The History of Catering and How Food Grade Welding Plays a Role in Catering Today

Welding has been a part of many metalworking industries for centuries, with the earliest forge welding dating back to the Bronze Age (3300-1200 BCE). Stud welding as one of many newer kinds of welding was developed in the early 20th century in the shipbuilding industry. Since its first advancements, stud welding has grown to be a part of almost every metal manufacturing industry from construction to food service. If you are working with stud welding operations, you can find all the supplies you need at Northland Fastening Systems (NFS). NFS is a comprehensive supplier of all stud welding equipment, tools, studs, and other accessories. We also provide repairs for tools and the advice of our own expert technicians. One application of stud welding that is sometimes overlooked is its use in food grade welding for restaurant, catering, and other commercial food service industries. Stud welding is a quick, clean operation that can create strong connections between stainless steel studs and other equipment components. Not only is stud welding effective for well-made equipment, it’s also sanitary. Equipment made with stud welding operations meets strict standards for food safety and hygiene.

Food Grade Welding

From commercial kitchens to residential appliances, food grade welding is a heavily relied-on operation that allows manufacturers to quickly build components and full assemblies that won’t have potential issues with hygiene. Food grade stud welding prevents harborage, creates strong connections, and uses stainless steel that won’t corrode or allow spaces for bacteria and other pathogens to grow.

A large part of the food service industry that utilizes equipment manufactured with stud welding is catering. Many kinds of equipment used in the catering industry are fabricated with CD stud welding, thanks to the strong, clean connections points it offers.

Catering Chronology

Catering in the world dates back to 4000 BCE in China, but catering in the United States has a much shorter history. Let’s look at a brief timeline based on an article on Medium.com website, “A Brief History of Catering.”

  • 1778: One of the first large catered events was held in Philadelphia at a ball. The event was catered by Caesar Cranshell.
  • 1820: By this time, catering was a respectable business that was largely operated by African Americans in the free northern United States.
  • 1840: Robert Bogle, the “Originator of Catering,” expanded and diversified the catering industry.
  • 1930-1960: The catering industry survived through World War I and World War II rationing by simplifying menus and partnering with restaurants.
  • 1970-2000: During this time, as more and more women started working in the food service industry, new styles of cooking passed down in different communities became a part of catering menus.
  • 2000-present: Catering is a dedicated department for many restaurants today. Catering has also changed to adapt to new concerns and rules after the COVID-19 pandemic. Current restrictions for sanitation and preventing pathogen transmission make it more important than ever for catering equipment to be hygienic.

To learn more about how catering equipment is made today with CD food grade welding and our supplies, contact NFS at (651) 730-7770 or request a quote online.