leftover ingredients, try to think of creative ways to resume those ingredients in new ways. There are so many different levels to prepare food and being mindful of how much you are wasting is important. In Total Party Planner catering software, you can manage pack lists and menu items so you can fine tune just how much you’re using at each event. THis will help you budget and save on waste!

Option 3: Compost food scraps

If you can compost food at your venue or catering space, that would be an excellent way to take care of food scraps. Yes, it’s hard work but it can create nutrient rich soil for plants. If composting isn’t an option for you, then contacting local farmers or nurseries to see if they have any programs set up would reduce your environmental footprint tremendously.