Let’s talk about kosher-style, because I have an opinion on this one.
If you’re inviting people to your event and you know some of your family members keep kosher, you should have food that everyone can eat. It’s that simple. You invited them to celebrate with you. It’s not fair to have them sit there all night watching everyone else eat.
So what’s the actual difference? A kosher caterer works under a kosher certification. The food is prepared in a kosher kitchen, meat and dairy are kept completely separate, and a mashgiach supervises everything from delivery to plating. You know where the meat came from and you know how it was prepared.
Kosher-style is a caterer that does not have a kosher certification. They’ll skip the pork and shellfish and won’t put meat and dairy on the same plate, but nobody is supervising. You essentially don’t know where the meat is coming from or what kitchen it was made in.
If you know your family keeps kosher, have food they can actually eat.
And here’s how I look at it. Kosher-style is significantly cheaper, and there’s a reason for that. Kosher meat is expensive. If the meat were really kosher, the price wouldn’t be so much lower. So when a caterer tells you it’s “basically kosher” for a lot less money, it’s not kosher. For guests who keep kosher, “basically” doesn’t count.
This is also a decision you need to make early, before you fall in love with a venue. Not every venue has a kitchen that can do a fully kosher event, or allows an outside kosher caterer to come in. If your family needs kosher, that’s the first question we ask every venue. Once I know where your family lands, I can tell you right away which places will work.
BTW, WHO’S PLANNING YOUR EVENT? #THEVENTBAR
