Short answer: every item on the price list needs four things: the menu name, exactly what it includes, the price and the unit (per person, per item or per event). Group items into a few categories based on what you actually sell, and for choice menus say who chooses and by when.
What a catering price list should look like: template
An example for a hotel that hosts both conferences and private parties (example prices):
| Category | Menu | Includes | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee breaks | Morning coffee break | coffee, tea, water, juice, 2 kinds of pastries | €8 | person |
| Lunch | Lunch buffet | soup, 2 hot dishes, salad bar, dessert | €22 | person |
| Dinner | Gala dinner | starter, soup, choice of main, dessert | €38 | person |
| Drinks | 3-hour drinks package | soft drinks, beer, wine, coffee | €18 | person |
| Extras | Celebration cake | made to order, 1 kg serves 8–10 | €35 | kg |
A category helps people find things; what you sell is the menu. “Hot buffet” with no contents tells the client nothing. “Lunch buffet: soup, two hot dishes, salad bar and dessert” does.
Per person, per item or per event?
The unit decides how the price changes when the guest count changes. Without it, “€22” could mean a person, a table or the whole lunch.
- Per person: coffee breaks, lunches, dinners, drinks packages.
- Per item or kilo: cake, canapés, a bottle of wine per table.
- Per event: bar staff, corkage, late-finish supplement.
Example: a €22 lunch buffet for 40 guests comes to €880. If the client increases numbers to 50, it is €1,100. Corkage per event stays the same. When every item carries its unit, the recalculation is right without anyone doing sums by hand.
How to write up a choice menu
A set menu is simple: everyone gets the same. For a choice menu, state three things:
- How many options there are, for example three mains.
- Who chooses: the organiser for the whole group, or each guest.
- By when choices are needed, for example 10 days before the event.
“The organiser picks one main for everyone” and “each guest chooses” are very different for the kitchen. Individual choice means place cards, a dish list by table and more service, so it may be priced differently.
Buffet or plated dinner: showing alternatives
When the client is torn between two menus, show them as alternatives and include only one in the total. Otherwise the client sees the buffet and the dinner added together and gets a fright. Once they decide, remove the rejected option so the kitchen doesn't prepare the wrong one.
If you sell conferences, consider a day delegate rate too: room, coffee breaks and lunch in one price are easier to compare than ten separate lines.
Dietary requirements and allergens
In the EU you must be able to tell guests which of the 14 main allergens a dish contains (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011). Add allergen numbers to each menu in the price list and state in the proposal by when vegetarian, gluten-free and other requirements are needed. Then record the numbers against the event, not in an email the kitchen never sees.
Who owns the price list
The price list needs one owner, usually the events manager working with the head chef. Sales shouldn't invent new menus inside a proposal. Make seasonal changes in one go, say twice a year, and confirmed events keep the menu the client received. When translating a proposal, translate the menu contents, not just the names.
With the price list organised like this, a proposal is built from ready-made items. In Verando you import it from Excel and totals update on their own when numbers change; see how it works for hotel sales teams or try Verando free with your own menus.
Frequently asked questions
Should coffee breaks and drinks be in one category?
No. A coffee break is food and drinks at a set point in the programme; a drinks package is sold by the hour. Separate categories are easier to find in the price list and the proposal.
Does every dish need its own price?
No. The menu or package has the price. Only items that can be ordered separately need their own price, such as a cake or a supplement for a premium main.
What should I check when the guest count goes up?
Per-person items recalculate; per-event items don't. Also check the room capacity for the chosen layout and whether the kitchen can handle individual choice for a larger group.
Do allergens have to be on the price list?
Guests must be told about the 14 main allergens under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. The simplest way is to keep allergen numbers next to each menu in the price list.