History of the Catering Industry
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Catering: A Short History
While you may associate chefs and the culinary world in general with restaurants, it's easy to forget that restaurants are a relatively new development. For a long time, the world of food preparation was centered around feasts and celebrations for kings and other noblemen. In fact, the first French restaurants didn't appear until after the French revolution when, lacking an aristocracy, catering guilds were forced to find a new way to sell their talents.
In America, the catering industry is still quite young. Catering started booming after the war when companies who had previously made food supplies for World War II needed something to do. As people became wealthier and the economy grew, caterers found demand for their services, which has previously been reserved for the very rich.
Some Milestones and Events in Catering
In fifty years, the catering industry has grown tremendously, along with food appreciation in general. The National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) will celebrate its 50 anniversary next year. Thanks to them, you can now earn a certification called Certified Professional Catering Executive (CPCE). The NACE has also made much headway funding programs tailored at caterers-in-training in universities and culinary schools.
The catering industry now has its own trade shows and other major events. You can attend trade shows all over the world where the ins and outs of catering are discussed and new products are displayed. You can hear talks about new food safety regulations or how new heating devices are changing the preparation process. If you're lucky, you may even get to taste something delicious!