Want to spruce up your parties but need to know how to? Need to wow all your guests by being a party savant but need help knowing where to start? You will need the aid of a catering service. To ensure you are using your caterers to their full potential, we have compiled two lists of all catering trends and food ideas you will need to make your party successful. Let’s get the party started!

Home Party Catering Ideas For 2023

This blog is for the people who want to be the party animal of their group. Once we are done, you will have everyone waiting around for your next party. As the premiere caterers in Australia, we have divided all the current home party catering ideas into two sub-sections: food and trends. Let’s go through them one by one!

Top 8 Home Party Catering Trends

Here are the top 8 home party catering trends that you can incorporate to make your next party a huge hit:

Reconnecting With Traditions

Nostalgia rules our daily lives, from the movies we consume to the music we listen to. It influences us to make choices that align with our tastes and childhood memories, so why should we stop incorporating them into our events? A rising trend that has shifted the catering market’s focus is familial and childhood traditions.

Of course, the brunt of its focus is on food, but most people want to incorporate their childhood nostalgia into their parties. From Harry Potter-themed weddings to SpongeBob-themed graduation parties, you should be able to infuse your personality, likes, and dislikes into your party. To cater to this need in the market, many in-home catering services like Art Kitchen offer fully personalised event styling services.

Supporting Local Businesses

There has also been an extremely positive trend where people prefer supporting local businesses for their parties. Of course, only a few caterers allow for such a collaboration; however, you can still find certain reliable catering services, like Art Kitchen, that are willing to cater to each of your requests every step of the way.

Wall Of Fun

Wall of Fun is a trend as joyful as it sounds. It refers to a wall with various fixtures that serve as a drink serving station, much like a bar, only much more engaging. It looks eye-catching and innovative as a vertical drink station. A wall of fun will leave your guests impressed with your ingenuity and give them something to talk about even days after your party.

Napkin Menu Combo

Caterers are finding increasingly creative ways to reduce carbon waste while making it seem intentional. This leads to new creative methods of incorporating the party menu on various items. Many caterers have used price-tagged menus on the cutlery, while others have taken a greener approach. Specific caterers can offer customised menu napkins, which are easy for guests to access and a fun way to clear space on the table for a centrepiece. This is especially in high demand for dinner parties or social gatherings.

Personalisation

Most caterers do not offer this, so you need to check in with them beforehand if you plan for a more customised experience. You can personalise every minute detail of your party decoration, food, and arrangement. Such customisations allow you to ensure that everything about your party is unique to your preferences, and no one can replicate it.

You can choose your centrepieces, your drink of the alcohol tower, your design for the wall of fun, your customisable menu, and your entertainment set-up.

Sustainable Alternatives

As the world gets more and more eco-conscious, rising trends in the catering industry have also seen a massive dip towards more sustainable alternatives for traditional party decorations and supplies. This means using locally sourced food, flower decorations made of cloth, and reusable menu napkins. Additionally, paper straws are being incorporated, and plastic straws are being banned.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

One of the top priorities of any party planner should be accessibility for all guests. People have become more conscious of their efforts to make parties more inclusive of people with disabilities and different cultural values. For example, they offer various food options based on cultural preferences or allergies.

Tech-Infusion

Another route you can take is incorporating tech into your party by using digital menus with online ordering for the caterers to serve a particular dish. This simplifies the ordering process and makes it much more efficient than having to wave down a caterer to take your order.

Top 8 Home Party Food Ideas

Here are the top 8 home party food ideas that will have your guests over the moon:

Fusion Food

Fusion food has become popular in the catering world. Whether it be for weddings or dinner parties, everyone wants fusion cuisine. So, it is no surprise that it has also become a rising trend in the home party scene. Many caterers will provide fusion food options, like Caribbean-style chicken satay, Japanese 7-spice brisket sandwiches, or vegetarian Burmese khow suey.

Open-Fire Cooking

Open-fire cooking is a great way to wow your guests and create an engaging experience. It shows your guests the chef’s skill and expertise while building up their anticipation for the food. For most people, open-fire cooking is a novelty experience, and they are easily impressed with the person throwing the party if they have an open-fire cooking show. However, keep in mind that not all caterers offer the option of open-fire cooking, so it is wise to check in with them and discuss all your expectations before booking.

Vegan-Friendly Choices

Veganism has acquired a lot of popularity in the past two decades. Not only is it a part of many cultures like Hinduism and Buddhism, but it is also a lifestyle that countless people live by to promote sustainability and inhibit the animal farming industry.

This has led to many restaurants offering vegan options like meatless burgers or vegan pastries. Going green for your party in this way will make your vegan guests feel validated, seen, and respected.

Nostalgic Cuisine

As aforementioned, nostalgia rules our everyday lives with a vice grip. The influences of your past don’t stop at decoration; their tentacles extend far beyond your tastebuds. Luckily, nostalgic cuisine is a rising trend in the catering industry.

Many caterers offer classic childhood comfort food fused with elegant cuisine to make parties even more memorable. Such food allows guests to bond over their shared childhood experiences and reminisce about a much happier, simpler time. Examples include three-way hotdogs, crackles, and violet crumbles.

Non-Traditional Alcohol Towers

Traditional alcohol towers include champagne as the drink of choice; however, only some people prefer that drink. So, to cater to your taste, your catering service can interchange champagne with an alcoholic beverage. The past few years of this trend have seen various towers of Rosé or even cocktails.

Interactive Food Stations

Interactive food stations have dramatically increased in popularity in the past few years, especially post-pandemic. They give guests a fun way to customise their meals and mingle. Such stations include a fully customisable carving or sushi station. They also break the monotony of a buffet or restaurant-style serving, making the entire party much more enjoyable. Plus, you also save the cost of hiring servers.

Locally Sourced Food

Supporting local businesses also counts when you source food for your party. Many caterers, like Art Kitchen, understand the value of locally grown produce and tend to source their ingredients from local farmers and businesses. Not only is this an ethically sound practice, but it is also eco-friendly and sustainable.

Outsourcing food from out of the city or anywhere else tends to add to the excess of carbon emission in the environment, not to mention the health side effects of preservatives used on the ingredients. Make sure your home party caterer only outsources its ingredients after booking.

Unique Flavors

Once again, the tide has turned towards new and exciting food combos. Most party-goers enjoy trying a new set of flavours and new recipes. You can have traditional foods from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds at your party. Various flavours and a unique blend of tastes can add to your party’s charm.

Final Words

Each of these home party catering ideas has the power to make your party a huge success. Not every caterer will offer you all these options, so you should lay out all your expectations beforehand in a pre-booking meeting. Conversely, you can hire a full-catering service like Art Kitchen to cater to your every need. You can go in many directions as these trends and food options leave enough room for personalisation.

We hope you found this blog helpful and that it gave you a clear direction of where to take your party. May your future party be a true rip-snorter!