Mobile Catering at A Quick Glance | Food Safety Supervisor NSW

Food Safety Supervisor NSW

Mobile catering is becoming increasingly popular in today’s food service industry and typically involves selling prepared food from some form of vehicle or other mobile set-ups, usually taking on the form of carts or food trucks. These mobile catering businesses bring meals to the consumer, instead of the other way around, and in some cities are a cultural fixture that entices tourists with their presence. The variety of foods served via mobile catering is extensive, and the method of delivery is continually innovating, which makes mobile catering uniquely positioned to bring changes in food trends to the forefront of customer consumption.

That’s not to say that mobile catering is exempt from the rules of regular catering, on the other hand. Mobile caterers are still required to have a Food Safety Supervisor certification, and a Food Safety Supervisor must be appointed per individual mobile catering service to operate legally. Courses are available for Food Safety Supervisor NSW through RTOs via remote online delivery and face-to-face classes.

There are different types of mobile catering services that are relatively standardised. Let’s enumerate a few of them for a quick rundown.

FOOD KIOSKS

Food kiosks are usually found in malls, stadiums, movie theatres, and other indoor locations. They are easily identified by the small space they tend to occupy and are typically franchised. Kiosks are temporary booths or stands that serve quick meals, snacks, or beverages. Some of the kiosk franchise staples are ice cream, pretzels, and hot dogs – foodstuffs that are easy to prepare and serve. Kiosks are easy to set up, open, and close, which makes them a favourite for franchise operators.

FOOD CARTS & CONCESSION TRAILERS

Food carts and concession trailers are a global multibillion-dollar industry. They can be found in most cities all over the world, and serve a wide selection of food, ranging from the usual staples of ice cream and hot dogs, to the more (relatively) complicated dishes like gyros, kebabs, salads and burgers.

Food carts and concession trailers are mobile catering services that allow space for at least one person (behind the cart and inside the trailer) who will prepare and serve the food to the consumer. Generally, these carts and trailers feature food storage and cooking equipment within its confines. Food cart or concession trailer owners also usually have food prepared ahead of opening their cart or trailer or store the ingredients in a refrigerated unit in the cart or trailer. These foodstuffs are then served or cooked during operating hours.

FOOD TRUCKS

Food trucks differ from food carts and concession trailers in one aspect: size. Food trucks can accommodate as many as five servers in its confines at any given time, and generally come equipped with a full kitchen, or at least more sophisticated food preparation equipment. There are two types of food trucks as well. The mobile food preparation vehicle (MFPV) and the industrial catering vehicle (ICV). The MFPV prepares food as customers order them, while the ICV sells pre-packaged foods only, often with little to no preparation. The MFPV costs more than the ICV, as the MFPV tends to involve more sophisticated equipment for food preparation compared to the ICV, which only stores food and requires minimal preparation, if any.

Mobile catering offers other options as well, such as mobile catering businesses (similar to food trucks, but are generally explicitly hired for events, with menus curated by the client) and gourmet food trucks, which serve food not typically served in mobile catering.

There is a bright future for mobile catering, as there is always a growing demand for convenient and good-tasting food, especially in large cities. Support your local mobile catering business in NSW today.

So if you are planning on buying or starting a mobile catering business in New South Wales, you are required to attain the Food Safety Supervisor certification. The fastest and easiest way is to enrol in the online FSS training course with CTA Training Specialists!