A successful catering business is always ready with equipment and tools for the trade. Given that you’re likely serving a lot of guests - hundreds of them in most cases - you need trustworthy catering equipment to get the job done.  There’s no other way around it. You must invest in commercial-grade tools and equipment. 

We understand this venture of yours is going to take a lot of planning. In this guide, we put together a list of essentials to outfit a brand-new catering business.  As every business differs from one another, this list isn't all-inclusive. But, it's a good ground to get started. 

 

Fridges, Freezers and Chillers

A catering business, just like any food-serving business cannot survive without proper storage for its perishable goods. That’s when you need fridges, freezers and chillers. These commercial kitchen equipment are necessary for ingredients, beverages, meats, spices, and other temperature-sensitive items. 

Commercial Fridges

Pick the right equipment that is capable to match your food's ideal temperature range. Look into capacity, energy efficiency, space availability and features.  Also, consider adding off-site units for foods that need to be refrigerated in the catering venue. 


Choosing the Right Refrigeration Unit for Your Catering:

There are overwhelming makes and models of commercial refrigeration units available in the market. Evaluate the following to narrow down your options. 


  1. How much storage do you need?
  2. What type of unit will fit in your designated space?
  3. What types of your refrigerators do you need? Freezer, fridges or chillers? In our experience, catering businesses need all three for different purposes. 
  4. Choose equipment that has the best energy rating. 

 

Blenders, Mashers, Grinders, Mixers and other Food Processing Equipment

Baine Marie and Food Processing Equipment

When it comes to running any type of business, time is money. So anything that could be automated instead of manually done should be automated. Automation means you’re translating your precious hours into profit. In professional kitchens such as in a catering business, food processors do the automation. 

Repetitive tasks like shredding, cutting, dicing, slicing, and grating, amongst others, can now be automated using specific commercial kitchen equipment.  This equipment simplifies food processing, reduces labour costs, and maximises yields while saving time and ultimately, increasing revenue. 

For instance, instead of manually slicing meat, vegetables and delis, you can opt for commercial slicers. 

 

Food Serving Tools for the Events

Commercial Food Serving tools

No catering event is complete without the serving utensils. Depending on the foods you'll serve, you will likely need utensils, glassware and server wares for full-course meals.  This will include plates, soup bowls, wine glasses, tea cups, coffee cups, spatulas, slicers, knives, spoons and forks. Consider the serving tools needed for appetisers and salads. There might also be a need for bigger tools like punch bowls, buffet displays, ice beverage bins and service trays. 

Plan out your meals and from there, think of what food-serving tools and utensils you’ll need. 

 

Ice Machines for Catering Business

When catering for an event, you want to maximise your ice supply. Whether there are cocktails or simple juices on the menu, ice is something that a catering event can't miss. While it may not be the talk of the party, it is essential. 

You need a commercial-grade ice machine to make sure you have enough ice. This type of equipment can produce large amounts of ice in accelerated time. Choose an ice maker machine that can match the demands of your busiest event. 

  • Modular ice machines use a separate storage unit to collect and store ice. This type of machine goes well with buffet and self-serve events.
  • Undercounter ice machines have built-in bins for ice. They have a more compact design which makes them the ideal solution if you want to have ice behind a bar or behind a  counter.  

 

Transport Gizmos for Food and Equipment

Perhaps the biggest challenge of running a catering business is the transporting stage. You have to make sure the foods are not only intact but their quality and freshness are retained. A climate-controlled van is something to consider. 

It is also important to package hot and cold food separately to avoid temperature fluctuations that will affect their quality. Dishes should be covered with their respective lids, foils or plastic wrap to avoid cross-contamination and to ensure they're intact during delivery. 

For transport, you will need food pan carriers, chafing dishes, hot food tables, insulated food carriers, bain marie, and holding cabinets.  

 

Some One-off Items are Necessary

Disposable items make great sense when serving a huge crowd. Such items are more sanitary, require less maintenance, and make it easy to distribute food to guests. There are various one-off items that you can use to streamline food serving for events. 

You are likely going to need pins and adhesives for decorating and sticking things together. Plastic wraps and paper towels are necessary too. Food bags for takeaways should be available. Hand sanitisers and handwash items are also a necessity, even more after the post-pandemic era. 

And of course, serving tools like paper cups, cocktail picks, bowls, and foil pans are also a nice addition to have.

 

Full Range of Catering Equipment at Lead Catering Equipment

Are you putting together equipment and tools for your catering business? We can advise, guide and walk you through available options that suit best your specification and budget. You can call our team at  03 8657 3937 / 0411 505 588 (for VIC, SA, WA and TAS), and at 02 8859 1888 / 0431 073 246 (for QLD, NSW, NT and ACT). Alternatively, you can send us enquiries at sales@leadingcatering.com.au. We also have a showroom at  16 Lanyon St, Dandenong South, VIC, 3175.