A fine romance

All in all, Valentine's Day can be a lucrative period for us," says Beverley Bersch. "It makes an excellent romantic tie-in with weddings and engagements, especially among young couples."

Bersch, director of Essex-based Celebration Catering, is a contract caterer who thinks about pulling purse-strings while Cupid tugs the heart-strings. St Valentine's Day celebrations do not have to be the sole preserve of high street restaurants with candlelit tables or hotels packaging romantic breaks.

Indeed, with the rising number of people living alone and remaining single, contract caterers could find a profitable niche in singles balls or banquets. St Valentine's Day also offers companies an opportunity to gather staff together for the first time after Christmas.

But whether it's delivering a silver service Champagne breakfast for one or organising a sit-down banquet for 100, caterers should make sure their guests see love and romance, not tears and broken hearts.

Celebration Catering already has plans under way for a Masonic dinner for 120 guests at the New Connaught Rooms in London's West End. "We do a fair bit of work for the Masons," says Bersch. "When they approached us for Valentine's, we were only too happy to oblige."

It is not only the young who want to celebrate the festival of romance, Bersch points out, as is shown by the Masonic dinner, which will be attended by people in their 50s and 60s.

For St Valentine's Day, Bersch believes it is very important to assume complete control, including venue hire. "I use all my own staff and retain overall artistic control, which is exceptionally important on a day like Valentine's," she says. "With too many companies involved, it can end up looking like a dog's dinner."

This point is echoed by Janet Redford, sales and marketing manager of contract caterer Leith's. With high-profile clients such as the Science Museum and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster, the key to success lies in being in control. "We prefer to package everything together, including the food and the theming of the venue," Redford says. "Freelancing our party design team to a second caterer would destroy continuity and forfeit control over the quality of menu, which could reflect badly on Leith's if guests were not satisfied with the food."

Romantic ambience

There needs to be a high degree of venue and menu theming to perfect a romantic ambience. "We view Valentine's Day in the same vein as occasions such as New Year's Eve - the mood has to be light and celebratory, although on Valentine's Day we try to create more intimacy by using smaller tables," explains Bersch.

"The room will be filled with cream-coloured floral arrangements, against a background of burgundy rather than red, which is a little harsh for this type of gathering," she adds. "Sauces for the food are coloured pink and, even though food is supposed to be a natural aphrodisiac, we add plenty of alcohol just to make sure. For the night to be a success, it's very important that everyone is loved up and in the mood."

But is creating the atmosphere and food for love a profitable venture for a caterer? Bersch says she tries to keep ticket prices to a minimum, while still making a healthy gross profit: "For the Masonic dinner, we will charge £25 per head inclusive of French dinner wines. This should deliver a 60% mark-up on the menu price. Of course, venue hire, at £1,200 for the evening, is a separate costing."

But she believes that, with an artistic eye, the evening does not have to be expensive. "There needn't be any sacrifice in style. Even if we budget for paper serviettes, they are folded as if they were silk," she notes.

Simone Wiggin, owner of contract caterer Selbys, says that larger parties can be more cost-effective. "Although Valentine's Day tends to be about smaller, intimate numbers, last year we threw a party for 120 people. This is helped by the fact that venue hire is cheaper at that time of year, since many top spots have their quietest period following Christmas and New Year," she says.

The one-off lovers' breakfast is a dying tradition, according to Johnny Roxburgh, co-director of outside caterer The Admirable Crichton. "At one time," he says, "we delivered breakfast to a lover's bedroom, but nowadays we are usually contracted to organise a Valentine's party for a client and their guests. Valentine's Day is a good day to hang a party on, and an excellent opportunity to be creative within a narrow budget."

The special St Valentine's Day hamper can also dent the profit margins. The detailed preparation and hand delivery of themed food for a small number of people - sometimes as few as one - is less profitable than are the larger events, according to Bersch.

"We used to deliver silver service breakfasts," says Bersch, "but they are not commercially viable. Too much time and money goes into preparation, not to mention the cost of supplying glasses and stainless steel salvers. You can hardly use disposables with Champagne cocktails for the most romantic day of the year.

"Of course," she adds, "we could have produced a cheaper version, but it would have ended up looking like a take-away breakfast."