Event and office catering Sample business
Catering for weddings, office lunches and parties
We cook in our own kitchen and serve the food at your venue or office. Staff and rentals get their own lines on every quote, so you can see what each part costs.
Saturday wedding · 120 guests · family-styleSample
- FoodGarden wedding menu, 120 × $68
- $8,160
- Staff6 servers, a captain and 2 cooks for 6 hours
- $2,400
- RentalsPlates, glasses, linens, at the rental company's price
- $1,380
- Service charge20% of food: planning, kitchen and delivery
- $1,632
- Total before tax
- $13,572
How the food is served, and who serves it
The service style decides how many staff your event needs. Staff are booked for the service time plus two hours to set up and clear, with a four-hour minimum.
| Style | What it looks like | Staff | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop-off | We deliver, set the food out in labelled dishes and leave. Delivery is $45 within 15 miles. | No staff | Office lunches and meetings |
| Buffet | Hot food in chafing dishes on a long table. Servers keep it topped up and clear plates. | 1 server per 25 guests | Parties and office events |
| Family-style | Platters on every table for guests to pass round, with refills brought from the kitchen. | 1 server per 20 guests | Weddings and rehearsal dinners |
| Plated | Each course plated in the kitchen and served to seated guests at the same time. | 1 server per 12 guests | Weddings and formal dinners |
| Canapés | Small bites passed on trays while guests stand and talk. | 1 server per 25 guests | Cocktail hours and launches |
- Server
- $40 an hour
- Captain (75+ guests)
- $50 an hour
- Cook on site
- $55 an hour
- Bartender
- $45 an hour
Events of 75 guests or more get a captain, who runs the room and keeps to your timeline. Cooks come on site for plated, family-style and hot buffet service. Sample rates.
Work out a rough cost
The same sums we use for a quote, with sample prices. Rentals, travel beyond 15 miles and sales tax are added once we know the venue.
- Food120 guests × $68
- $8,160
- Staff6 servers, 1 captain, 2 cooks × 6 hours
- $2,400
- Service charge (20% of food)
- $1,632
- Estimate
- $12,192
Allergies and dietary needs
Tell us about every guest with a dietary need by the final count, 10 days before the event. We plan their food when we plan the menu.
Every dish is labelled
On the menu with V, VG, GF and DF, and on the buffet with a card naming its main allergens.
Separate plates for serious allergies
Guests with a serious allergy get a plated meal, made apart from the rest and labelled with their name.
Our kitchen handles common allergens
Nuts, gluten, dairy, eggs, fish and shellfish all pass through our kitchen, so we can't promise a dish is free of traces.
Halal and kosher
We're not a certified kitchen. We can cook halal meat from a certified butcher, or order sealed kosher meals from a certified supplier.
How tastings work
For an office lunch order that will repeat, ask for a sample box instead. We drop off lunch for up to six people. Sample policy.
When
Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings at our kitchen. It takes about an hour.
Who it's for
Weddings and events of 75 guests or more, once you have a written quote.
What you taste
Two starters, two mains and two sides from your quote, for up to four people.
What it costs
$120. It comes off your deposit if you book within 30 days.
Rentals: what we bring and what we hire
Many venues already have tables and chairs. We check with them first, then hire what's missing from a rental company and put it on your invoice at their price.
Comes with every staffed event
- Serving platters, bowls and utensils
- Chafing dishes and fuel for hot food
- Kitchen equipment for finishing food on site
- Compostable plates and cutlery for drop-off orders
Hired for you when needed
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Tablecloths and napkins
- Tables, chairs and a tent if the venue has none
- A field kitchen when the venue has no kitchen
From first message to the day itself
Timings and terms are samples for this concept site.
Tell us about the event
Send the form below. We reply with a written quote within two working days, with food, staff and rentals listed separately.
Taste the menu
For weddings and events of 75 guests or more. Change anything you like before you book.
Hold the date
A 30% deposit books your date. The menu can change until the final count.
Confirm numbers
Final guest count and dietary needs 10 days before. The balance is due then, and the captain calls you that week.
Questions hosts ask us
Something else? Call the office on (555) 017-5562.
How far ahead should we book?
Six to twelve months for a summer Saturday wedding, three to four weeks for a party, and two working days for an office lunch.
Do you cook at the venue?
Most food is cooked in our kitchen and finished on site. For plated dinners we need a kitchen at the venue, or we bring a field kitchen and add it to your quote.
Can we bring our own cake or desserts?
Yes. Cutting and plating your cake is included in the wedding menu. Other desserts from your own baker are fine too.
Do you serve alcohol?
We don't sell drinks. Our bartenders can run your bar if you or the venue supply the drinks and the venue allows it.
What if our numbers change?
Until the final count, change them as often as you need. After that, you can add up to five guests until three days before.
What happens to leftovers?
Food that has been out on a buffet can't be packed up safely. Anything that never left the kitchen is boxed for you to take home.
Free, written quote
Tell us about your event
The date, the number of guests and how you'd like it served are enough to start. This is a demo form, so nothing is sent. Concept
- Kitchen
- 18 Cannery Row, Unit 4 Sample address
- Office hours
- Mon – Fri, 9 am – 5 pm
- Phone
- (555) 017-5562