Give a food-ready target
Tell us when you want the meal to be available and what happens immediately before it. Include speeches, a ceremony, a presentation or the arrival of an evening guest group where relevant. Distinguish a fixed programme commitment from a preferred time that could move during the planning discussion.
Work back through venue access
Ask when the catering team needs access for the agreed preparation and setup. Check this with the venue's opening arrangements, unloading route and any room turnaround. An event start time does not establish that the venue is accessible earlier, so identify the person who can confirm entry and operational arrangements for your date.
Write the service window clearly
Agree the actual start and end of food service, separately from arrival and departure. Service stops when the booked food quantity has been served or that service period ends, whichever comes first. If people will eat in waves, put those groups into the discussion instead of assuming food can remain available throughout the event.
Include changes and the finish
Choose an event contact who can discuss any programme change with the catering team on the day. A delayed speech or late guest arrival does not automatically extend the food window. Before booking, agree how timing changes will be handled and how clearing equipment and the remaining-meat arrangement fit the venue's closing plan.
Your next decisions
- State the preferred food-ready time and any fixed programme commitments.
- Confirm access and setup arrangements directly with the venue contact.
- Record the food service start and end separately from arrival.
- Identify any guest groups expected to eat at different times.
- Agree the on-day contact and how timetable changes will be reviewed.