Seminar Catering for Venues: Menus, Options and the Kitchen Sheet

Seminar catering is where a quote either becomes clear or starts to drag. If a venue provides its own catering, the customer must be able to read the quote and understand what they get, what it costs and when they have to make their choices. The kitchen, in turn, needs an exact sheet: how many people, what and at what time.

What seminar customers really want from catering

A seminar organiser is not usually looking for a gourmet evening. They want the day to run smoothly: coffee in the morning, lunch on time, a coffee break in the middle and nobody going hungry or getting the wrong food. Three things they expect from a quote:

• a clear price per person;
• a clear choice (how many menus, what is in them);
• a clear deadline for when guest numbers and special diets must be settled.

How to present the menu in a quote

Often the menu sits at the end of the quote as a single paragraph and the customer has to read between the lines. A table is better:

(The table is an example, you fill in the prices yourself.) A few more rules:

• Write the price per person and also the total for the given number of guests.
• State the minimum number of guests if it affects the price. For example, a package may only apply from a certain number.
• Say what is not included: drinks, plates, serving.
• Write whether VAT is added to the price (in Estonia 24% from 1 July 2025). If you are not sure how to treat catering and room hire, ask your accountant.
• If the menu is seasonal, say so.

Options, not an open choice

Choice is nice, but it should not be unlimited. A good combination is two or three menus, one of which is vegetarian, and the possibility to ask for a special request. That way the kitchen can prepare and the customer feels they have a choice.

If catering is optional, it is worth separating it from the room hire. Then the customer sees clearly what is the room and what is the food, and can trim the quote if necessary.

Special diets

Handling special diets is where most problems arise. Practical tips:

1. Ask about special diets already at the quote stage, but the exact list can come later.
2. Set a deadline, for example "please send the list of special diets no later than X days before the event".
3. Ask specifically: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, allergies.
4. The difference between an allergy and a dietary preference matters. An allergy can be dangerous, so the kitchen must know about it for certain and in writing.
5. Keep the list so that it reaches the kitchen and does not stay in an email.

Special diets can be health data, so share them only with those who need them and do not keep old lists without a reason.

Number of guests

The number of seminar guests changes: someone falls ill, someone is added. You need to agree on:

• an estimated number at the time of the quote;
• a final number before the event day (for example a few working days before);
• what happens if the number falls or rises after the deadline (whether you charge by the ordered number or the actual number).

Word this simply and neutrally in the quote. The exact terms (for example how far the number may fall) are your decision and can be reviewed with a lawyer.

The kitchen sheet

The kitchen sheet is a single page the kitchen needs. A good kitchen sheet contains:

• the event date, hall and contact person on site;
• the final number of guests;
• the time and place of each meal;
• the chosen menu and quantities;
• special diets by name or number, with allergy notes;
• other: for example flasks to the hall, glasses, a coffee table.

Example (an imaginary seminar): at 10.00 morning coffee for 40 people, at 12.30 lunch for 40 people, including 3 vegetarians and 1 gluten-free, at 15.00 an afternoon break. If a system compiles such a sheet from the customer's choices, nobody has to copy data by hand, and that reduces mistakes.

Coffee breaks and timing

At a seminar the coffee break is often as important as lunch because it sets the rhythm of the day. Agree with the customer where coffee is served: in the same hall, in the foyer or in a separate room. Serving in the hall is convenient but needs space and cleaning. The foyer keeps the hall clean but takes time because attendees move around.

Also write on the kitchen sheet how much time is planned for the coffee break. If the seminar programme runs over, someone must be authorised to change the time with the kitchen. Put that contact person on the sheet.

If the caterer is external

Some venues have their own kitchen, others bring in a caterer from outside. In both cases the most important thing for the customer is that someone is responsible for the whole. State clearly in the quote:

• whether the catering is your own or you arrange it through a partner;
• who is responsible for the food, special diets and allergies;
• whether the customer may bring their own caterer and whether there is an extra fee for that;
• where the invoice comes from (from you or from the caterer).

These terms are each venue's own decision. If the terms are in a written contract, have a lawyer review it if necessary.

Checklist before sending the quote

• Is the price given per person and also as a total?
• Are the minimum number of guests and the deadline for the final number stated?
• Does the menu choice include at least one vegetarian option?
• Does the quote say what is not included?
• Is the special diet deadline written down?
• Is VAT clearly stated?
• Does the customer know how to make their choices and whom to write to?

Workflow from request to kitchen

1. The customer sends a request and notes whether they want catering.
2. The quote contains menu options and a price per person.
3. The customer chooses a menu and notes special diets.
4. The venue confirms and the date is locked.
5. Before the event, the customer confirms the final number.
6. The kitchen receives the kitchen sheet.

We wrote about putting a quote together quickly in the article how to reply to an event request quickly and well. If a wedding with accommodation is also involved, see wedding manor requests.

How Saalo helps

In Saalo you can set up menus and catering options that the customer chooses on the quote page, including special diets. The system produces the kitchen sheet, the guest list is in the customer portal and the schedule is in the event day run sheet. In the price rules you can use per-person package prices with a minimum number of guests. See the features or the solution for conference centres.