Catering at events — what your supplier doesn't tell you

The evaluation results caught her off guard. Of all the elements of the conference, catering scored the lowest — 6.1 out of ten. Not because the food was poor. Because there wasn't enough for the vegetarians, the lunch was served too late, and the coffee had already run out by the first break.

"I had trusted the caterer's experience," she says. "He knew the venue, he knew how many people were coming, he had an established way of working. I never thought to ask."

That is the most common mistake in event catering.

What catering actually costs

Catering typically accounts for 30–40% of the total event budget. For an event of €30,000 for 150 people, that means €9,000–12,000 on food and drink — including service and equipment hire.

Rates vary considerably: - Coffee/tea/water per half-day session: €8–14 per person - Simple sandwich lunch: €18–26 per person - Hot lunch: €28–42 per person - Three-course dinner: €55–90 per person - Drinks reception (2 hours, canapés): €22–38 per person

What the price list doesn't show: service charges (10–15% on top), equipment hire (at external venues), heating costs (for hot dishes), and staffing costs for evening programmes.

What caterers don't volunteer

You have to actively request allergen information. Caterers are legally required to make allergen information available. But "available" does not mean it will be displayed at the buffet. Always ask for allergen lists per dish, ideally to be published via the event app or on labels at the buffet.

Vegetarian and vegan are not the same thing. A vegan does not eat honey, dairy or eggs. Check whether the vegetarian option is genuinely vegan if that is relevant to your audience.

Quantities are negotiable. The default is catering for the exact number of registered attendees, sometimes with a 5% margin. If you expect that not everyone will eat everything, you can have quantities adjusted accordingly. Equally, if you anticipate that guests will be hungry — after a full day of activities, for instance — ask for 10–15% more.

The layout shapes behaviour. A long buffet along a single wall creates queues and social pressure. An island layout with multiple serving points distributes the flow. Ask the caterer for advice on the setup — but steer the conversation yourself.

Timing is critical. A lunch set out at 12:30 when the programme is running until 13:00 will stand too long. Always agree a flexible start time, not a fixed serving time.

The questions you should always ask

1. What are your standard dietary options, and how do quantities relate to the number of attendees? 2. Who is the lead catering coordinator on the day itself — and how do I reach them? 3. What happens if the programme overruns and the catering is ready earlier than planned? 4. How will allergens be communicated on the day? 5. Are there additional charges for amending the menu after confirmation?

What makes the difference

Good catering goes unnoticed — that is the goal. Poor catering always stands out and is always talked about. Investing in a proper conversation with your caterer takes two hours. The cost of poor evaluation scores is considerably higher.

The event manager from the opening now always schedules a pre-event briefing with the caterer on the day itself. "Ten minutes to run through everything: where is everything set up, who is responsible for what, what's the signal when the coffee is nearly out." Her catering scores have risen to an average of 7.8.

Two hours of preparation. A 1.7-point improvement. There's no mystery to it.