Career Diary of a Caterer (Gardner's Guide series) [Paperback]

Jennifer Heigl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2007

Career Diary of a Caterer features a 30-day-in-the-life, conversational look at the daily ups and downs of running a catering business, from hiring and firing staffers to managing difficult vendors. Author Jennifer Heigl shows how important it is to think quick on your feet when running a food service business, and what it really takes to make your business successful, with each entry including a daily lesson and tips for combating problems with your own catering operation.

Offering a glimpse at the multitasking endurance it takes to run a successful food service establishment, Career Diary of a Caterer is perfect for culinary students, foodies, and anyone who dreams of their own restaurant or catering business!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Jennifer Heigl's Career Diary of a Caterer is a thorough handbook detailing the day to day responsibilities of the often-challenging-but-always-rewarding real life of a caterer. An essential read for anyone interested in the marketing, cooking, business, management, and financial skills necessary to begin his or her own endeavor." -- Courtney Febbroriello, Author of Wife of the Chef

Career Diary of a Caterer was easy to read and enjoyable. If you are starting a business in catering, this true account will help you tremendously! -- Mary Lou Burton, Owner of Bravo! Publications

Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: Garth Gardner Company (December 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158965031X
• ISBN-13: 978-1589650312
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #795,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jennifer Heigl is an author, entrepreneur, and freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She is the former co-owner of award-winning organic catering company, Zen Kitchen Catering, with her first publication, Career Diary of a Caterer, released in December 2007.

Jennifer is currently the editor for Dailyblender.com, a food and wine blog covering industry news, food & wine events, food personalities, and culinary travel. She has been a contributing writer to a number of publications including The Writer, Northwest Palate, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, nervy Girl, AccidentalHedonist.com, SuperChefBlog.com, and MustHaveMenus.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What does a caterer really do?, May 7, 2008

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Career Diary of a Caterer (Gardner's Guide series) (Paperback)

This informative short book goes into details about the business "gotchas" of being a caterer. Note: it is NOT about cooking or food. This is more about being a party planner--or at least the organizational aspects of catering, down to the details of renting equipment and whether dishes and silverware need to be washed before returning or just rinsed (hint: find out from the rental agency, as you may incur a large charge if you don't return the items in proper condition.)

Recommended for anyone thinking of going into any aspect of this business, but not about the culinary side.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!, October 13, 2008

By 

T. Spriggs (Grass Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Career Diary of a Caterer (Gardner's Guide series) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading Ms Heigl's book. I had no idea what to expect and knew nothing about the catering business. Ms Heigl is a talented writer and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and surprising guide, September 22, 2008

By 

Michael A. Bycraft (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Career Diary of a Caterer (Gardner's Guide series) (Paperback)

Jennifer Heigl's book, "Career Diary of a Caterer" was enlightening and well written. It is an honest look at the huge amount of work involved in starting and running your own catering business. I would advise anyone who has ever wanted their own business (in food service or not) to read this book before attempting such an immense task. As Mrs. Heigl points out, being your own boss is both a blessing and a curse. Her workday never really ends. Each day is filled with a hundred little things that must get done or the bills do not get paid. Having the diary be just that, a personal diary, really gives the reader insight into the amount of blood, sweat and tears that the author puts into every day. I give Mrs. Heigl a great deal of credit for documenting her struggles so honestly and realistically.

Despite the trials and tribulations the author endures, Mrs. Heigl never discourages the reader from wanting to run a business for themselves. She simply paints an honest picture as best she can. I feel that any entrepreneur would benefit from the insights within this book, especially those in food service. The daily grind is well documented here. It reminded me of Anthony Bourdain's great section in his book, "Kitchen Confidential" which detailed everything he did in one day as an executive chef of a successful restaurant. Like that book, "Career Diary of a Caterer." Makes you both respect and pity the author and all she does for the love of the job. An added bonus to the book is the detailing of Mrs. Heigl's relationship with her husband, who happens to be the company's head chef. As if running your own business were not enough work, the author maintains a healthy relationship with her spouse while cooking and preparing a dinner for 250 people on Friday, and a brunch for 100 on Sunday.

In closing, I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who would like to start their own company. Mrs. Heigle chronicles the ups and downs and everything in between in an honest and realistic voice. As an educator, I would use this book in an instant in my class if I were teaching anything about business management and entrepreneurship. Food service is a tough business to succeed in, which the author has done. It is even tougher to write an enjoyable and enlighten book documenting the struggles and success of a small business striving to succeed.