A large event calls for an impressive venue to match. Whether it’s a conference or awards dinner you are running, a venue that caters for large capacities is essential. As the festive season draws closer, a large banquet and dinner venue becomes increasingly popular.
At the YEC we recognise catering is an important element of any event. We enjoy tailoring food to each events specific needs. We can accommodate from 500 to 2,500 guests at a banquet and dinner. Priding ourselves on being able to help you to create the perfect setting, mood and menu for your event.
When choosing a large banquet and dinner venue the food will play an important role in yours guests overall experience.
Nobody wants a ‘hangry’ delegate or visitor! Therefore when choosing a menu, consider your audience. Catering for a large conference will require a different menu to an awards dinner. It’s important to think about your guest’s schedule. Delegates at a conference will be looking for food to refuel to stay focused for the rest of the day. However, your dinner guests need to wowed both visually and flavour wise by the menu choice.
We are passionate about great, local food and ensuring all our visitors experience a culinary delight. We work closely with our catering partners CGC Event Caterers.
CGC is a long-established event caterer with a distinctive Yorkshire identity. They have a wealth of experience planning and delivering great food. They offer the attentive service and craftsmanship needed for a large banquet and dinner venue. Their dedicated, highly skilled team are always hungry to do more! They will support your event and bring your menu visions to life. They appreciate that sourcing the finest ingredients is just the first step in delivering beautifully presented and delicious food. Their chefs take great care in creating dishes that will delight diners and show the very best of seasonal produce.
We asked Mark Harrison at CGC to give us an insight into event catering life –
How long have you been in the events industry?
I have a long career in the catering industry; I started as a waiter in hotels before joining the team at CGC as an Event Manger and like many, worked my way up from there.
Where do you source your ingredients?
Our ethos here at CGC is to source all of our ingredients locally where possible, it tastes better and helps reduce our carbon footprint. We work with a number of great suppliers and have done so for many years such as Lishman’s of Ilkley, Taylors of Harrogate, Mackenzies Smokehouse, plus many more. We also pride ourselves on being able to tailor menus to our client’s needs, so will look to use bespoke suppliers if it’s suits the event’s menu better or the client wishes to feature them on their menu.
What do you think makes a successful menu for a large banquet and dinner venue?
The ultimate measure of success for us is that the client is happy, there are of course a number of ways to achieve this but the main and most simple thing is to listen to the client. We make sure we get their input and are involved from start to finish with our expertise guiding them.
What do you think makes the biggest impression on a plate?
Having a bright, vibrant and colourful plate is a great and simple way to create a big impression. As the saying goes ‘you eat with your eyes’! By making sure you have a beautiful looking plate that also tastes delicious will leave customers feeling satisfied. You can easily create a splash of colour by adding edible flowers, or a brightly coloured puree brushed across the plate.
What is the biggest challenge when running a large event or dinner?
A lot of people don’t see or think about the work that goes on behind the scenes at a large dinner – and that is exactly what we want as it means the event is running seamlessly front of house. Guests will only be at a dinner event for roughly 5 hours, but for the team the event starts 2 days before. Event Managers and waiting staff will lay up tables and work with the AV team and event stylists to turn a blank canvas venue into an amazing setting for a black tie dinner.
The logistics of running a large event from a catering perspective is massive; on top of the 1,500 guests we’re likely to have 15 Chefs, 15 Managers, 10 porters, 4 drivers and 130-150 waiting staff. The timings need to be exactly in-line with the client’s needs and of course be everything they expect and more!
If you were to offer one piece of advice to someone looking to design a bespoke menu, what would it be?
Be seasonal, and be local. Yorkshire is surrounded by an abundance of great produce and the simple truth is, it just tastes better!
YEC and CGC understand that it is not just the menu that completes a catering experience. Our versatile spaces allow you to optimise seating arrangements and the way guests flow through your event. If you are an event organiser and would like to be kept up to date with news and updates on the YEC please join our mailing list.
Contact us if you would like more information or if you are looking for a large banquet and dinner venue.
