Banquets, Catering, and Special Events
Six companies that can help enhance banquet, buffet, and break service.
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1. EUROPAEUS
Stand up to be the center of attention.
We saw five new pedestal stands at the Europaeus booth. “They’re great centerpieces for a table or buffet line. You need something to draw attention and create a visual focal point, otherwise things can get pretty dull,” says Daniel Salvati of Europaeus. There was nothing dull about the pedestal stands or any of the other OCA BIANCA melamine serveware products at their booth, which feature various shapes and sizes, in white melamine that is chip-resistant, stain-resistant, and dishwasher safe.
CONTACT: 914-739-1900, www.europaeus.com
2. PLATE-MATE
Reliable plate stacking and a top-secret prototype.
It was hush-hush at the Plate-Mate booth regarding an unnamed prototype dish rack on display, designed to roll inside most brands of commercial combi ovens. “It's similar to the other Plate-Mate systems. It'll hold plates individually, and I brought it here just to see what kind of spark we get out of it,” says Mark Erlitz of Plate-Mate. Erlitz wouldn’t let us photograph the prototype, but we were able to take pictures of the company’s core products, all of them reliable solutions for plating and serving, utilizing vertical space-saving designs.
CONTACT: 330-477-7575,
www.plate-mate.com
3. LANTMÄNNEN UNIBAKE
Bread for any kind of banquet.
Like a certain cartoon bird, we followed our noses to the Lantmännen Unibake booth, where they were baking an entirely new line of breads and brioches for banquets and restaurants. “We have all kinds of flavors and sizes, including assorted dinner and sandwich roll packs, as well as a few new loaves, like olive loaf, garlic loaf, and onion loaf,” says Scott Kolinski, president of Lantmännen Unibake. Most of the company’s breads are par-baked, and the brioches are fully baked, saving time and labor in the kitchen.
CONTACT: 630-963-4781, www.lantmannenunibakeusa.com
4. SERVICE IDEAS
Coffee refills are now in sight.
When we stopped by the Service Ideas booth, we were shown their new Eco-Air coffee dispenser, perfect for meeting breaks and buffets. “Normally, when you go into a coffee break and the container is empty, you won’t know it until you hear the noise of empty air coming out, or you’ll have to pick it up and shake it. With this product, you can tell the level of the liquid immediately through the glass on the front,” says Patrick Murray, president of Service Ideas. The 2.2-liter dispenser is available with either pump or lever lid.
CONTACT: 800-328-4493, www.serviceideas.com
5. SOUTHERN ALUMINUM
Seeing the light with LED cocktail tables.
New at NRA from Southern Aluminum is their updated LED cocktail table, which is more angular than previous models. “It’s frosted plexiglass with LED lighting underneath that runs on a battery pack, and it can rotate through about 15 different colors,” says Joe Adcox, market manager at Southern Aluminum. The table comes in three different sizes: 24 by 24 inches, 36 by 36 inches, and 36 by 72 inches with three different light squares underneath. The table has scissor legs for easy folding, and the LED lights are waterproof.
CONTACT: 800-221-0408, www.southernaluminum.com
6. SWEET FLAVOR FLORIDA
Add whimsy with tabletop accessories.
These bamboo, plastic, and china serveware pieces and accessories are simply fun. From toothpicks and skewers to mini-disposables and funky utensils, this company’s designs are a departure from the traditional.
CONTACT: 305-532-3731, www.sweetflavorfl.com
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