The Art of Holiday Catering and Staying Ready for the Rush
Holiday catering brings a unique set of challenges. Timelines are tighter to produce larger quantities of food and meet higher expectations. Corporate lunch orders, multi-tray family dinners, and holiday meal kits all rely on advance planning and supply. This season, caterers can avoid delays and missed sales by securing the right products early and choosing wholesale suppliers that keep pace.
Wholesale Club works with caterers who serve hundreds of holiday meals per week. Here’s how food prep teams are staying ahead of the demand this season.
Holiday Catering Tips for Success
Holiday weeks are not the time to test new systems. Stick to proven methods and focus on execution. These steps will help your kitchen stay organized and your deliveries stay on time:
- Keep menus simple and consistent. Avoid customizations that slow down prep.
- Use the same station setup daily, and keep it clear, so staff can work faster.
- Brief your staff in advance to cut down on questions and avoid miscommunication.
- Prep orders in batches based on the delivery or pickup schedule.
- Label every tray or box clearly, including reheating instructions when needed.
- Pack vehicles in reverse order of drop-off, so drivers aren’t shuffling meals on the go.
- Keep a small buffer of inventory for repeat customers or last-minute add-ons.
- Make delivery instructions simple. Use the same format for every client.
- Have a backup plan for each day that covers staffing, supply, and delivery in case something falls through.
This kind of prep lets you handle volume without sacrificing quality or accuracy.
What Caterers Are Ordering Right Now
Traditional items still drive the bulk of holiday catering. Keep your menu focused on what clients expect and order in volume.
Turkey remains one of the most requested proteins for holiday catering. It’s a familiar option that scales well across trays, platters, or boxed meals. Planning ahead ensures you have enough on hand when orders peak.
Prime rib and ham are also frequently in high demand, especially for businesses ordering staff meals or hosting in-office events. Choose items that arrive ready to heat, slice, or serve to shorten your prep window and reduce pressure during pickup or delivery runs.
On the side, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and heat-and-serve vegetables continue to make up the majority of orders.
Every one of these items gets more competitive as December progresses. If you haven’t locked in your product list and quantities, now is the time to start.
Don’t Overlook Packaging
Some of the most common mid-season issues have nothing to do with the food. Catering packaging supplies tend to run low when demand peaks. Trays, lids, boxes, and insulated containers are often the first items caterers run out of.
If you’re offering individual meals, portion packaging with tight-fitting lids and tamper-evident seals is a must. For bulk orders, you’ll need heavy-duty trays that can hold heat and stack safely. Labeling and organizing is just as important as cooking. Running out of packaging on a deadline leads to last-minute changes that throw off timing and delay orders.
How Wholesale Club Helps Caterers
Wholesale Club focuses on serving businesses. We carry the sizes, SKUs, and supplies caterers rely on, especially during high-volume periods like December. Our teams understand the difference between a one-off order and a recurring schedule of large pickups. If you’re running multiple drops per day, you need products that hold up and suppliers that don’t miss.
We stock essentials like whole turkeys, prime rib, hams, stuffing mixes, heat-and-serve sides, and frozen desserts in quantities that match catering demand. You can also pick up catering packaging supplies in bulk.
Plan Early, Serve Better
Wholesale Club is here to support your busiest weeks with the products that make holiday catering work. You know what your clients want. Make sure you’re stocked to deliver it.
