Catering for Jewish Clients

Jews around the world adhere to certain dietary laws as prescribed in the Torah. Seasoned catering companies know these laws are non-negotiable to most Jews and will go out of their way to accommodate Jewish clients when catering for an event.

Products purchased for catering purposes should come from accredited kosher butchers and markets. Kosher butchers follow the prescribed laws when slaughtering mammals and birds and thus save the catering company a lot of trouble. Sheep, cattle, goat and certain fish are all kosher animals. Pig, camel and hare are unholy animals and have to be excluded for Jewish catering purposes. Other unacceptable animals are rodents, reptiles, insects and amphibians.

Only fish with scales on can be eaten by Jews. This makes salmon, tuna, carp and herring admissible for catering. Lobster, oyster, shrimp, crabs and clams cannot be used at all when catering for Jewish clients.

Chicken, geese, turkey and geese are kosher – once slaughtered correctly – but birds of prey or scavengers cannot be used for catering purposes. Any catering company that comes across grape products produced by Jews can serve it with a clear conscience. Jews are not permitted to eat any grape products produced by non-Jews.

Apparently kosher cheese is also a headache for any catering company as it is very hard to come by. Most cheeses contain Rennet from non-kosher animals and are not permissible for catering.

When setting up the menu, a catering company must keep in mind that their clients may not eat meat and dairy together. This means the entrées, starters and main courses have to be planned well. Desserts are not allowed to contain any dairy. A seasoned catering company will see this as an opportunity for extraordinary creative flair.