Frequently asked Questions
If you’re planning a function there will be plenty of things to organise and consider. Some you may be sure about and some may need a bit more thought. We’ve been catering for a considerable period of time and have a great deal of experience and knowledge so I’ve put some FAQ’s together and answers that I hope may help. It by no means covers everything so if there any other information that may help you please feel free to contact me at any time.
Q. Can I come and meet you discuss our function?
A. Yes, absolutely. Please feel free to call or e-mail.
Q. I’m unsure whether to have hold or cold food for my function. What do you think?
A. There are no hard and fast rules. You really should have what you want. Some people prefer cold in the summer but either is fine at any time. However, if you’d like your guests to graze over a period of time cold food may be better as it can be left out for four hours. Hot food can be left out for a long period of time but some dishes can lose a bit of quality if left out for too long on a hot plate. This is the reason we arrive 30 to 45 minutes prior to eating.
Q. I’m considering a hot buffet for my function. How many dishes can I choose?
A. For numbers up to fifty please choose three dishes and three desserts. For numbers above fifty please
choose four dishes and three desserts.
Q. What time will you arrive and what will you need?
A. We usually arrive about 45 minutes prior to eating. We just need a table/tables to serve from and
access to a power point. A kitchen and cooking facilities are not always required.
Q. What is service and How much is it?
A Service is when we provide staff to serve the food, clear away and wash up. The service charge is 10% when poly plates an disposable cutlery is used. If china and stainless steel cutlery is used the service charge is 20%.
Q. Do you provide your food without service.
A. Yes. Food can be dropped off and we will return at a later time/day to collect the dishes and plates.
This will incur a drop off and collection charge together with a washing up charge if everything is returned dirty. If you decide to have the food dropped off we recommend you have somebody to serve the food for portion control. We will provide serving utensils if required.
Q. How do you you decide how much of each dish to do?
A. Normally we would equally portion each dish excluding the vegetarian between the numbers
attending. There are options to this but this method works well.
Q. Have you ever run out of food?
A. Never. We’ve been catering for 45 Years and know how much people eat
Q. Can you make your dishes gluten free?
A. Yes, we are happy to make some of our dishes gluten free but reserve the right not to do this if we
feel it will affect the quality of the dish.
Q. What happens to any remaining food?
A. Any remaining food can be left for you. We will need you to provide containers and refrigeration for food safety where applicable. We cannot be held responsible for the food once we have left the premises.
Q. How soon after our guests arrival should we eat?
A. There is no hard and fast rule. We would suggest that all your guests have arrived and are settled with a drink. Depending on the food offering we would suggest 30minutes to 45 minutes after arrival for the first food
Q. Do you cater for various dietary requirements and allergies?
A. Yes. of course. We must be informed at least two weeks before any function of any special requirements. We will then discuss this with you to make menu provision for all your guests.
Q. I’m thinking of a hot buffet with desserts. Do I need canapes?
A. Not always. All our food is substantial including the canapes. It would depend on the function and timings. If you would like canapes to start I would suggest a minimum of two up to four per person.
Q. Can I have a hot and cold buffet?
A. Yes of course. We would normally suggest adding one hot dish to a cold buffet. We would suggest ensuring there is enough for everyone.
Q. I am thinking of having canapes rather than a hot buffet and desserts. How many canapes will I need?
A. I would suggest between 8 and 12 per person. We do a selection of savoury and sweet canapes.
Q. Do you provide China and Stainless Steel Cutlery ?
A. Yes, we can provide white china and styled cutlery.
Q. What areas do you cover?
A. We cover all areas of Cheshire and areas of Staffordshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and North Wales that border Cheshire. Please contact us for any details.
Q. How many functions do you do a day?
A. We only do one function at any one time. We may do one function at lunchtime and one in the evening depending on timings and numbers. It is important to us that your food gets our full attention so we never do two functions at similar times of eating.
Q Are your menus set in stone?
A. Not at all. We are happy to consider any suggestions or changes. The sample menus have proved
popular in the past and we know the flavours compliment each other.
Q. How do I know the food will be good?
A. Well, we have been in business over 45 years and I’ve been catering for over 25years and I’m fully confident in the quality of our food. I enter all recent customer comments on this website and I am happy to provide the contact details for people we have worked for.
Q How do we book your services for the day?
A. We just need a £100 deposit to secure the date. Payable by cheque or bank transfer.
Q. When do you need menu choices, numbers and final payment?
A. Final number and menu choices are needed one week to ten days before the function. Final
payment is due on confirmation of final numbers.