How to become a Caterer

Catering is a fun career that allows you to provide delicious food for your clients at fantastic events and conferences. But before you can start cooking, there are some steps that need to be taken. Here’s what you need to know about becoming a caterer in Australia.

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‍Step 1: Get experience

The first step to becoming a caterer in Australia is to get a job in a catering company. This will give you the opportunity to learn about the business and gain experience in the industry.  Once you have gained some experience, you should consider completing a Certificate III in Catering. This qualification will give you the skills and knowledge necessary to work as a caterer in Australia.

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‍Step 2: Obtain a Food Safety Handler’s Certificate

Once you are ready to branch out on your own, you need to secure a Food Safety Handler’s Certificate. This certificate will ensure that you are able to safely handle and prepare food for consumption. Courses are now available online, and you can get certified across any state that you plan to operate in.

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Step 3: Confirm your local requirements

Each local council has its own regulations for food businesses, so you will need to do some research into the specific requirements for your area. This includes getting any necessary permits or licenses, as well as ensuring that your business meets all relevant health and safety standards. It’s also important to keep up with any changes in regulation, as these could affect how you operate your business.  

Step 4: Register your business

You’ll then need to decide on the legal structure of your catering business. This includes deciding whether you want to operate as a sole trader, partnership, trust or company. Each structure has its own pros and cons, so it’s important to do your research and choose the one that best suits your needs. If you are just starting out, a sole trader makes plenty of sense, but if you plan on running a more substantial business and have multiple people involved, a company might work better. To help you make the right choice, take this business structure quiz. If you expect to earn over $75,000, you’ll also need to register for GST.

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Step 5: Secure funding

Before starting any business, it is important to ensure that you have sufficient funding and insurance coverage in place. With proper planning, you can estimate how much money you need for upfront costs such as equipment and ingredients, as well as ongoing expenses like rent or wages for staff members (if applicable). It is also essential that you have adequate insurance coverage in case something goes wrong with an event or service you provide.

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Step 6: Find suppliers

One of the key considerations when starting your own catering business is finding reliable suppliers of food and other supplies. It is important to source high-quality ingredients from suppliers who can deliver them on time and at a reasonable price. Be diligent with any contracts you sign as you’ll want to ensure you have strong rights to cancel contracts if your suppliers are not delivering an appropriate level of service.

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Step 7: Develop your menus

Another important aspect of starting your own catering business is developing your menus. You will need to create menus that are appealing to your target market and that offer value for money. It is also important to ensure that your menus are nutritionally balanced and meet any special dietary requirements that your clients may have.

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Step 8: Promote your catering business

Once you have developed your menus and found reliable suppliers, you will need to promote your business so that potential customers are aware of your services. There are many ways to promote your catering business, including advertising, PR, and social media marketing.

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Step 9: Hire your staff

If you plan on expanding your catering business, you will need to hire staff to help with the day-to-day operations. You can advertise on job boards or even use a platform like Sidekicker which can provide temporary staffing solutions for events.

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Starting a catering business can be both exciting and challenging. Make sure that you take the time to research all the relevant regulations, determine the right legal structure for your business, secure sufficient funding and insurance coverage before beginning operations. With some careful planning and preparation, there’s no reason why becoming a caterer in Australia can’t be a success.

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