What it has served before, for how many guests, in what kind of venue
A caterer who is superb for forty guests can be overwhelmed at four hundred: cooking in waves, plating and the flow of dishes all change scale. First question: what guest count have you already served, and in what kind of venue? A hotel with a kitchen, a listed building without one and an upper floor with no service lift are not the same trade.
Ask for two references you can call, and a sample menu served for a guest count close to yours. A confident caterer provides both without hesitation.
Our team produced: Longchamp, a laid table with its caterer. Photo: Dare-Dare.
Cuisine, diets and allergens
Vegetarian, halal, kosher, gluten-free, allergies: in your brief these words are not options, they are dishes in their own right. Ask how the caterer prepares them (separate kitchen or not, dedicated utensils) and how they are labelled on the buffet or at the table.
On the rules side, European Regulation No 1169/2011 requires information on the 14 allergens, including for non-prepacked food. Ask for the allergen sheet for each dish, in writing, before the event: it is the document you hand to the floor team.
The quote: what it really includes
Two quotes can only be compared on the same scope. Ask for them line by line and check these items, often forgotten:
- Staff: how many waiters for how many guests, which head chef on site, which service hours are included, what overtime costs.
- Equipment: crockery, glassware, linen, furniture, mobile kitchen, cloakroom, cold storage.
- Transport, set-up and strike for the caterer, including the day before.
- Venue-related fees: some venues impose their own caterer or an approved list, or charge an entry fee to outside caterers.
- Taxes: prices before or including tax.
- Terms: deposit, payment schedule, deadlines to confirm guest numbers, cancellation.
We always set these lines side by side in a comparison handed to the client, never a lone price per head.
The bar and the drinks
The bar is part of the service, never part of the programme. Ask who runs it (bartender, barista, sommelier), what equipment they bring (glasses, ice, cold storage, counter) and how quantities are worked out for the length of the evening.
Above all, check the alcohol-free menu: pressed juices, iced teas, mocktails, water on tap. It should be as carefully made as the rest, served in the same glasses, and offered first. It matters for guests who do not drink, and for everyone driving home. If you publish photos or an invitation, French law (loi Évin) restricts communication about alcohol: we check it before anything goes out.
Logistics on the day
A meal is often won or lost before the first guest arrives. Ask the caterer, then the venue:
- Where and when can the caterer deliver, through which entrance, with which goods lift?
- What power, water and cold chain does the caterer need on site?
- What is the layout: preparation area, flow of dishes, waste removal and sorting?
- Who is the lead on site, and how do they prepare service with our dedicated project lead and the venue manager?
- What happens if a dish runs out, guest numbers rise or service runs late?
Our team produced: Deloitte, Carrousel du Louvre. Photo: Dare-Dare.
In Paris: venues with an imposed caterer
Many Paris venues (hotels, museums, landmarks) have their own caterer or an approved list, with specifications: delivery times, restrictions on certain cooking methods, safety rules. Read these conditions before you sign the venue, not after: they change the menu and the budget.
If the venue is open, ask the caterer whether they have worked there. Our selection of 10 event venues in Paris explains what is possible.
In Morocco: cooking without a kitchen
In a riad or in the Agafay desert there is no professional kitchen: the caterer sets up their own. Ask how they handle the cold chain, drinking water, electricity, the kitchen tent, and how far from Marrakech they work. A menu of local seasonal produce, in Moroccan sharing dishes or French style, is decided with the caterer, not against them.
Drinks service depends on each venue and its rules: we check it venue by venue before the menu is fixed. In Morocco we are our own DMC and work directly with caterers we know; see our event agency in Marrakech and our guide to a retreat in Morocco.
The Agafay desert, where the caterer brings the kitchen. Photo: Josephhassane, CC0.
The tasting and the decision
Do not choose on the menu alone. A tasting should happen in day-of conditions: the same plates, the same plating, a table of eight rather than a tasting plate in the kitchen. Taste the vegetarian dish too, not only the star dish.
We ask for two or three quotes on the same scope, run the tasting with the client, then hand over a written comparison. The decision rests on the answer to each question in this article, not on the price alone.
Our checklist before you sign
- Two references you can call, for a guest count close to yours.
- An allergen sheet per dish and a plan for each diet.
- A line-by-line quote: staff, equipment, transport, taxes, terms.
- An alcohol-free menu as carefully made as the other, and quantities explained.
- The venue's constraints read before signing, in Paris and in Morocco.
- A written plan B, a lead on site, a tasting in real conditions.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should you book an event caterer?
Allow 2 to 3 months for a party in Paris and 4 to 6 months for an event in Morocco or a large group, as for the rest of the project. A shorter timeline is possible, with fewer options.
What does an event caterer's quote include?
The menu, service staff, equipment (crockery, glassware, linen, furniture), transport and set-up, sometimes venue-related fees, taxes and payment terms. Ask for it line by line to compare on the same scope.
How does a caterer handle allergies and diets?
They should provide in writing the list of the 14 allergens in each dish, prepare diets (vegetarian, halal, kosher, gluten-free) and label them at service. Ask for these documents before the event.
Can a caterer work in a venue without a kitchen?
Yes, by setting up a mobile kitchen: water, power, cold chain and a preparation area are agreed with the venue. This is the case in a riad, in a tent in the Agafay desert or in some landmarks.
Do you have to use the venue's caterer?
It depends on the venue: some impose their own caterer or an approved list. Check before you sign, because it changes the menu and the budget.
How much does an event caterer cost?
The price per guest varies with the menu, the level of service, the guest count and the venue. We do not publish standard prices: we reply within 24 hours with an itemised, line-by-line quote. Our article on corporate party budgets gives benchmarks.