Tasting

arbarnett · July 2011

Has anyone ever heard of being charged for a tasting when you've already signed a contract with the business?

jerseydevil · July 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_tasting-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:d4d1daef-fb8e-493c-aa63-239dc6abe618Post:7b2efa14-0b18-48bc-846a-b31b3cde81d1">Re: Tasting</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Tasting : Yes, I have heard of that. If your contract does not state a free tasting is included, then you'll probably have to pay for one.
Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]

Exactly...

NOLAbridealmost · July 2011

Oh yeah. It's really common. How much are they charging?

blush64 · July 2011

I hadn't heard of it but since everyone else has I guess it's normal.

The hall I went with only charged if you had the tasting before you booked.

Prices for tastings can vary greatly. 1st hall I asked said they charge $50/person and you only try the meat you've chosen with veggies.

2nd hall I asked charged $25/person for the meat and veggies you choose plus a buffet of their pastas, hors d'oeuvres, veggies, antipasto and a dessert buffet, and open bar. (we went with them)

Charging or not I think it's necessary to have the tasting so hopefully they don't charge that much.

Kimberly0402 · July 2011

My contract states that the county club offers a tasting for 4 people. Any additional persons will be charged.

Mel10232011 · July 2011

I think it depends on the caterer. I had some charge and some did it for free.

arbarnett · July 2011

Okay, thanks for the info everyone. They're charging $25/person to try 3 entrees and 5 hords. I just found it insulting that they'd even ask since we're spending thousands of dollars with them and everyone we've talked with about it has found it outrageous.

unplainjane · July 2011

i had to pay for my tasting and where i live it's pretty common. i picked what we wanted to try and paid the full price. our venue is a gourmet restaurant and winery and our caterer charges us a la carte for everything not a set figure per head. they gave us actual size dishes and presentations for everything we ordered.

nannewmur · July 2011

Next time you go to McDonald's look closely at the cost of a value meal. Then compare it to someone preparing you three entrees, five hord. plus their time for $25 per person. And I assume this will be served in a true dining atmosphere and not a place with a drive thru window. Does that bring it into a better perspective?

It is common to charge. I don't mean this as mean, but most will want tasting before deciding on the venue due to expense of reception so that is why it is free if done before. It is someone's time to prepare and present the food and some people would look at it as a totally free meal and want to bring every member of wedding party plus relatives to it! NO ONE WORKS FOR FREE IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER! You should not find it as insulting but a common business practice and remember it is crucial to really read and research before signing off on a contract. If it doesn't say it in the contract, it is not included and should not be assumed it is at no charge.

Chelsenator · July 2011

Our caterer is charging us $50 each for our tasting, I was a little shocked at first but after I thought about it, it made sense. He's making us gourmet food, and theres no reasoner us to expect to get it for free.

organicgrl · July 2011

Our venue only charges if you have less than 100 guests. Since we are having 300 it is free up to 4 people.

greeneyedmaggie · July 2011

My first question is why have you signed the contract if you haven't tasted the food? What happens if you don't like it?
As for paying to taste, I find it ridiculous. My fiance has been in the service industry as a Chef for 10+ years and never charged anyone for a tasting. True people don't work for free, but there is a thing called "the cost of doing business."
All that being said we have not found a caterer yet that will do a tasting for free. The one we were considering agreed to take the cost of the tasting off our total if we signed a contract. We have yet to taste their food or sign their contract. We have instead decided to meet with a more local caterer who comes recommended from a very dear and trusted friend and see how that goes.
We even had one caterer tell us he had never been asked to do a tasting because most people have already eaten at his restaurant and know what his food tastes like. We have neither been to his restaurant nor called him to schedule a meeting.

kamarks08 · July 2011

If it makes you feel any better, my tasting is $250 for four people, luckily we were able to negotiate in two more people for the same price! Yikes! Also, see if they are willing to credit your bill in the aftermath. My caterer will credit my bill up to $200 depending on what my final bill ends up to be. However, we are willing to pay for our tasting to receive this catering business. We're not tasting to make sure we like them, we're tasting to finalize our menu and see which options we like the best.

On a side note, that is the benefit of using a catering company that has it's own restaurant. You're still "paying for a tasting" theoretically, but I guess going for an actual meal just seems nicer on the pocketbook.

Anyways, yes, as some ladies have said, it is common. MORE common down in the southern part of the U.S., but indeed it is common. BUT it won't hurt to ask if there is a way to negotiate

Good luck!

katenadjohn · July 2011

My venue has a $10,000 minimum cost, and we're only having 100-125 people... and we still have to pay for the tasting. But, we're planning on having that for a meal, so we're going to treat it like the four of us (me, FI, dad and mom) going out to dinner. We signed the contract before tasting the food, but have heard from two families (each with different taste) who have either had a reception or been to a reception there that the food is fantastic.

SraSanchez · July 2011

It does sound insulting that a venue would charge for a tasting. My venue includes my cake, for goodness sake! I'm sure what I am paying them includes the cost they incur to make my cake, which I imagine is how they factor in whatever it may cost them to offer us a tasting as well. Any business that knows what it is doing includes these things in the cost of the whole package because when they don't, that is when brides freak out and wonder why the hell they are being charged "extra" for a tasting.

Matty143 · July 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_tasting-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:d4d1daef-fb8e-493c-aa63-239dc6abe618Post:f24d5701-ad6c-40c8-bf7e-bff7c6c9eeb5">Re: Tasting</a>:
[QUOTE]My contract states that the county club offers a tasting for 4 people. Any additional persons will be charged.
Posted by Kimberly0402[/QUOTE]

This. But they ended up waiving the fee, I guess we got lucky.

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