Catering quote
Catering quote example priced per guest
A catering quote should price the food per guest, show staff and equipment as their own lines, and set the date final numbers are due. This example from a Sydney caterer prices a 60 guest garden party at $6,740 including GST, with the guest count adjustable from 40 to 80 and two extras the host can add.
The quote, page by page
Every page as the client sees it and as it prints, pricing table included.
The pricing, line by line
- Garden party menu, per guest
- 60 × $78.00
- Service staff
- 20 × $62.00
- Equipment hire
- 1 × $540.00
- Delivery and kitchen set up
- 1 × $280.00
- Birthday cake service (optional)
- 60 × $4.00
- Late night snack (optional)
- 60 × $12.00
- Tax
- $612.72
- Total
- $6,740.00
- Deposit due on acceptance
- $2,022.00
Section by section
- Title and quote details
- Reference, the event date and hours, a 14 day expiry and the host.
- Scope
- The menu, the staff and that the price follows final numbers, then four inclusions and a note on allergies.
- Investment
- The menu per guest (40 to 80), staff hours, equipment and delivery, with cake service and a late snack as options, GST included.
- Terms
- Deposit and balance before the party, final numbers, drinks supplied by the host, and validity.
- Next steps and acceptance
- Set numbers, tick options, accept and sign.
Why catering quotes separate food from service
A single per head price that hides staff, equipment and delivery looks cheap until the host tries to change the numbers. Then nobody knows whether 20 fewer guests saves 20 times the per head price or less. This quote prices the food per guest and everything else as fixed lines, which is how the caterer's costs actually behave: four staff are needed whether 55 or 65 people come. The host gets an honest total for any number between 40 and 80, and the caterer is protected because the fixed costs are not diluted when numbers fall. Food served as catering is subject to GST in Australia even where the same food bought from a shop would not be, so the quote is set to include GST in every line.
How the price adds up
Sixty guests at $78 is $4,680, staff are 20 hours at $62, $1,240, equipment hire is $540 and delivery with the cold room $280, a total of $6,740 including GST. At 40 guests it is $5,180; at 80 it is $8,300. Cake service adds $4 a guest and the late night snack $12 a guest; at 60 guests both add $960. The 30% deposit holds the date and the balance is due seven days before the party, after final numbers, so the last invoice reflects the real guest count.
How to adapt this quote
Price your menu per guest with a sensible range, and keep staff, hire and delivery as fixed lines. Say exactly when final numbers and dietary needs are due, and whether numbers can fall after that. Name what the host supplies, especially drinks, and whether your staff serve alcohol; in this example they serve the host's drinks but do not sell any. Ask for allergies in writing. If you cater for businesses, switch to prices before GST, because a business client claims the GST back and compares the ex GST figure.
What makes this quote work
Only the food scales with guests
The menu is $78 per guest, editable from 40 to 80, and staff, equipment and delivery are fixed lines. A host deciding on the guest list can see that each extra guest adds $78, and the caterer knows its fixed costs are covered whatever the number.
Staff time is visible
Service staff are 20 hours at $62: four people for five hours. Hosts often assume staff are included in a per head price; this quote shows the cost and what the staff do, from set up to pack down.
Allergies have a process
The note asks for allergies with the final numbers, promises labelled dishes and separate plates for serious allergies, and clause 2 sets the final numbers date at 10 days before. That is the detail a host worries about most at a family party.
Questions people ask
What should a catering quote include?
The event date, hours and place, the menu with dietary options, the price per guest, staff and their hours, equipment hire, delivery, optional extras, GST, the deposit and balance dates, when final numbers are due and what the host supplies. This example covers each on three A4 pages for a 60 guest garden party.
How do caterers price per head?
The food is priced per guest and the fixed costs are added on top. This example charges $78 per guest for the menu, plus $1,240 for four staff for five hours, $540 for equipment and $280 for delivery and a cold room, so 60 guests come to $6,740 including GST.
Is GST charged on catering?
Yes. In Australia catering is a taxable supply, even when it includes basic foods that would be GST free bought from a shop. This quote is set to tax inclusive, so every line includes GST and the summary shows the GST share. A business client would usually see prices before GST.
When does a caterer need final numbers?
Usually one to two weeks before the event, so food can be ordered and staff rostered. This quote asks for final numbers and dietary needs 10 days before the party and says numbers can rise after that if the caterer can manage, but cannot fall.
Can I change the number of guests on a catering quote?
Before accepting, the host sets any number from 40 to 80 on the online quote and the total and 30% deposit update at once. After that, clause 2 governs changes. Because only the menu is per guest, changing numbers moves the total by $78 per guest.
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