Catering trends

October 9, 2018

Vegan “ceviche” with lime-marinated cashews, hearts of palm, cucumber, leche de tigre, tiny cilantro, avocado mousse, and crispy blue corn

Photo: Matt Sayles/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images

Brentwood Farms street corn with lime aioli, cotija, and tajin spice

Photo: Matt Sayles/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images

Mashed potatoes with toppings including smoked bacon, crème fraîche, chives, and Maldon sea salt

Photo: Matt Sayles/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images

Filipino barbecue chicken skewers with scallion salad and banana ketchup

Photo: Matt Sayles/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images

Atypical Food Walls

Pretzel and doughnut walls have become familiar at events, but the wall concept itself is a trend that will continue, according to Toronto-based catering company Eatertainment. The company offers an ombré macaron peg wall, offering vanilla, rose, cotton candy, grapefruit cayenne, and Peruvian chocolate flavors.

Photo: Courtesy of Eatertainment

Buddha Bowl Bar

Andrea Correale, founder and C.E.O. of New York-based catering company Elegant Affairs, said that health food trends will again be prominent in 2018 for clients focused on fitness and nutrition. For people on keto, paleo, vegan, or vegetarian diets, said that an ideal option is a bar offering a variety of ingredients for customized Buddha Bowls, which usually consist of vegetables, healthy grains, and protein.

Photo: Courtesy of Elegant Affairs

At the flagship boutique opening for Hublot in New York in April, goat cheese and kalamata olive lollipops from CxRA lent a graphic, dramatic, black-and-white look against an all-black tray.

Photo: Jim Shi

At a Los Angeles event hosted by Century 21 Real Estate in July with a futuristic look and feel, hors d’oeuvres—such as lump crab cakes with remoulade and micro arugula—were served on modern-style white platters that included unusual cutout forms.

Photo: Chelsea Lauren

Single floral stems framed hors d’oeuvres like mango Thai basil summer rolls from Union Square Events at the Robin Hood Foundation gala in New York in May.

Photo: Beth Kormanik/BizBash