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| Jessica Owens of Halyards Catering |
The next time you are planning a big party and things are
getting a teeny bit crazy around the edges… think about Jessica Owens of Halyards
Catering on St. Simons. As manager for the renowned restaurant’s catering
operation, she dazzled guests with Halyards legendary fare for 222 off-site
events in 2011 alone.
In
case there’s any doubt, that’s a lot of partying. And if your next event is an
important dinner or wedding reception, you are probably considering hiring a
caterer or renting a venue. Should you attempt it at home, or hold it someplace
else? We asked Jessica to help with a few tips.
Since Halyards, like other full-service
caterers, can create the food for your event held in your home, Jessica always
requests a “site visit” before any decisions are made. Chief among her concerns
are people, parking, and surprisingly, plumbing!
“Space
is number one! Too many guests
stuffed into a house doesn’t make for a good time!” she laughed. “And plumbing
is important. A hundred guests in an older home can cause problems. Additional restrooms must be brought in
or a venue change is needed.”
Kitchen
size and equipment are also important. “Depending on the menu, we will either
prepare all of the items in the home, or they can be prepared at the restaurant
and assembled on site, “ Jessica explained. “So we have to see if the
appliances will work for us. I also like to see if there is a space that we can
work out of it they don’t want us in full view of the guests.”
Although
Halyards private chef dinners prepared at the client’s home are well known for
their ease and elegance, there are some events that need to hit the road, so to
speak. When the guest list grows, or the homeowner simply doesn’t want to deal
with the work of preparing the house and cleaning up afterwards, Halyards
offers its own party venue at Village Creek Landing on St. Simons. The location
provides a perfect canvas for casual or dressed-up events, indoors or out, offering
space for food, bar and a band–all surrounded by a stunningly beautiful vista
of coastal marsh and rivers.
Village
Creek Landing and other locations that offer an opportunity to hold the
function outdoors come with their own set of questions, Jessica observed.
Budgets, seasonal temperature, a backup plan for inclement weather and seating
options are all discussed up front. Some caterers, like Halyards, can offer
full service for an event, from table linens and flowers to every detail of the
food and service. Unlike Halyards, some companies will not allow you to cushion
the budget by providing some items yourself. Jessica suggested that you ask
questions about things like providing your own china or other dinnerware.
As
with many important decisions, the secret to success is asking the right
questions. If you hire a professional catering firm for your next big event, your
question might just be, “Why didn’t I think of this sooner?”
The
Halyards team is ready to handle the crowd of party-goers at A Taste of Glynn on
March 25, 2012, from 5-8 pm. at the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort.
Tickets are available at the King and Prince, Palmer’s Village Café, Doug’s Bar
& Grill and SunTrust Bank locations on Demere Road and Sea Island Road on
St. Simons. In Brunswick, purchase tickets at LaiLai’s, Hattie’s Books, color
me happy, Zachry’s Seafood and Steak, Baby Mack’s, McGarvey’s Wee Pub and Moore
Stephens Tiller LLC. Or call the Glynn Community Crisis Center at 264-1348.
Photo by Lindy Thompson of Golden Isles Photography
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