What is a live food station?
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A cooking stand at an event where a chef prepares and serves one particular type of dish on the spot, such as tacos, pasta or sushi.
A live food station is a stand at an event where a chef prepares and serves one particular type of dish on the spot: tacos, fresh pasta, sushi, antipasti, wok dishes or similar. With live food station catering, guests walk up, watch their food being made and leave with a freshly cooked dish.
What it is used for at a corporate event
It brings warmth, freshness and movement to a drinks reception, a buffet or a standing event. It is a way to serve freshly made food without a seated meal, and it gives the room a focal point. You can have several stations, each with its own speciality, so that guests circulate and try things. To avoid queues, spread the stations around the room rather than clustering them in one spot.
Examples from María Lluch’s live cooking
In our live cooking, we prepare tacos, ceviches and aguachiles, live sushi, steamed bao buns and wok dishes to order; for Italian cuisine, fresh pasta made in front of guests and antipasti stations.
How it differs from related terms
- Live cooking is the whole concept; a live food station is one of its stands.
- Unlike a buffet, the dish is not on display ready-made: it is finished in front of the guest.
- It pairs well with finger food at a drinks reception and a dessert table to finish.
Stations need setup and breakdown and front-of-house service.
How we can help
See how our private chef and live cooking service in Madrid works, or request information with the number of attendees and the space available.
Related service: Live cooking
More in Glossary.
Next step
Tell us the date, venue and number of guests. We will reply with a tailor-made quote.
