Booking a caterer is a big commitment, whether you’re planning a wedding or a corporate event. Asking the right questions before you sign anything gives you peace of mind and helps you avoid surprises later. Use this checklist to guide your conversations and make sure you feel confident in your choice.
Start with menu and ingredients. Ask whether the team can create a bespoke menu, how they handle seasonal changes and whether they can provide strong vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. If sustainability matters to you, it’s also worth asking about local suppliers and how they minimise food waste or use seasonal produce.
Move on to service and staffing. Clarify what service styles are available – plated, buffet, sharing, hampers, afternoon tea – and which they recommend for your event. Ask how many staff will be there on the day, what they will be responsible for and who will be your main on-the-day contact. Knowing exactly who is coordinating service gives you a clear point of reference if anything needs to change.
Logistics and timings are crucial too. Make sure you understand when the team will arrive to set up, when they expect to serve each course or element, and what time they’ll finish and clear away. Check what they need from you and your venue in advance in terms of access, power, storage and hire items. Clarifying these details early prevents last-minute panics.
Finally, cover dietary requirements, pricing and contracts. Ask how they handle allergies, how special meals are managed and how everything is labelled. Go through exactly what is included in the quote, how payments work and what happens if your numbers change or you need to adjust plans. If you’re comparing caterers, having answers to the same questions from each one makes it much easier to decide.
Here are 20 useful questions you can take to any tasting or consultation:
- Can you create a bespoke menu for our event, or do we need to choose from set options?
- How do you incorporate seasonal ingredients, and does the menu change throughout the year?
- What vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options can you offer as part of the main menu?
- How do you handle serious allergies and cross-contamination in the kitchen and during service?
- Which service styles do you offer (plated, buffet, sharing, hampers, afternoon tea), and which would you recommend for our venue and guest numbers?
- How many staff will be on-site for our event, and what roles will they have (chefs, waiting staff, bar staff, event manager)?
- Who will be our main point of contact in the run-up to the event and on the day itself?
- What time will your team arrive to set up, and how long do you need before guests arrive?
- How do you coordinate with our venue and other suppliers (for example, planners, florists, photographers)?
- What equipment, kitchen facilities and access do you need from the venue, and can you work in spaces with limited facilities?
- What is included in your quote as standard (staffing, crockery, cutlery, glassware, linen, travel, tastings)?
- Are there any additional or optional costs we should be aware of (for example, corkage, hire items, late finishes)?
- What is your payment schedule, and what are your terms around deposits and final balances?
- What is your cancellation or postponement policy, and how flexible can you be if plans change?
- By when do you need final guest numbers, and how do you handle last-minute changes?
- Do you offer children’s menus, supplier meals or late-night snacks, and how are these priced?
- Can you accommodate specific cultural, religious or themed menu requests, and do you have experience with these?
- How do you present and label food at buffets or stations, especially for guests with dietary requirements?
- What steps do you take to minimise food waste or support sustainability in your sourcing and operations?
- Can you share testimonials or examples of similar events you’ve catered, ideally at our venue or in our area?
If you’d like to talk through these questions, or have a few of your own, and see how a tailored menu could work for your wedding or event, find out more and contact Jeeves Catering on info@jeevescatering.com.
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