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Dessert tables and catering
Dessert catering costs £3 to £8 per head in the UK: a self-service sweet cart starts at about £75, and a churros, doughnut or crêpe station cooked fresh by staff costs £300 to £500 for two hours for up to about 100 guests. Most carts and stations are booked for a two-hour minimum.
What this covers
What it costs. A self-service sweet cart costs £75 to £300 depending on guest numbers, or about £4 to £5 per head. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- A churros cart cooking fresh for two hours at a wedding evening
- A self-service sweet cart for a christening of 50
- A doughnut wall alongside the wedding cake
- A crêpe and waffle station at a school prom
- A dessert table of tarts, brownies and mini puddings for a 40th
What is involved
The formats differ a lot. A sweet cart is a styled, self-service pick-and-mix of packaged sweets, delivered and collected. A doughnut wall is a board of hooks holding doughnuts for guests to take. A churros, doughnut, crêpe or waffle station has staff cooking to order for a set time. A dessert table is a styled spread of cakes, tarts, brownies and small puddings, sometimes as the end of a grazing table or in place of a wedding cake.
Some of these are hire and styling businesses and some are food businesses. Anything cooked on the day is food served to the public and needs a registered business with a food hygiene rating; a cart of packaged sweets carries less risk but should still come from a registered business. Desserts are where allergens concentrate: milk, eggs, gluten, nuts and soya are common, so ask how each item is labelled. Gelatine in sweets is not an allergen, but it matters to vegetarian, halal and kosher guests.
The practical check is power and position. Fryers and crêpe plates need a proper power supply or a generator, and a station works well once the evening has started, not straight after the meal. caterers.trade lists only caterers rated 3 or above, or Pass in Scotland.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask whether it is self-service or staffed, and whether desserts are cooked fresh or bought in. Ask how many guests the price covers and how long the station runs. Ask what power and space they need. Ask how items are labelled for allergens, and whether sweets contain gelatine. And for anything cooked on site, check the business has its own food hygiene rating.
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Common questions
How much does a sweet cart cost to hire?
From about £75 for a small party to £200 to £300 for 100 guests, including the sweets, styling, delivery and collection. That works out at about £4 to £5 per head.
How much is a churros cart for a wedding?
About £300 to £500 for two hours of churros cooked fresh for up to about 100 guests, or roughly £5 to £8 per head. Extra time and branding are charged separately.
What is a dessert table at a wedding?
A styled spread of cakes, tarts, brownies, macarons and small puddings for guests to help themselves. Some couples use one alongside a small cake, or in place of a wedding cake.
Can a dessert station work at an indoor venue?
Most can, if the venue allows fryers or hot plates and there is a suitable power supply. Ask the venue about cooking indoors, and ask the business what power it needs.