Question about Buffet Leftovers

I have asked this question, well about taking leftovers home, and the answer is almost always no, for the same reason they gave you. I asked because we are spending so much money on their food it seems stupid to throw it away, but this is the way most caterers work.It is for their own liability reasons.

I've heard the same thing so we are doing food ourselves.

My leftovers are going to the local firestation. They will be packed up and dropped off by my caterer on her way home- so they will still be pretty fresh.

As great an idea as taking them to a soup kitchen would be- could they even be used there? They would be old, leftover and cold. They'd sit for a day or so before they could be used- plus would the limited quantities suit the needs of the soup kitchen?

Maybe you can talk her into taking them elsewhere, and signing a waiver that releases her from any liability should someone get sick.

I just don't see how it is different from going to a restaurant. I guess it will make me feel better if it is not just my place. My caterer also owns a restaurant that M-Sa serves more bar type of food but they have a Sunday brunch that varies from week to week and is not their normal menu - it is the stuff they offer for caterering. It seems suspicious to me. And that they are using it to "resell" after I paid for it.

Yes, the soup kitchen will take them if it is set up in advanced. We've had church functions donate leftovers before. It runs 7 days a week, so it could be served the next morning. Even when the cook the meal at the soup kitchen, they often don't have enough of one item to serve everyone the same thing that day. So they are used to dealing with small quantities. They also start each morning by reheating the left overs from the day before and serving them first to reduce waste.

I think the caterer is telling the truth here. Usually there is a proper way of discarding of the left overs. If you want the caterer to do it themselves, they probably could. It also becomes a health issue regarding allergies, etc... I forget where I've heard this, but I remember seeing this somewhere.

Thanks Meghan for suggesting the waiver, I might ask about that.

The reason you can't take food from a banquet buffet is FOOD SAFETY! It's more than a caterer's liability. It is dangerous to eat food that has dropped below temperature when it's been sitting out for hours. If you hire an experienced caterer there won't be leftovers. Honestly. If there is any extra that's when your guests are invited to have seconds and thirds. And also check with your soup kitchen. It should their policy to not except leftovers because of food safety. I worked for a Green certified caterer so I'm familiar with your concern and totally see why you would think it is weird but there are LAWS in place for a reason and that is to protect you. Restaurants are different because you're bringing your leftovers home immediately and refrigerating them. At a banquet you have a good 3 hours between food service and the end of the event. Hope that helps to clarify… I've had to explain it to a lot of clients.

I know the hotel I worked for did not allow for catering leftovers to be boxed up or donated, due to health code laws. However, trust me when I say any extra food will NOT go to waste - generally it gets gobbled up by the staff. So, it's not a soup kitchen, but your food will make some minimum-wagers very happy.

My step daugher didn't have a buffet style wedding but she paid for food for 200 and they did give her all the leftovers. They had big foil trays of the fajita meat and chicken and rice. It's probably just up to the venue how they handle it.

I never thought about donating any left-overs...Meghan I think that's awesome to give the leftovers to a firehouse. Both of my maternal uncles were firemen. I might look into that

I also wondered that to, but my banquet hall manager told me as well and that we could not have any food brought in except for baked goods. I hope that you figure out a good solution and an agreement with your caterer.

I wish we'd known ahead of time that my step-daughters venue was going to pack the leftovers. We could have donated the food! We did eat some of it but a lot went to waste!

We are having a buffet style and our cateer is packing up the leftovers for us to take home. They said we should get the food we paid for.

Thanks everyone. It makes me feel better to know that this was standard practice for the most part.

Konichiwa, I wonder why it was different for your SD? just that vendor or because it was plated?

My venue told us the same thing and we are having a sit-down meal. We're not allowed to take the leftovers.

Many caterers don't allow you to take home leftovers, and many food shelters/soup kitchens don't accept leftovers for those reasons. Food safety is really important, and if food isn't maintained properly, it can make people really sick, and I don't blame them for not wanting to worry about having that kind of responsibility.

I hope by now the industry has caught up to the facts. In case not, here they are:

ANY venue/caterer can donate excess event food that is wholesome and perceived safe for eating to any registered 501C3 food rescue operation without incurring any potential civil or criminal liability.

IN 1996 the U.S. federal government passed the BILL EMERSON GOOD SAMARITAN ACT, to encourage leftover food donation. Here it is:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ210/pdf/PLAW-104publ210.pdf

If they tell you they can't donate food to FROs because of Liabilty issues, please share this link with them.

NY has a law that specifically covers this circumstance. I don't know about other states, but under the Good Samaritan law in NY you can donate left over catered food from a licensed caterer that passes specific requirements through specific charities that ensure refrigerated delivery. I am looking for a similar provision in MA, but have yet to find it.

Food that has been sitting out for a couple of hours (in the Danger Zone) should generally be thrown away, not given away. Rule of 4 - no more than 4 hours between ~40 and 140 degrees F. If the hot food has been continuously kept above 140 deg and the cold food has been continuously kept below 40 degrees then it's safe to give it away, but as soon as it drops below 140/goes above 40 the timer starts and it needs to be discarded within 4 hours (ideally 2 hours).