- 1). Select a location for the food display. Speak with the event organizers and see if there's a specified location for the food display. If not, select a location that is easily accessible by the majority of the people at the fair. Make sure there is ample room for a line to form as people wait for food. You don't want a food line encroaching on someone's booth.
- 2). Set up tables and dress them with tablecloths. If the job fair has certain colors, try to match the colors to keep with the theme.
- 3). Set out enough plates, bowls, utensils and napkins for the number of people who are eating and the food you're serving. For example, if you're serving both soup and a chicken dish place bowls out for the soup and plates for the chicken. The choice of disposable plates and utensils is up to you, however, be conscious if you need a special utensil in order to properly eat the food, such as a steak knife for meat.
- 4). Place any necessary food warmers or coolers on the table. The USDA recommends that hot food be kept at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or above on buffet tables. Use warming trays, chafing dishes and slow cookers to maintain this temperature. The USDA recommends cold food be kept below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Nestle food in shallow serving dishes placed upon a layer of ice to achieve this temperature. Each hot or cold dish should have its own hot or cold setup. The USDA recommends that room-temperature food not sit out for more than two hours.
- 5). Place the food out in the order in which it will be eaten. For example, if you're serving a green salad as an appetizer, baked chicken as a main dish and chocolate cake for dessert, set out the dishes in that order respectively. Additionally, provide serving utensils for each dish. Use a cooking thermometer to gauge the temperature of each dish to make sure it's within guidelines.
- 6). Add aesthetic touches to the table. For example, if the job fair has extra advertising banners, hang one from the food table itself. Another idea is to decorate extra spaces on the table with floral arrangements.
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