The catering industry has a great deal of potential for new businesses who can target the right markets. However, there are also a huge amount of competitors who are all trying to make a name for themselves.

To cut through the noise, we’ve outlined a few ways to brand and market yourself so you can win the kind of clients you want.

Sampling and tester sessions

An old trick but a good one. Let your potential buyers develop a taste for what you can offer for free and start building up exposure in your market. Whether you are setting up a tasting stall at a wedding fair, giving samples to people on the street or delivering food to people’s desks, this is a great way to show people you can deliver quality food.

As long as you are cooking to impress and make a big impression, as well as following up with marketing materials and contact details, this is a worthwhile tactic that can generate significant returns.

Visit an exhibition

Another old route to bagging some high value clients is visiting one of the many catering and hospitality exhibitions throughout the UK. As well promoting your brand to other businesses and potential clients, you can make some great contacts with suppliers, manufacturers and providers of catering services that complement your own. This would be a great place to find suppliers of folding crates storage and other useful storage solutions for your business.

Mobile catering

Even if your business is not a mobile catering operation, you could easily rent a food trailer or truck for a week for special events to increase brand exposure. As well as creating a hype and excitement around your company, whether you are at festivals or a London market, you can use it as a great promotional piece on your social networks – showing people that your business has character.

Invest in photography

There are thousands of amateur food photographers out there these days, but despite this, it is a very well sought after skill that is worth investing in. Don’t just ask your niece/nephew to take photos on their iPhone of your equipment in folding crates storage or stock from the kitchens, instead, hire a professional to truly get your brand’s quality and look and feel across to your audience by taking photos of fully prepared meals on the plate.

Be your own brand ambassador

Get on your LinkedIn and any other social network platform you use and start marketing your company to your followers. Don’t be shy. Tell people what you are up to and how your catering business is attending various events or functions.

You don’t need to post a tweet every hour, just update people when you have completed a successful job, or even post some interesting culinary snaps of you and your team in your day-to-day catering environment amongst your folding crates storage and chafing trays – people like authentic!