£2000 to feed 20 people

[colectivity]

Having a very inexpensive wedding we're trying to budget for in a Scottish castle that doesn't do food. I have been quoted £2000 for a 3 course meal for 20 people with no alcohol and a grazing table. This is from a big private catering company.

Their prices originally look quite reasonable but then they added 3 staff, petrol, surcharge, VAT and it went from £26 pp to £200.

It has to be on this site in Perthshire. What would you do? We're quite happy with one main course but want it to be a sit down.

Never skimp on food at a wedding. I know it looks cost saving but good food leads to a better atmosphere. Guests would rather have good food than a fancy venue

That's a £100 per person which is ridiculous unless they normally charge £80 for 3 courses

That’s only £100pp not 200. For wedding standard of food, bought, prepared, cooked, delivered, served, presumably cleared and taken away to be cleaned etc etc, I’d be surprised if you could get that cheaper. Especially to include a grazing board.

Which is peanuts for outside wedding catering. It’s not like walking into a restaurant where the overheads are split between many covers all night. They still need to staff/deliver/clear what is presumably a quality wedding meal 🤔

Is that for a three course sit down dinner - or buffet ? AND a grazing board? What goes on the grazing board?

£100 a head for what you've described sounds really reasonable to me. What were you expecting, out of curiosity?

@Imfukinradiant £100 is ridiculous when the initial rate was quoted at £26pp. Maybe £100 isn't ridiculous in and of itself but going to 100 from 26 is practically quadruple the cost. I meant it's the j
26 is pretty basic I would think main course and a starter and cake cutting service for dessert, she said no alcohol. If you advertise at 26pp then unless you have a huge numbers of extras or changes I would expect the final to be a bit more .
It depends on how advertised did it say food from 26, and in smaller print that for the staff supplied the hours billed including travelling time. Or was it misleading in that it appeared to suggest their service was 26pp . When I see something like catering advertised as pp I expect it to include things like waiters plates etc unless they mention these are all optional extras

£100 per person is very reasonable. Presumably there isn't anywhere else for your guests to grab a bite to eat of they are still hungry so don't go for less to save money unless you are happy for everyone to leave at 8pm to get a pizza.

A lot of sit down meals at a wedding are at least £70/80 per head and that's with the facilities and staff in situ, this seems reasonable

Well if you don’t like the price then you can go elsewhere? Seems as I’d expect for an offsite 3 course plus platter wedding. Buffet would be cheaper.

Seems a reasonable price. The £26 thing is obviously irritating but you can't really have expected them to provide three courses + service+ outside set up + travel etc for that.

Seems reasonable to me

How would it even be possible to do it for 26 quid a head?

You cant even get a decent 3 course meal for that in most restaurants, let alone off site with all the logistics.

20 people is fairly easy to do.

If you arent happy with the price i'd shop about

I'd look for a local chef or go to a few local supper clubs and find someone whose food you like and ask them to do the event.

These guys do v. v. nice 4 course meals for £70 in london
https://www.thewinchmorehillsupperclub.com/event-details/spring-seasonal-menu-22-5

So it's £100 per head for a 3 course sit down meal? That doesn't sound crazy. Outside caterers are usually more expensive as the food is bespoke and specially bought in for your event. They don't have the "roll over" capacity that a permanent restaurant has. They've got to cover travel costs, time spent loading and unloading all the food and possiby setting up the tables at the venue. There are lots of logistics involved. Did they really quote you £26.00 for something? You'd be lucky to get tea and cake for that price for a wedding.

The only way I’d expect to have a 3 course wedding meal, prepped, delivered, served, and cleared, for £26pp, would be if the wedding was taking place in 1982.

I knew it would be more than £26 pp but I thought it would be no more than £60pp with the fees even then more than 50% increase.

£100 a head seems completely reasonable

It’s not £200 per person, it’s £100 per person which sounds reasonable for a 3 course wedding meal.

Op, I’d either pay up for the meal or I’d nip to the registrars then go out for a meal instead.

There’s nothing worse than skimping on food at a celebration.

Completely reasonable charge OP.

For a 3 course meal plus a grazing table that sounds a good price. If you want it cheaper, look for food vans like pizza or a bbq.

I can think of several castles in Perthshire. I don't think any of them are near "a few local supper clubs"!

There may be other outside caterers the OP can contact for quotes but someone who has previously worked there and knows the layout and facilities is helpful. I can't imagine anyone offering a wedding meal for £26 a head.

I think that's reasonable. I've been to weddings recently where it was around the £60 mark and they were BBQ style. Excellent food in similar venue but not a sit down 3 course meal. £100 sounds reasonable if that also includes the grazing table.

£100 per head is very reasonable for a 3 course meal and a sharing table/ buffet after.

Bloody hell even Dominos charges £12! £100 for three courses and a grazing table delivered and served to a venue is decent value. Maybe have one main and have the grazing table include a bit of cake.

Or get a fish and chip van and get someone to bring some cakes from a supermarket?