Planning catering: quantities, staff, cost
The questions that come before every enquiry, answered with real numbers. So you can work it out before you call anyone.
01
Quantities
How many canapés per person at an apéro?
Four to six pieces per person if a meal follows. Ten to twelve if the apéro replaces dinner. If the event runs longer than three hours, add roughly one piece per additional hour.
How much food per person at a flying dinner?
Allow 400 to 500 grams per person for the main courses, plus starters and dessert. Where there is a lot of standing and talking, guests eat less than where everyone is seated.
If 50 people have accepted, how many should I order for?
For 50. Reputable caterers build the buffer in already. If you are unsure, say so at the first meeting rather than inflating the number yourself.
How much pastry per person at breakfast?
Two to four pieces per guest with a full breakfast, three to four if it is only pastry and sandwiches. Allow 150 to 200 grams per plate and plan so that everyone can help themselves twice.
How many drinks per person per hour?
As a rule of thumb, one drink per person per hour. For wine, around two and a half glasses per person across an evening; for beer, one to two bottles per person per hour. Plus one to two litres of water per person.
How much ice is needed?
Around half a kilo to a kilo per person, if drinks are being chilled and glasses filled. More for summer events outdoors.
02
Staff
How many staff does an event for 100 guests need?
For a flying dinner around 15 service staff, for a served menu around 20. Plus kitchen staff depending on the menu, and one bartender per 75 to 100 guests.
What is the ratio of service staff to guests?
For a served menu we plan around 20 service staff per 100 guests, for a flying dinner around 15. This can vary with the event. Breakfast needs fewer than dinner.
How many bartenders are needed?
One per 75 to 100 guests. For an open bar or mixed cocktails, closer to one per 50.
How long are staff on site?
From setup to strike. We arrive two hours before the start and allow about an hour to clear.
What happens if a member of staff falls ill?
Ask any caterer this before you book. We work with a settled group we can draw on at short notice, and Michele or Felix is on site personally anyway.
03
Cost
What does catering cost per person in Zürich?
For the food, from around CHF 35 per person at an apéro, from CHF 45 for a flying dinner, from CHF 70 for a served menu. Staff, drinks and equipment come on top and are listed separately in the quote.
Why is the quote twice the food price?
Because the food price is only one part. A quote has four parts: food, staff, drinks and equipment. Staff, drinks and equipment are listed separately.
What is usually not included in a catering price?
Often drinks, furniture hire, marquees, flowers, travel beyond a certain distance, and VAT. Ask what is missing from every quote, then compare.
How do I compare two catering quotes properly?
Convert both to a per-guest figure including staff, drinks and equipment. Check the VAT, how drinks are invoiced and how many staff are budgeted. Two quotes with the same food price can differ by forty percent at the end.
Is VAT charged separately?
In Switzerland, usually yes. Check whether a quote is calculated excluding or including 8.1 percent VAT.
Is there a charge for the consultation?
Not with us. We do not charge for the first meeting, the concept or the menu design. Finding the venue is included in the catering. Some providers charge a concept fee, so ask.
What is corkage?
A fee per bottle opened if you bring your own drinks. It covers glassware, chilling and service. Ask about it before you buy your own. We do not charge corkage.
Is tipping expected?
In Switzerland the service is included in the bill and a tip is not expected. Many hosts still give the team something at the end, but it is entirely voluntary.
04
Understanding the formats
What is the difference between an apéro and an apéro riche?
An apéro is four to six canapés per person and comes before a meal. An apéro riche replaces the meal: ten to twelve items, usually with warm elements and dessert. It runs longer, around three hours.
What is a flying dinner?
A multi-course menu served standing. Service brings the courses one after another on small plates to the guests, rather than everyone sitting at a table. Good for events where people should stay on their feet.
What is a Stehlunch?
A standing lunch, usually at company events between two parts of a programme. Warm and cold items you can eat with one hand, with no seating plan.
What are Znüni and Zvieri?
The Swiss terms for the mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. In an office, usually pastry, fruit and coffee in the morning and something savoury in the afternoon. Both can be set up as a regular delivery.
What is a tavolata?
A shared meal at one single long table. The dishes are placed in the middle and passed around rather than plated individually. The word is Italian and has been in common use in Switzerland for some years.
What is live cooking?
The food is prepared in front of your guests rather than in a kitchen next door. At cooking stations in the room, or outdoors over an open fire.
Which format suits which occasion?
If guests should stay on their feet, an apéro or flying dinner. If they should stay seated, a served menu. If everyone should end up talking to each other, a tavolata or live cooking.
05
Planning
How far ahead should you book a caterer?
For smaller events, three days. For Christmas parties, five days is enough, although December fills up early. For weddings on summer Saturdays, six months.
What is your minimum number of guests?
From two people for a private chef and for boardroom lunches. From 20 guests for a flying dinner, tavolata or live cooking. Up to 1,500 at the other end.
When does the final guest count have to be confirmed?
With us, five days before the event. That figure is the basis for both buying and invoicing. If fewer come, the confirmed number is charged. If more come, the actual number.
When is payment due?
For orders above CHF 5,000, 50 percent is due on confirmation of the order. The balance is payable within 10 days of invoicing. Quotes are valid for 90 days.
What happens if we cancel?
For orders above CHF 5,000, 50 percent is due on confirmation of the order. Up to 6 weeks before the event, cancellation is free and the deposit is refunded in full. Between 6 weeks and 10 days, we retain the deposit. Less than 10 days before, the full amount for the food is due, excluding staff and drinks. By that point the produce has been bought.
When does the menu have to be final?
Usually two to three weeks beforehand, because produce has to be ordered and staff booked. Ask about the deadline before you commit.
What happens if the weather turns?
Agree a plan B at the first meeting, before you book. Live cooking works under a marquee and most running orders can move indoors. Also settle who decides, and when.
How long does an apéro usually last?
Two to three hours. An apéro riche replacing dinner, closer to three.
Can you still find a caterer at short notice?
When it has to happen quickly, it usually still can. A picnic for two is possible the next day; a party for two hundred takes a little more. Depending on the work involved a surcharge may apply, which we tell you in advance. Ask before you give up on it.
06
Practical
Do you need a permit for an outdoor event?
On private ground, usually not. On public ground in the city of Zürich a permit is required, as it often is for music after 10pm and for serving alcohol at public events. Settle this with the municipality before you book.
Who handles the permits?
Normally the host or the operator of the venue rather than the caterer. Ask early, because deadlines run to several weeks depending on the municipality.
How much space does a cooking station need?
About two square metres. We have cooked on a small boat before.
Do allergens have to be declared?
Yes. In Switzerland the fourteen main allergens must be declared on request for food served loose. We label everything on site and take allergies with the guest list beforehand.
What happens to what is left over?
That depends on the caterer, so ask before you book. With us it becomes soup, jam and vinegar, which go to your guests in jars.
Do we need power and water on site?
For live cooking and for kitchen stations, yes. Power, a water connection nearby and a route for deliveries. Exactly what is needed we establish at the site visit.
Does the caterer clear up?
With us, yes, including tableware, glasses and rubbish. Ask this of every quote, because it is not included everywhere.
07
Choosing a caterer
What questions should I ask a caterer?
Who cooks on the day. How many staff are budgeted. What is not included in the quote. How drinks are invoiced. When the guest count has to be final. What applies on cancellation. And whether other events are running the same day.
Is the caterer doing other events on our day?
Ask. It is not a reason to rule someone out, but you should know whether there are enough staff and who is accountable. With us, Michele or Felix is at your event personally.
Should I ask for references?
Yes, and specifically for events of a similar size. A caterer who cooks well for twenty does not automatically do so for two hundred. Ask for two references with comparable guest numbers.
How do I know there will be enough food?
From the calculation, not from reassurance. Ask to see the quantities per person and compare them with the reference figures above. A caterer who cannot give you quantities has not worked them out.
What matters more, the food or the organisation?
Both, but guests remember the food. A study by The Knot surveying 1,000 wedding guests found that 73 percent named the food as the thing they noticed most. Music came second at 57 percent.
Can you taste a menu beforehand?
For larger events, usually yes. Ask whether a tasting is possible and whether it is charged. We bring something to the first meeting if the event is a fit.
Which districts and towns do you work in?
Across the whole city of Zürich, from Kreis 1 to Kreis 12, including Altstetten, Oerlikon, Seefeld, Enge and Wiedikon. Plus Lake Zürich, the Obersee, and Zug, Schwyz, Baden, Aarau, Olten, Lucerne, Basel, Bern, Winterthur and Schaffhausen.
Let us work it out together
Tell us the date, the place and roughly how many guests. You get a quote with quantities, staff and equipment, each listed separately.