What questions should we ask when choosing a wedding caterer?

As a licensed mobile catering business, when choosing a wedding caterer we recommend asking 

- Do you have an offsite catering license?

- Do you have public liability insurance?

- Is there going to be enough food?

- How do you cover dietary requirements?

- What type of service styles do you provide (canapes, buffet, feast, plated)?

- Do you have a liquor license?

As a mobile bar service I would suggest asking: 

Do you have a liquor license? And have staff with RSA?

Are your staff trained in cocktail making?

Will you help with quantities of alcohol needed and suggest types of drinks typical to weddings?

Is set up excluded to my package time?

Do you liaise with venue staff for arrival and location details? 

Some questions that I feel couples should always ask:

1. What is your staff to guest ratio?
2. Do you have refrigerated vehicles?
3. What grade meats and produce do you use?
4. Are your chefs fully qualified.
5. Does the business have public liability insurance?

Hello! 

As a licensed mobile bar caterer, I hope this advice helps...

Find out how much the bar caterer can supply vs what you will need to supply. Some mobile bar caterers are BYO only which means they provide the staff/equipment but you need to supply to drinks/alcohol, ice etc - if this suits you then great but it can create alot of extra work for you to have to buy alcohol and deliver it to the venue and keep it pre-chilled before the bar arrives. If you're looking for a more inclusive and hassle-free option, choose a vendor that is fully licenced and able to offer everything from drinks/alcohol to ice, to glassware etc - it will make your day so much more stress free! 

I'm going to speak as a "beverage caterer". 

You should ask the following:

- Are you staff RSA qualified?

- Do you have a public liability insurance?

- What type of license do you own?

- How do you charge? Per head? Per hour? Per drink?

- How many different cocktails do we get? (Usually between 3 & 5)

- How many staff will be there? (1 for 25 guests is usually ideal)

- What kind of beverages do you supply? Can we supply our own?

- Do you charge a travel fee?

- Do you charge a set up fee?

... 

These would be a very good start :)

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Will there be enough food? How many hours of service do you cover? Is your food handmade?

Do you use qualified chefs and are your staff paid on the books?

Does your team wear a uniform? How professional is your team?

Does the business have public liability insurance?

Is it registered with Council? Do they operate out of a commercial kitchen?

What is the size of the serve - for example if having pizza, is it 9 inch or 12 inch? What is your output/capacity?

As a pizza caterer we are often compared based on pricing alone and what brides fail to ask is how many pizzas can be made per hour?

We can output up to 150. Some pizza ovens can't get over 50.

Also, how well trained is the team? Some caterers pay really high rates and have an exceptional team serving you. Others don't. You essentially get what you pay for and should make sure you look closely at reviews and try to taste the food before booking.

Firstly - are they a professional registered business able to provide current public liability certifcation? From there it becomes quite easy. Rather than email details regarding yoiur desired hospitlaity experience, arrange a time to visit them at their workplace to build up the confirdence that they are a reputable organisation able to meet all your needs and ensure that your reception is a memorable event for all the right reasons.