How to Price Event Catering in the UK

Getting your pricing right is the difference between a profitable catering business and one that's constantly chasing its tail. Price too high and you lose bookings. Price too low and you're working weekends for less than minimum wage once you factor everything in.

This guide walks you through a practical, step-by-step method for calculating your catering costs and building quotes that are fair, transparent, and profitable.

Why Pricing Matters More Than You Think

Many caterers — especially those starting out — base their prices on what competitors charge rather than what it actually costs them to deliver. That's a recipe for trouble. Your costs are yours: your kitchen, your team, your transport. A caterer working from a commercial kitchen in central London has a completely different cost base to someone operating from a rural unit in Devon.

The only reliable way to price is from the bottom up: calculate your actual costs, add your margin, and build the quote from there.

Step 1: Calculate Your Food Costs

Food cost is your starting point. For every event, work out the raw ingredient cost per head, then apply a multiplier.

The standard formula:

Wholesale ingredient cost per head × 2 to 2.5 = food charge per head

For example, if your raw ingredients for a three-course meal cost £12 per head, your food charge should be £24–30 per head. The multiplier accounts for waste, prep time, recipe development, and your margin on food alone.

How to calculate ingredient costs accurately

• Cost every recipe — not approximately, exactly. Weigh portions, price every ingredient at your actual supplier cost
• Include garnishes, oils, seasoning — the small things add up across 100 covers
• Factor in waste — trim loss on meat (15–20%), peelings on veg (10–15%), breakage
• Update prices quarterly — supplier costs shift, especially for dairy, meat, and seasonal produce
• Buy seasonally — a summer menu built around British strawberries costs far less than flying in exotics in January

Typical food cost percentages

Most successful UK caterers aim for a food cost percentage of 28–35% of the total per-head charge. If your food costs are running above 40%, your pricing needs adjusting or your menus need reworking.

Step 2: Factor in Staffing Costs

Staff are typically your second-largest cost after food. You need to account for every person on site, including travel time.

Typical UK staffing rates (what you'll pay):

• Head chef: £18–25/hour
• Sous chef: £14–18/hour
• Kitchen porter: £11–14/hour
• Front-of-house supervisor: £14–18/hour
• Waiting staff: £11–15/hour

Staffing ratios to plan around:

• Seated dinner: 1 waiter per 10–12 guests
• Buffet service: 1 waiter per 20–25 guests
• Canapé service: 1 waiter per 15–20 guests
• Kitchen: 1 chef per 30–40 covers (seated), plus porters

Don't forget:

• Travel time to and from the venue (paid hours)
• Setup time (typically 2–4 hours before service)
• Breakdown and clean-up (1–2 hours after)
• Overtime if the event runs late — build this into your contract

For a 100-guest seated wedding with a 6-hour service window, you might have 2 chefs, 2 kitchen porters, 1 FOH supervisor, and 8–10 waiting staff. That's 13–15 people for 10+ hours each when you include setup and breakdown. The numbers add up fast.

Step 3: Add Equipment and Logistics

Unless the venue provides everything — and most don't — you'll need to hire or supply equipment.

Common equipment costs:

• Crockery, cutlery, glassware: £2–5 per head (hire)
• Table linen: £8–15 per cloth
• Chafing dishes / hot holding: £15–25 per unit
• Portable kitchen equipment: £100–300 per event
• Refrigerated van hire: £80–150 per day
• Generator (if no mains power): £150–300 per day

Transport and delivery:

• Fuel costs (calculate actual mileage)
• Vehicle wear and tear
• Congestion charges if working in London or city centres
• Parking — especially at stately homes, rural venues, or city locations

Setup and breakdown:

Price your setup time as a line item or build it into your per-head rate. A marquee wedding with no on-site kitchen can easily require 4–5 hours of setup. That's half a day of wages before a single plate goes out.

Step 4: Apply Your Overhead and Margin

Your overhead covers everything that isn't directly tied to a single event but keeps your business running:

• Commercial kitchen rent and utilities
• Insurance (public liability, employer's liability, product liability)
• Food hygiene certification and training
• Vehicle costs (lease, insurance, MOT, maintenance)
• Marketing and website
• Accounting and admin
• Equipment maintenance and replacement

How to calculate overhead per event:

Total annual overhead ÷ number of events per year = overhead per event

If your annual overhead is £36,000 and you do 120 events a year, that's £300 per event in overhead before you've made a penny of profit.

Then add your profit margin. Most UK caterers work on a net profit margin of 10–15% after all costs. Some high-end operators achieve 18–20%, but that requires premium pricing and tight cost control.

Step 5: Build the Quote

Now you have all your numbers, assemble them into a clear, professional quote.

A strong catering quote includes:

• Event date, time, and venue
• Confirmed guest count (with a minimum guarantee)
• Full menu with any alternatives
• Service style (seated, buffet, bowl food, canapés)
• Staff included (numbers and roles)
• Equipment provided vs venue-supplied
• Setup and breakdown times
• What's included and — crucially — what's not
• Deposit amount and payment schedule
• Cancellation terms
• Validity period (typically 14–30 days)

Typical UK per-head rates by service style

These are total per-head charges (food, staff, and basic equipment) based on current UK market rates:

• Canapés only: £20–35 per head (8–10 pieces)
• Bowl food: £35–50 per head (3–4 bowls)
• Buffet: £45–75 per head
• Seated two-course: £55–90 per head
• Seated three-course: £65–120 per head
• Fine dining / tasting menu: £100–180+ per head

London and the South East typically sit at the upper end; the Midlands and North are generally 10–20% lower.

Handling Low-Budget Requests

Every caterer gets them: "We love your food but our budget is £30 a head for a sit-down meal." You have options:

1. Adjust the menu — seasonal ingredients, fewer courses, simpler canapés
2. Change the service style — a sharing-style feast is cheaper to staff than silver service
3. Reduce staffing — a buffet needs fewer waiters than a plated service
4. Be honest — if the budget genuinely doesn't work, say so politely. Delivering a poor experience damages your reputation more than losing one booking

Never cut corners on food safety, allergen management, or staff ratios to meet a budget. Those aren't negotiable.

Reviewing Your Pricing

Review your pricing at least twice a year. Supplier costs change, energy bills fluctuate, and your experience and reputation grow. If you're winning every quote, you're probably too cheap. If you're losing most, check you're competitive — but also check you're quoting the right clients.

Track your actual costs against your quotes for every event. If your estimated food cost was £14 per head but actual came in at £17, you need to know that before quoting the next one.

List Your Catering Business on FolkAir

If you're looking to reach more clients — whether weddings, corporate events, or private parties — list your catering services on FolkAir, the UK events marketplace. It's a straightforward way to get your business in front of people actively searching for caterers in your area.

---

List your catering services on FolkAir free → folkair.com/join