Tasty bites and the things that come with them
Trade magazin asked Rudolf Semsei, managing director of Budapest Party Service and head of the Event Gastronomy Chapter of MARESZ about the market situation in Hungary.
This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2024/4

Rudolf Semsei
managing director
Budapest Party Service
“In 2023 the events market visibly became livelier, due to major international events such as the World Athletics Championships, during which service providers in the sector organised hundreds of small and big events. Market players saw their sales increase, not only due to the price hikes but also because of the growing size of events organised by partners, the increase in the number of guests, and the fact that last year customers opted for higher-priced menus and services. Greener thinking has also been conquering the world of event management catering, e.g. using more local ingredients, selective waste collection and saving leftovers.
In 2023 Budapest Party Service worked at more than 600 events and our sales revenue was up by almost 30% year-on-year at HUF 2.5bn. While at the beginning of the year it was more difficult to find qualified waiters and cooks, this trend took a U-turn in the second half of the year and we always managed to recruit enough colleagues in December, which was particularly strong for events. We have been helping the work of the Hungarian Food Bank since spring 2023 in reducing food waste by saving the leftover hot food at our events”.

Green thinking has come to the fore in event catering
//
What was popular in 2023?
One of the most innovative catering concepts in the world last year was “do-it-yourself food stations”: interactive dining is fun and brings the guest closer to the experience of eating. The use of individual chef services for small gatherings was also popular, making the occasion more personal and luxurious. It is also becoming more common to invite food trucks to outdoor business or family events. //
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