How to hire a caterer for a small event in Vancouver (20 to 60 guests)

Twenty to sixty people is where a lot of Vancouver celebrations land: a fortieth birthday, an anniversary dinner, a baby shower, a wedding for close family, a launch for a team that fits in one room. It's also the size where the host most often decides to cook, and then spends the party in the kitchen listening to everyone laugh in the other room. Hiring a caterer at this scale often costs less than you'd expect, and it changes the whole feel of the night, mostly because you're actually in it.

Four things to settle before you call anyone

A caterer can only quote what you can describe, so get these straight first.

1. The number. A real count, give or take five. Pricing is per person, and the rate often drops as the count goes up.
2. The style of service. Plated, family-style platters, a buffet, passed canapés, or a grazing table. Each one needs different staffing and feels completely different in the room.
3. The space. Is there a kitchen? An oven, a fridge, running water? Caterers can work with almost nothing, but they need to know what they're walking into.
4. Dietary needs. Ask your guests now, before the menu exists. Vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free, nut allergies, kids. Tell the caterer at the first conversation; the menu should be built with these in it.

"Catering" means a few different things at this size

• Drop-off. Food arrives ready to serve, on platters, with no staff. The most affordable option. Setup and cleanup are yours.
• Drop-off plus a server. One or two people who set up, keep platters full, clear plates and leave your kitchen the way they found it. For thirty to sixty guests this is usually the right call.
• Full service. A chef on site, cooking or plating course by course, with servers. This is the dinner party where you didn't have to cook.
• A private chef. For twenty to thirty guests, a chef working in your own kitchen becomes part of the entertainment.

Questions worth asking

• Can we taste it first? Ask; many caterers offer a tasting for a fee that comes off the final bill.
• What does the per-person price include? Staff, rentals, plates and glassware, delivery, gratuity and tax are often separate lines.
• How do you handle allergies, in the kitchen and at the table?
• What do you need from our space, and how early do you arrive?
• Who's our contact on the day?
• What happens to the leftovers?
• What's the deposit, and when do you need the final count?

The best caterers ask you more questions than you ask them. Anyone who quotes without asking about your kitchen is guessing.

Where the money goes

Roughly speaking, the per-person cost climbs with the level of service: drop-off at the low end, passed canapés and plated dinners at the top. The food is rarely what surprises people on the invoice; staff hours, rentals and the bar are. Ask for a quote that separates those lines so you can trim one without losing the others.