Catering
Price per head is the least useful number on the quote
Two catering quotes can differ by forty per cent and be for the same food. The difference is staff, equipment, service style and what happens to the plates afterwards.
Quick answer
What should you ask a caterer before booking?
Ask what is included and what is billed separately: staff numbers and hours, equipment, delivery, setup and clearing. Then ask for the piece count per guest per hour rather than the price per head, because that is where a cheaper quote usually turns out to be a smaller one.
Two catering quotes can differ by forty per cent and still be for the same food. The difference is almost never the ingredients. It is staff, equipment, service style and what happens to the plates afterwards, and none of that is visible on a price per head.
What is included, and what is billed separately
- StaffHow many servers, for how many hours, and does travel time count? Ask for the ratio, not the total.
- EquipmentChafing dishes, serving ware, linens, glassware. Some quotes include them, some rent them back to you.
- Delivery and setupIs the team setting up the food only, or the tables too?
- ClearingDoes the quote end when the food is served, or when the room is empty?
How service style changes the number
A grazing table and a plated dinner for the same guest count are not comparable. Plated service needs the most staff and the tightest timing. Buffet needs fewer staff but more equipment and a room layout that will not create a queue through the middle of the party. Family style sits between the two and needs table space that many venues do not have.
Dietary requirements, asked properly
Ask how they handle allergies, not whether they can. The answer you want describes a process: separate preparation, labelled dishes, a named person who knows which guest is which. Ask what happens if someone declares an allergy on the night, because someone will.
Quantity, honestly
For a standing reception, most caterers work to a piece count per guest per hour rather than a weight. Ask for that number and compare it between quotes, because it is where a cheaper quote usually turns out to be a smaller one. If a grazing table is the whole meal rather than an opener, say so explicitly when you brief them.
The questions people forget
- Kitchen accessDoes the venue have one, and does the caterer need it? Some menus require none.
- Power and waterThe venue's answer and the caterer's requirement should be compared before booking, not on the day.
- LeftoversWho owns them, and is anyone allowed to take food home? Rules vary and often surprise people.
- Vendor mealsPhotographers, the band and the crew eat too. Decide whether that is on the count.
Frequently asked questions
Why do two catering quotes for the same menu differ so much?
Rarely because of the ingredients. Staff ratios, rented equipment, service style and whether clearing is included move the total far more than the food does. Compare those four lines before you compare the headline number.
Which service style needs the most staff?
Plated service. It needs the highest staff count and the tightest timing. Buffet needs fewer staff but more equipment and a layout that will not put a queue through the middle of the party. Family style sits between the two and needs table space many venues do not have.
How should dietary requirements be discussed?
Ask how allergies are handled, not whether they can be. The answer you want describes a process: separate preparation, labelled dishes, and a named person who knows which guest is which. Ask what happens if someone declares an allergy on the night, because someone will.
The bottom line
A quote is a description of a service, not a price for food. Once you can see the staff hours, the equipment, the piece count and who clears the room, two quotes become comparable, and the cheaper one is usually cheaper for a reason you can now name.
Related reading
Continue reading
- A Realistic Timeline for a Corporate EventWorking backwards from the date, week by week: when to lock the venue, when the headcount stops moving, and the three deadlines that quietly decide everything else.
- Reading a Venue Before You SignA venue walkthrough is not a tour. It is a survey. Here is the list we run through before anyone signs anything, and the questions that save the most money later.
- 5 Key Reasons Why Event Staffing Is Essential for a Stress-Free ExperienceFrom coordinating responsibilities to solving problems on site, event staffing is what keeps an event running while the host stays present.
Key takeaways
- Ask for the staff ratio and the hours, not the total staff cost.
- Establish whether the quote ends when the food is served or when the room is empty.
- Service style changes the staff count, the equipment and the room layout.
- Compare piece count per guest per hour, not price per head.
- Kitchen access, power, leftovers and vendor meals are the four questions people forget.
Next step
Talk to us about your event
Tell us the date, the guest count and the room you have in mind, and we will tell you what we would do next.
