As you work on coming up with a menu for your next catered event, it can be worthwhile to think about what type of food your area is known for. Most areas have some connection with a certain type of food, whether it's a fruit, a vegetable, or a certain type of protein. Give some thought to including this local specialty on your menu, and talk to your catering service about how you want this food prepared. Here are some reasons to include a local specialty on the menu at your upcoming catered gathering.

The Food Will Be Extremely Fresh

Catering services work hard to get their ingredients as fresh as possible, but this can sometimes be a challenge based on geographical considerations. For example, if you're on the west coast and you want east coast lobsters on your menu, the travel distance can reduce some of the freshness. A major advantage of including a local specialty on the menu is that it will be of an unparalleled freshness. For example, if you're in Georgia and have a peach dish on the menu, your caterer may be happy to report that the peaches were picked the morning of your event.

It Supports The Local Industry

Another reason to include a local specialty on the menu of your upcoming catered event is that it supports the local economy. For example, if you're including grass-fed beef on the menu, your caterer can source it from a local farm — thus putting money back into the community. For many people, this is a highly ethical decision that is better than supporting an industry that is in a neighboring state or even partway across the country.

It's Exciting For Those Who've Traveled

Regardless of the type of event that you're having catered, there's a good chance that some of the attendees will have traveled a considerable distance to get there. For example, weddings attract people from throughout the country, while corporate events can sometimes even have people visit from other nations. Offering a local specialty can especially be exciting for these individuals, as they may not have much experience with eating the food in question. For example, someone who visits your event in Maine may have had clams in the past, but only in the canned form — not served fresh after being harvested earlier in the day. This can obviously be an exciting experience for this guest.

If you want to impress your guests, look further into event catering.